Interacting With Geospatial Technologies

This book provides an introduction to HCI and usability aspects ofGeographical Information Systems and Science. Its aim is tointroduce the principles of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI); todiscuss the special usability aspects of GIS which designers anddevelopers need to take into account when developing such systems;and to offer a set of tried and tested frameworks, matrices andtechniques that can be used within GIS projects. Geographical Information Systems and other applications ofcomputerised mapping have gained popularity in recent years. Today,computer-based maps are common on the World Wide Web, mobilephones, satellite navigation systems and in various desktopcomputing packages. The more sophisticated packages that allow themanipulation and analysis of geographical information are used inlocation decisions of new businesses, for public service deliveryfor planning decisions by local and central government. Many moreapplications exist and some estimate the number of people acrossthe world that are using GIS in their daily work at severalmillions. However, many applications of GIS are hard to learn andto master. This is understandable, as until quite recently, themain focus of software vendors in the area of GIS was on thedelivery of basic functionality and development of methods topresent and manipulate geographical information using the availablecomputing resources. As a result, little attention was paid tousability aspects of GIS. This is evident in many public andprivate systems where the terminology, conceptual design andstructure are all centred around the engineering of GIS and not onthe needs and concepts that are familiar to the user. This book covers a range of topics from the cognitive models ofgeographical representation, to interface design. It will providethe reader with frameworks and techniques that can be used anddescription of case studies in which these techniques have beenused for computer mapping application.

This book provides an introduction to HCI and usability aspects of Geographical Information Systems and Science. Its aim is to introduce the principles of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI); to discuss the special usability aspects of GIS which designers and developers need to take into account when developing such systems; and to offer a set of tried and tested frameworks, matrices and techniques that can be used within GIS projects. Geographical Information Systems and other applications of computerised mapping have gained popularity in recent years. Today, computer-based maps are common on the World Wide Web, mobile phones, satellite navigation systems and in various desktop computing packages. The more sophisticated packages that allow the manipulation and analysis of geographical information are used in location decisions of new businesses, for public service delivery for planning decisions by local and central government. Many more applications exist and some estimate the number of people across the world that are using GIS in their daily work at several millions. However, many applications of GIS are hard to learn and to master. This is understandable, as until quite recently, the main focus of software vendors in the area of GIS was on the delivery of basic functionality and development of methods to present and manipulate geographical information using the available computing resources. As a result, little attention was paid to usability aspects of GIS. This is evident in many public and private systems where the terminology, conceptual design and structure are all centred around the engineering of GIS and not on the needs and concepts that are familiar to the user. This book covers a range of topics from the cognitive models of geographical representation, to interface design. It will provide the reader with frameworks and techniques that can be used and description of case studies in which these techniques have been used for computer mapping application.

The purpose of this volume is to provide a review and analysis of the theory, research, and practice related to geospatial technologies in social studies education. In the first section, the history of geospatial technologies in education, the influence of the standards movement, and the growth of an international geospatial education community are explored. The second section consists of examples and discussion of the use of geospatial technologies for teaching and learning history, geography, civics, economics, and environmental science. In the third section, theoretical perspectives are proposed that could guide research and practice in this field. This section also includes reviews and critiques of recent research relevant to geospatial technologies in education. The final section examines the theory, research, and practice associated with teacher preparation for using geospatial technologies in education.

This book is an initiative presented by the Commission on Geographical Education of the International Geographical Union. It focuses particularly on what has been learned from geospatial projects and research from the past decades of implementing geospatial technologies (GST) in formal and informal education. The objective of this publication is to inform an international audience of teachers, professionals, scholars, and policymakers about the state of the art and prospects of geospatial practices (GPs) as organized activities that use GST and lessons learned in relation to geographical education. GST make up an advanced body of knowledge developed by practitioners of geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing (RS), global positioning systems, (GPS), and digital cartography (DC). GST have long been applied in many different sectors; however, their first use in higher education began in the early 1980s and then diffused to secondary schools during the 1990s. Starting with GIS and RS, it evolved into a much broader context, as GST expanded to include GPS and DC with new communication technologies and Internet applications. GST have been used around the world as a combination of tools and special techniques to make research, teaching, and learning more effective.

Earth Observation interacts with space, remote sensing, communication, and information technologies, and plays an increasingly significant role in Earth related scientific studies, resource management, homeland security, topographic mapping, and development of a healthy, sustainable environment and community. Geospatial Technology for Earth Observation provides an in-depth and broad collection of recent progress in Earth observation. Contributed by leading experts in this field, the book covers satellite, airborne and ground remote sensing systems and system integration, sensor orientation, remote sensing physics, image classification and analysis, information extraction, geospatial service, and various application topics, including cadastral mapping, land use change evaluation, water environment monitoring, flood mapping, and decision making support. Geospatial Technology for Earth Observation serves as a valuable training source for researchers, developers, and practitioners in geospatial science and technology industry. It is also suitable as a reference book for upper level college students and graduate students in geospatial technology, geosciences, resource management, and informatics.

This book is designed to help students and researchers understand the latest research and development trends in the domain of geospatial information and communication (GeoICT) technologies. Accordingly, it covers the fundamentals of geospatial information systems, spatial positioning technologies, and networking and mobile communications, with a focus on OGC and OGC standards, Internet GIS, and location-based services. Particular emphasis is placed on introducing GeoICT as an integrated technology that effectively bridges various information-technology domains.

This book advances the scientific understanding and application of space-based technologies to address a variety of areas related to sustainable development; including environmental systems analysis, environmental management, clean processes, green chemistry, and green engineering. Geo-spatial techniques have gained considerable interest in recent decades among the earth and environmental science communities for solving and understanding various complex problems and approaches towards sustainable technologies. The book encompasses several scopes of interests on sustainable technologies in areas such as water resources, forestry, remote sensing, meteorology, atmospheric and oceanic modeling, environmental engineering and management, civil engineering, air and environmental pollution, water quality problems, etc. The book will appeal to people with an interest in geo-spatial techniques, sustainable development and other diverse backgrounds within earth and environmental sciences field.

Technological advancements have changed the way we think of traditional urban and spatial planning. The inclusion of conventional elements with modern technologies is allowing this field to advance at a rapid pace. Geospatial Technologies in Urban System Development: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a pivotal reference source for the latest research findings on the different tools and techniques ranging from mathematical sciences to spatial sciences which can be effective in unveiling the complexity of an urban system. Featuring extensive coverage on relevant areas such as urban traffic, remote sensing, and geographic information systems, this publication is an ideal resource for academics, researchers, graduate-level students, professionals, and policymakers in urban economy, regional planning, and information science disciplines.