1. Kathryn McNair December 2014
Developing a qualification which uses GIS to help students ‘Get the Edge’
Kathryn McNair
December 2014

2. Aims and objectives
Investigate the potential for enhanced student employability by using Geographical Information Systems as a tool for learning.
Conduct research to assess the effectiveness of the current Level 3
GIS offering
Identify a qualification to be used as a basis to both create student
awareness of GIS and improve their employability
Gain commitment from Schools across the curriculum to use GIS within
their area as a tool to give students the ‘edge’.

3. What’s the problem? POSITIVE:
Level 3 GIS for Business evening course has been running successfully since 2011
GIS is a growing industry with many employers looking for people with these skills – the need is still there
BUT:
Unit 1 of the course is in its 3rd year of being taught to Level 3 FT Business students
Experience of co-ordinating and teaching this has shown the process to be difficult and students reluctant
Is this an effective way to help students ?

4. Enterprise Hub Expertise Recruitment Agency Interview
research
Student Survey
NI Skills Survey 2013
Student Focus Group
GIS Qualification
Enterprise Hub Expertise
Staff Interview
Recruitment Agency Interview

5. findings
Unit is overly technical and difficult for students to learn skill
GIS is very relevant in industry today
Very lecturer dependant due to student needs
Poor achievement and attendance
GIS roles are hard to fill
Employers want people prepared for work with skills required
Some students see the benefits of studying GIS
Stressful to teach
GIS gives students the ‘edge’

6. Options Advantages Disadvantages Option 1 – Do nothing
Continue with the Level 3 GIS for Business Unit 1
Advantages
Students learn new in-depth skills
STEM funding continues
Unique qualification
Disadvantages
Overly technical for this level
Poor attendance and achievement rates will continue
Very dependant on lecturer guidance
Difficult to expand across curriculum areas

7. Options Advantages Disadvantages
Option 2 – Stop teaching GIS to students
Advantages
Solves poor achievement issues
Takes pressure off lecturers to learn about GIS
Disadvantages
Loss of STEM funding
Lack of opportunity to Get the Edge
Shying away from the problem

8. Options Advantages Disadvantages Option 3 – Develop a Level 2 GIS unit
City and Guilds Employability Qualification
Advantages
Students learn GIS skills
Less technical, more achievable
Easier for lecturers to grasp
Applicable to a range of subject areas
Disadvantages
Lower amount of FLU funding
Loss of opportunity to learn ArcGIS Desktop skills
Not 100% GIS focused

9. Chosen Option Option 3 - Develop a Level 2 GIS unit
City and Guilds Level 2 Employability - Unit 505 – Candidate project for learning and work
Aim – Use GIS as a tool to complete a project

10. From this… Great range of GIS skills covered but: Overly technical
Lecturer dependant
Every student completing exactly the same
Difficult to achieve
Full year to complete
Outcome does not illustrate student understanding and GIS skill

11. To this… Modern use of ESRI technology Take control of own project
Less technical
Independent learning
Shorter time to complete
Take control of own project
In an area of student interest
More achievable

12. Resources and costs
Learning materials development – 3 hours with Geraldine Boden
Staff training – 20 members of staff attend a 3 hour workshop (£ )
Enable a block-teaching of the unit (inter-semester week)
Improve efficiency, motivation and success rates of the course
If applied to all level 3 full-time students there is a potential of £325, income for the College –
£133 (FLU minus teaching cost and training per student) X 2,455 FT FE L3 students
If we stay with current GIS unit the income would remain the same at £12,440.48

13. Benefits: Cost savings through shorter course
Continued source of FLU income
Potential to be tailored depending to needs – work with local businesses for real-life projects and increase student motivation
Applicable to a wide range of curriculums
School of Business Tourism
School of Engineering Software Development
Could lead onto inclusion in other assignments as students move up through the College
Spread the word of GIS to staff
And most importantly it allows students to……