I-Corps L: GeoTech Center

Kentucky Community & Technical College System, Versailles KY

Investigators

Abstract

The National Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence (GeoTech Center) has developed a course content tool and professional educators from across the country composed 10 model courses for geospatial technologies. While these model courses are full classes ready to be offered to students, a larger segment of the geospatial community is composed of those already employed. For this population, a personal assessment tool has been developed, which recommends educational needs when deficiencies arise. It is anticipated that many of the clients will be those preparing to take GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) Geospatial Core Technical Knowledge Exam (GISP Exam). The material developed will provide foundation skills. The personal assessment instrument will make recommendations in 43 sub-content areas on the individual skills. This project will survey geoprofessionals both through online and phone surveys. From the results of the research, the GeoTech Center will learn how to best meet the needs of professionals and to move into a different revenue model. The assessment instrument and the created learning aides will lead to a better prepared and more skilled workforce in geospatial technologies. A shift in the way professional development is delivered is envisioned in this project. This project seeks to move from employer-based, one-size-fits-all learning, to a model of prescriptive learning based upon a personal assessment. The queries are clearly defined based upon nationally recognized standards in geospatial technologies and have been vetted by more than 200 professionals. The standards are consolidated into 43 sub-categories and an individualized response is generated for participants, which includes recommendations of what is needed. This shift in professional development will lead to more technicians/technologists being successful in taking the GISP Exam and receiving their certification which will improve their level of employment and make advancements possible. For those not interested in this certification, it will provide a measure of their current knowledge and ways to improve their skill sets. A secondary impact will be a transformation of how knowledge is made available to other technical professions based upon proven national standards. It is believed that other educators can emulate this work.