Looking for a little free, GeoTech professional development? Here’s details of a MOOC of interest
4 week MOOC offered by Elmhurst College
Elmhurst College’s Skills for the Digital Earth MOOC (massive open online course) is a FREE, 4-week, online course designed to introduce how location technologies are used in society. Offered through Desire2Learn (D2L) Open Courses, the course will run from March 1 to March 28 (dates are subject to change).
Course Description
Ever stop to think about how important location is when using your smart phone? This educational MOOC begins with an elementary explanation of how society uses location in a myriad of disciplines. Geography, or rather, “where?” is important to all of us from various perspectives.
Within this MOOC, participants will learn what location technologies are used for, how the discipline developed and learn by doing via a series of scaffolded practical exercises. Online spatial software will be employed for any device using a browser which takes users through exercises and real world examples. It is appropriate for those with no prior experience with geographic information systems (GIS) software all the way to advanced users.
In this course, participants will:
- Demonstrate fundamental basic geographic concepts and be exposed to the geospatial workforce.
- Identify skills associated with the Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM).
- Display creative thinking skills, problem-solving, and decision making in geospatial technologies.
- Use geospatial tools and technology and apply some business fundamentals using GIS.
- Recognize employment opportunities in the geospatial industry.
- Demonstrate the use of basic computer skills.
- Demonstrate the use of business application software.
- Demonstrate the use and interpretation of spatial data and data sources.
- Demonstrate the core geospatial abilities which are consistent with those of someone working in the geospatial industry.