Empowering Self Service GISNEARC 2015

Cary Chadwick, Emily Wilson, Dave DicksonUniversity of ConnecticutCenter for Land use Education and Research

University of Connecticut

At a glance• Who am I?• How a failed grant proposal got me here• Web 2.0 & an abbreviated history of web mapping• Be the filter/teach and they will come• Examples of normal people making great maps• What’s the recipe for success?• …and why you shouldn’t worry about your job

University of Connecticut

Center for Land Use Education & Research (CLEAR)

Land & ClimateWater

Mapping & Geospatial

Connecticut NEMO National NEMO NetworkGeospatial Training ProgramLand Use AcademyExtension Forestry ProgramLab for Earth Resource Information Systems (LERIS)

CAHNR Dept. of Extension, CAHNR Dept. of Natural Resources,

Connecticut Sea Grant

University of Connecticut

A little more background

“Over the past year, there have been several changes in access to technology that calls into question the originality of this project.

”

University of Connecticut

University of Connecticut

Intergenerational learners

University of Connecticut

Web 2.0 and the Spatial Revolution

Web 2.0 describes websites that emphasize user-generated content, usability, and interoperability.

The term was popularized by Tim O'Reilly and Dale Dougherty at the O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 Conference in late 2004, though it was first coined by Darcy DiNucci in 1999.

University of Connecticut

Abbreviated History of Web Mapping

Hold on!

200720052004 2011 -present

2002-03

20082000-01

End of “selective

availability” of GPS

Yahoo MapsMapQuest

Google LocalGoogle is buyingOpenSteetMap

Google Street View50K+ Google

MashupsOpen SourceGTP Training

Esri ArcIMS

“The Cloud”WYSIWYG Builders,AGOL,HTML5,

Smart devices,Data, data, data

The Year Maps Broke the Internet2/8/05 – “G-Day”

“mashups”APIs

APIs!250K sites

GM API

2010

dot com madness

NASA WWKeyhole, Inc.

2008-09

RESTAPIs,

ArcGIS.comApple game changer

University of Connecticut

be the filter

University of Connecticut

Getting easier, still not easy

• “Self-service GIS” is still elusive.- Points on a map = easy. Feature access = not so much. - Constraints:

- IT support/overhead for configuration and maintenance- Training and skill acquisition- Budget- Time

• Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we don’t try!

University of Connecticut

Teach and they will come

• Introduction to Desktop GIS• Introduction to Web Mapping• Introduction to ArcGIS Online (public)• Introduction to ArcGIS Online for Organizations• ArcGIS Online for Organizations, Advanced Topics• Introduction to Smartphone GPS Apps and Maps

University of Connecticut

Provide (good) toolsCT Environmental Conditions Online (CT ECO)Built to “encourage, support, and promote informed land use decisions in CT by providing local, state and federal agencies and the general public with convenient access to natural resource maps and information on the web”

http://cteco.uconn.edu

University of Connecticut

CT ECO

Maps for everyone• Map Catalog• Map Viewers• Map Services• ArcGIS Online• Data Guides• Data, Data, Data

University of Connecticut

Then train them.

CT DEEP staff training, October 2015

University of Connecticut

They will make beautiful maps!

University of Connecticut

Citizen VolunteersCT Land Conservation Council

Land TrustsMunicipal Commissions

Inland WetlandsConservationShellfish

University of Connecticut

More Beautiful Maps!

University of Connecticut

Student Volunteers

Natural Resources Conservation Academy- Immersive summer field experience- Group project- Community projects

http://nrca.uconn.edu

University of Connecticut

Student Volunteers

University of Connecticut

Community Projects

University of Connecticut

Recipe for Success• GIS 101 and done• Enlighten about existing web resources• Provide broad overview of geospatial ecosystem• Hone in on needs (critical!)• Maintain reasonable expectations (applies to

everyone)• Hands-on instruction using 1-2 tools• Practice and follow up• Be available!

Empower them!

@es

rigra

m

University of Connecticut

Outcomes and Offshoots• CTECO usage is up and rising• Volunteer based orgs and geospatial neophytes are

now creating their own effective maps• State agencies are more efficient at accomplishing

GIS related tasks• State regulators using web based GIS to improve

some application processes• Younger generations are engaged

University of Connecticut

Concluding thoughts• KISS and tell only what you need to• Provide open, easy access to your data (plan ahead!)• And yet, it’s still not easy, is it?

- CT Land Cover story map

Don’t worry, our jobs are safe. For now.

http://s.uconn.edu/clearfb

http://blog.clear.uconn.edu

@UConnCLEAR_GTP

http:clear.uconn.edu

cary.chadwick@uconn.edu

Thank You!

Dave and Cary prep for training