10 Goals in Learning and Using GIS: For Students and New GIS Professionals
Sometimes as students or new GIS professionals, we get so immersed in GIS tools, data, and deadlines for our projects or courses, that we may lose sight of the larger objectives. In this list below, and this accompanying video, I explain what I feel are the most important goals in learning and using GIS.
1) Fostering an attitude of curiosity.
Curiosity will open up many doors in education and in the workplace. Curiosity leads to new research ideas, new data to explore, and new tools to try. Even more importantly, curiosity teaches you to be tenacious about solving problems, which will serve you well your whole life long. Some of the best ways of fostering curiosity are to read widely and often, to get out into the field, and interact with colleagues.
2) How to ask thoughtful questions.
Asking questions is key to solving problems. I encourage you who are students to ask questions that your professors are not even asking you. I encourage you who are in the workplace to ask questions that your employer is not even asking you! People asking thoughtful questions who seek to help organizations achieve their goals are the types of employees that we at Esri and in other organizations are seeking. Remember that not all of your questions may have answers right away. That’s ok! Keep those questions jotted down for solving in the future. Sometimes the most fruitful time thinking of questions to ask takes place when your fingers are not even touching the keyboard!
3) How to think holistically.
Given the interconnected issues confronting our communities, regions, countries, and world, with dynamic forces impacting the planet, plus 8 billion humans continuously shaping the planet, holistic thinking is more important than ever. Consider how land use, weather, and plant life affects water quality, which in turn affects human health, agriculture, and animal habitat. The list of similar connections on our dynamic planet number in the millions. We need those who consider, “If we alter these variables, it will affect those variables.” “If we alter the variables in this part of the world, it will affect the variables in that part of the world.” “The interaction of these forces at this scale will affect the interaction at that scale.”
4) How to think in terms of systems.
Systems thinking is a natural outgrowth of holistic thinking. Systems thinking considers that the ecosphere is connected to the biosphere, the atmosphere, the cryosphere (ice), the hydrosphere, the lithosphere, the anthroposphere (the human sphere), and other spheres. Systems thinking is also deeply tied to traditional Indigenous ecological content knowledge. Considering the carbon cycle, the hydrologic cycle, and other cycles is an important related skill. Cycles and systems need to be carefully considered in any decision about the planet.
5) How to think spatially—above, on, and below the Earth’s surface.
All of the aforementioned systems and cycles are spatial. Spatial thinking can help us understand and solve all of the key 21st Century problems of our world—including the UN SDGs—energy, economic inequalities, water, health, natural hazards resilience, education, and all the rest—are spatial problems. Solving these problems through bivariate statistical analysis in a GIS, extracting and analyzing features from imagery, and joining data to online data services for a richer understanding of changes over space and time are just three practical ways to implement spatial thinking in a GIS.
6) How to gain expertise in a knowledge domain.
You who are reading this will have one or more knowledge domains (soil chemistry, renewable energy, population dynamics, and so on) in which you focus deeply on. Gaining knowledge in a domain area is commendable, and is needed even in software companies such as Esri and our partners. In other words, we don’t just want people who know how to run software, but have domain knowledge. However, (1) don’t get too focused on your own domain or project that you lose sight of holistic and systems thinking described above, and (2) recognize that you cannot gain all content knowledge on your own given the limited time on your hands. That is in part why we need the community of practitioners, theoreticians, educators, and others from whom we can gain expertise so that we can supplement our own domain knowledge and—equally importantly—connect our own knowledge to other domains.
7) How to gain skills in geotechnologies, communications, spatial statistics, and other skills.
Developing your network will serve you well during your entire career. We cannot possibly be knowledgeable in all areas of GIS—and thankfully, we don’t need to. The geospatial community has a wonderful history of sharing data, content knowledge, and skills with each other and with those new to the community. Learn how to gain knowledge and skills through people, networks, associations, books, blog essays, multimedia, tools, lessons, courses, degree and certificate programs, and in other ways.
8 ) How to build your community.
Focus on the areas in which you can add value to your employer, university/college, or the community, and don’t put extra pressure on yourself to learn everything—that’s an impossible task. GIS tools evolve: Keep the most important tool in mind—your brain. Keep your brain first and foremost as the tool to focus on as a lifelong learner. Since its inception in the 1960s, GIS has always been, first and foremost, a thinker’s tool.
9) How and why to care for the Earth and its people.
Caring for the planet and its people are at the heart of why and how GIS was created and why people are so passionate about it. Having a deep spatial connection and empathy about Planet Earth, which geographer Yi Fu Tuan described as Topophilia, is developed over a lifetime. Place connection is enriched by meaningful and frequent field experiences, which I encourage you to pursue, at work and outside of work. Consider the key issues confronting our planet and its people: land use change, natural hazards, inequities, human health, sustainable agriculture and energy, climate, biodiversity loss—the list seems daunting. However, I cannot think of a more caring, expert, committed group of people who are dedicated to helping the planet than the GIS community. This despite the problems we face, gives me hope going forward.
10) How to empower yourself and others to take action.
Using GIS has never been just about gaining head knowledge or skills. Rather, the goal of learning and using GIS has always been to put knowledge and skills into action: What are you going to do about the urban greenway, the soil chemistry, the water quality, the storm surge resistance, and in other areas of our communities and in our world? How can you encourage others to get involved? Certainly the content you share with others via your web mapping applications such as instant apps, story maps, and dashboards will help, but I also encourage you to be ready to articulate why what you do matters. Make sure that this articulation can be understood by non-GIS professionals in practical ways (as I demonstrate here ). You are making your organization or your community more energy efficient, safer, more sustainable, and so on.
Are you surprised by any in this list of 10? What would you include that I am leaving out? I look forward to your comments.