Latest Contributions by BrianBaldwin

This is the 4th blog in a 6-part series highlighting the core concepts of a Modern GIS. To view the other blog posts – please visit this page Modern GIS Core Concepts Over the past few years, Esri’s Education team have been discussing the technology shift and the need for GIS coursework to move from desktop-centric patterns to those that include the web. Desktop GIS is still an integral part of the story – but it is no longer the focus of the story. Desktop GIS is vital for data management, advanced analysis, and cartographic production – but many of those workflows are now part of a web-based context. Desktop tools can now seamlessly consume web-based services published by authoritative geospatial agencies and individuals across the globe. Desktop GIS can publish map services and layers to the cloud – to be consumed by web-based applications and tools, and desktop GIS can edit and manage web-based data and layers. Through this series, we are asking: So, what does a course look like that focuses on the fundamentals of GIS but adjusts to a more web-centric paradigm? In this blog, we will be looking at imagery & remote sensing. Why imagery? Isn’t GIS just supposed to be about points, lines, and polygons? Raster is faster… but vector is better? Overt language that pits one set of methods and tools (vector vs. raster) against another is long gone, but the split between these 2 fundamental ways of representing spatial information is still very real. After paging through a number of introductory GIS syllabi and introductory GIS textbooks, it’s hard not to notice this divide, or more specifically, the lack of weaving remote sensing throughout introductory GIS courses. But it doesn’t need to be this way! GIS software can visualize and analyze both raster and vector data. As well, the data coming out of remote sensing platforms have never been more detailed, timely, or interesting. When students want to solve problems related to global hunger, urban heat islands, or ecological systems, they need to leverage many data formats. Introductory GIS can focus on the power of spatial information to solve local and global problems, while Advanced GIS and Introductory Remote Sensing can be saved for wavelengths and projections.   What’s the average summer temperature in US census tracts in Milwaukee? How is this related to tree cover? How about race? (Landsat-2 showing average surface temperature in August from 1985-2024)   Why is Russia painting jets on some of their runways? What happens when object detection tools try to identify ‘jets’ in this imagery? Where is Russia doing this? (Image courtesy of Planet Labs)   How much erosion has occurred in the Mississippi delta over the past 40 years? What does this change look like? What communities have been most impacted by this change? (Animation in 4-year steps, created with the Landsat Explorer showing shortwave-IR between 1984-2024 of Venice, LA)   As a 1st year student in an introductory GIS section… I don’t care what band combinations were used in the animated Landsat image! I will also probably fall asleep when we look at the chart showing wavelengths and spectrums. But – I do want to know understand why this is happening. I want to know how to measure the change. After seeing these problems coupled with tools and methods to explore them, I want to dive in deeper. You probably don’t have a PhD in Remote Sensing (and that’s OK) One real challenge that I think many of us face when coming from a more vector-based background, is simply the depth and breadth of remote sensing. I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to band combinations, wavelengths, and the infrared spectrum… I sometimes find myself feeling lost out at sea. Remote sensing is an entirely different world and when we are building an introductory GIS syllabus – does it even make sense to start introducing this universe of information? Does it deserve 1-week? How about 3? Or should we just hold off and save it for the ‘imagery people’? Yet, there is so much value in using and introducing imagery/remote sensing content, especially coupled with vector data. Rather than tacking the ‘raster’ content into the 8th or 10th week, we need to reimagine how it can be weaved throughout introductory GIS. The excitement of the data products and analysis can help lead learners to further inquiry on the ‘how’ and the ‘why’. A major goal should simply be igniting that spark for how any form of spatial data can be used to help solve problems. The ‘golden age’ of imagery & remote sensing is upon us and even in an introductory GIS course, we can’t ignore that. With cloud based parallel processing for analysis, rapidly evolving sensor technologies, and decreasing storage costs, even my 10-year-old neighbor can capture 1 CM resolution true-color imagery and build orthomosaics with their drone. So – what are some ways that we can start introducing imagery and remote sensing in meaningful and powerful ways to learners? Let’s Make it Easy – Esri’s Landsat Explorer Rather than starting with downloading TIF’s, discussing image formats, and building mosaics, learners can explore decades of Landsat imagery with a simple web application: Landsat Explorer. Simply exposing students to the history and power of remote sensing is a really easy way to get started. Also, this doesn’t need to happen during ‘Week 8’! One tool that Esri recently updated, is the web-based Landsat Explorer app, which is part of Esri’s Living Atlas. How is this imagery captured? How long has it been captured for? What is the resolution? What are the sensors? What can this imagery be used for? There is a whole range of inquiry that can be opened up with even the most basic pane on the application. One of the locations that I was the most excited to explore when I first launched the application was the Aral Sea, located in present day Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. In about 10 minutes, I was able to create an animation that used over 40 years of imagery to watch this once massive inland lake disappear. (Aral Sea from 1988-2023 in 4-year steps) Even if the application only had these exploration and discovery tools, it would be an incredibly valuable resource. But for me, the ‘Analyze’ pane really takes the application to the next level. With the provided ‘change detection’ tools, learners can select between 2 different time periods, different indices, and then build an analytic result on the fly. Rather than simply swiping between 2 different time periods, or trying to ‘see’ the change, we can compute it. I can honestly imagine this tool filling the need for a whole week of lessons and labs, but there will obviously be times when you will need to go further. (Visualizing the Aral Sea after using the change detection tool on the water index found in the ‘Analyze’ ribbon) Image Exploration & Analysis – ArcGIS Online Map Viewer The Landsat Explorer application is a fantastic introductory tool to the world of imagery, renderers, sensors, resolutions, and analysis, but there will obviously be a need for learners to step outside of this curated application. Within the ArcGIS Online Map Viewer, learners can explore many of the imagery datasets found throughout the Living Atlas and ArcGIS Online, which include Landsat, Sentinel, MODIS, NAIP, along with thousands of other imagery datasets from municipal, state, and national government agencies. Many of these datasets have pre-built renderers, include multiple years of data, can be filtered using their attributes, and can be used as the input for analysis tools. With the latest update of ArcGIS Online – every academic user now has the ability to run raster analysis tools in the web browser. Learners can run zonal statistics, they can use hosted deep learning tools to detect objects on hosted imagery, classify pixels, and more. For advanced users, they can use or build raster templates to conduct analysis that chains tools and processes together. The ArcGIS Online Map Viewer provides all of this functionality, letting learners dive into advanced imagery and remote sensing topics without even stepping into desktop GIS. In one simple example, we can explore the relationship between tree cover and urban heat in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Using only the ArcGIS Online Map Viewer and hosted data, we are able to filter Landsat data based on time of capture and cloud cover, and then build zonal statistics for census tracts. We can add the European Space Agency layer for 2021 land cover, showing tree cover. We can also add data related to population health, race, or ethnicity. Hosted analysis tools also provide the ability to build a composite index, which lets us combine all of these inputs based on weights and ranks that we assign. Without downloading any data or building any raster pyramids, we can explore and measure the relationship between heat, population, and tree cover. In short, we can use tools and methods that pull vector and raster data seamlessly into one workflow. A workflow that engages, excites, and encourages learners to ask ‘how’ this all works on a deeper level. And just when they think they are safe…we hit em’ over the head with radiometric resolution in Advanced GIS or Introduction to Remote Sensing. Next Steps One of the ‘calls to action’ in this blog is for faculty to include imagery and remote sensing throughout introductory GIS in a more holistic way. Basically, trying to ensure that it isn’t simply tacked on as “Week 8 – Raster Data”. Using only ArcGIS Online and the applications found in the Living Atlas, you have tools and resources to do this in a meaningful way. Starting with the Landsat or Sentinel Explorer applications, learners can explore vast image catalogs and get excited about how this data can be used. As a next step, the ArcGIS Online Map Viewer, coupled with the Living Atlas datasets provide a fantastic way for students to step beyond these curated applications, and start discovering data, mashing them up, and conducting rich analysis. Resources The following is a small subset of resources that you can use as lessons, labs, or supplemental material for a course. Please explore any of these locations further, as there are hundreds of fantastic resources available for imagery and remote sensing throughout ArcGIS. Esri Academy Imagery in Action – MOOC: https://www.esri.com/training/catalog/6074ab588e68a831e4d8974b/imagery-in-action/ Analyze Imagery with Raster Functions Using ArcGIS Image for ArcGIS Online: https://www.esri.com/training/catalog/661ed9c36eb80b0e91eac4b6/analyze-imagery-with-raster-functions-using-arcgis-image-for-arcgis-online/ Esri Tutorials (Learn) Teaching Remote Sensing – content organized by learner level: https://teaching-remote-sensing-learngis.hub.arcgis.com/ Introduction to Imagery and Remote Sensing: https://introduction-to-remote-sensing-learngis.hub.arcgis.com/ Explore an interactive app: https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/explore-an-interactive-app/ Get started with imagery: https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/get-started-with-imagery/ Get started with imagery of Africa: https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/get-started-with-imagery-for-africa/ Reveal lake shrinkage due to severe drought: https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/reveal-lake-shrinkage-due-to-severe-drought/  Oso mudslide – before and after: https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/oso-mudslide-before-and-after/ Depict land use change with time animation: https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/depict-land-use-change-with-time-animation/ Books/Texts Top 20 Essential Skills for ArcGIS Online: https://www.esri.com/en-us/esri-press/browse/top-20-essential-skills-for-arcgis-online Documentation/Tutorials Change detection in Map Viewer Part 1: Using Image collection explorer to locate input imagery: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/imagery/change-detection-in-map-viewer-using-image-collection-explorer-to-locate-input-imagery-part-1/ What's new in imagery in ArcGIS (June 2024): https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/imagery/imagery/whats-new-in-imagery-in-arcgis-june-2024/ Other Imagery and GIS – a long relationship being reimagined by Esri: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis/education/imagery-and-gis-a-long-relationship-being-reimagined-by-esri/ Jeff Swain Blogs: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/author/jswain/ ... 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As always – there are already a ton of blogs and documentation published around the recent ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS app updates that took place this June (on the evening of June 26h). The goal with this blog is not to repeat all of the news/updates that have been published, but to call out a few of the updates that I found the most exciting and pertinent for the education audience. To ensure I don’t crush everyone with the full list of updates, I’ll keep things to just 2 of the updates that excited me the most. To dive into all of the 'What's New' - please see the following blogs/doc: The full ‘What’s New’ documentation can be found here: https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/reference/whats-new.htm You can also refer to the ‘updates blog’ penned by Bernie here: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/announcements/whats-new-arcgis-online-june-2024/ There is also a specific ‘What’s New in MapViewer’ blog: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/mapping/whats-new-in-map-viewer-june-2024/ Let’s get right to it! Web Tools! One of the updates that I am still trying to wrap my head around… because it seems too good to be true, is the ability to create custom web tools that can be used in the ArcGIS Online Map Viewer. The capability that was just added at this release, allows users with access to ArcGIS Notebooks and the ability to ‘Publish Web Tools’ (If you are looking at the ArcGIS Online role settings, you can find the new privilege under the Administrative privileges, Content, and Publish Web Tools) to create notebooks with parameters that can be shared/published as ‘web tools’. You can find the full web tools documentation here: https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/create-maps/publish-a-notebook-as-a-web-tool.htm While the analysis tools in the Map Viewer are great, they are a little limiting when it comes to more advanced analysis. The web tools update enables users to leverage the majority of the ArcPy library (which is included in ArcGIS Notebooks) with data and layers in a web map, making it really powerful. Students, researchers, or power users can design custom tools that can then be added into a web map and shared, to allow for ‘non-power’ users to leverage these custom tools. A great example of this is the Designate Bike Routes sample notebook that can be found here: https://developers.arcgis.com/python/samples/designate-bike-routes-for-commuting-professionals/  With the new web tools functionality, you could publish this entire workflow as a tool, instead of forcing users to work through the notebook. Take a look at the full list of ArcPy libraries that are included in ArcGIS Notebooks, they include Image Analysis, Mapping, Spatial Analysis, and others. Full documentation here: https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/reference/use-arcpy-in-your-notebook.htm There are not a lot of samples that I could locate for users to get started, but I was able to locate a detailed sample/walk-through that provides a tool that returns vehicle charging stations along a route. It utilizes one of the newer functionalities of the analysis tools as well, the ability for a user to interactively add locations as inputs for the analysis. You can find the sample notebook here: https://arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=fc5252df5b804eed8ca9f939e6d1f7fe Map Viewer: No need to leave! A few of the enhancements with the Map Viewer might not seem groundbreaking, but I think they will help with a lot of different teaching workflows. I for one was thrilled that you can now edit data (if editing is enabled) directly in Map Viewer tables. In the past – you could edit data in the feature layer’s details pane, but if you are working in a map and just wanted to make a few updates… that was a pain.   Also – and maybe more exciting, you can now add fields directly to a feature layer from Map Viewer. Rather than going to the item details page and adding fields, etc. – you can simply add the field right from the ‘fields’ pane. Now let’s turn the volume to 11 (triple exciting… ) because after that field is added, you can then run field calculation tools.   Some of these enhancements will really help faculty teach and instruct a little bit more easily from one location. If you are trying to introduce field types and field calculations, you can now do all of this right from Map Viewer. In my opinion, it moves Map Viewer another step closer to being a ‘true’ data management and manipulation tool. Close The June 2024 update of ArcGIS Online (and all of the related apps) contains a ton of new functionality, performance enhancements, and more. I only touched on 2 specific items that excited me the most for the education community. Please refer to the blogs/documentation that I posted at the top of the blog so that you can check out all of the other updates that took place. Also – let me know in the comments if I missed something. Was there an update that we haven’t ‘shouted from the rooftops’ that others should know about? ... View more

We recently held a webinar: Teaching Introductory GIS with ArcGIS Online: A Faculty Panel, where we had a number of fantastic quetions come in the from the audience. The problem was... we had too many to answer during the webinarl. If you would like to view the webinar recording, please visit this link. As a follow-up - we promised that we would work on getting answers to your questions posted via a blog. The questions were answered by both Tara Vansell (webinar panelist) and myself. You can find Tara's responses in blue and my responses (Brian - Esri Solution Engineer) in green. I've been using Dashboards & WebApps in my intro course but was informed that ESRI plans on deprecating these in the near future to focus on Experience Builder. Has anyone run into this topic yet? There are no plans to deprecate either ArcGIS Dashboards or InstantApps. The one application that users/teachers should move away from is Web App Builder (as it has plans for deprecation).  ESRI GIS requires a license, is it easy to acquire one? Esri offers free licensing for all K-12 schools globally (for academic use) and deeply discounted licenses for higher education. If you need help getting connected to the right people (if you are outside the US), please just contact us at highered@esri.com   Does the panel think GIS should continue to be taught in Geography/Geology departments or is it now better suited as data science? Yes, but ultimately this depends on the resources of your institution.  Not all have a Geography/Geology department.  It then often becomes “who is the coalition of the willing” - the professor/instructor driven to provide the resource based on need for student success or the professor/instructor driven to have the resource for their research.    What is most important to include in short-term workshops or continuing education courses (say for interested publics or practitioners, as well as non-degree students) versus students who are in a GIS/geography degree path. Story Maps There are a wide-range of configurable applications that learners with any focus should be familiar with. I always stress that analysis and data manipulation is important… but if learners don’t know how to share their results they will struggle when they are looking for professional positions. If I was to pick one application, I would say that the ArcGIS Dashboards are a ‘can’t miss’ technology for continuing education students to be fluent with. I was asked to prepare a wishlist for a GIS lab for my University to be sponsored by the government. Can I have a link to a list with Hardware and Software specs, online resources, books, etc. It all depends on what you want to accomplish with the lab. As many of the panelists discussed in the webinar, equipping students with lab computers that have modern browsers and internet connections can accomplish a lot. If you want students to be exposed to the latest analysis and imagery capabilities, then they should be familiar with, and have access to more robust lab computers.  A good place to start with any of these inquiries is a search for ‘ArcGIS Specs’ - you can then find the minimum specification for ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise, CityEngine, Drone2Map, and many other software titles. ArcGIS Pro Specs: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/get-started/arcgis-pro-system-requirements.htm We cannot put away ArcGIS Pro in GIS education. Agreed, ArcGIS Pro is essential for Remote Sensing, Spatial Analysis, and Advanced GIS courses.   Agree as well! The focus of the webinar was on ArcGIS Online because it is still under-represented/used in many GIS courses, even though it’s capabilities are well suited to introductory GIS. Has anyone worked with their academic library or librarian for GIS resources for teaching online? If so, can you please describe?  Great question, there are great examples at a wide-array of universities where ‘GIS Librarians’ help to play a central role that provides access to training, data, workshops, licensing, etc.  Take a look at this great story about Clemson: https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/arcnews/universitys-interdisciplinary-geospatial-science-center-fosters-innovation/ Or this one related to Tufts: https://www.esri.com/en-us/lg/industry/conservation/stories/how-tufts-university-professor-blended-gis-conservation-medicine  A common question I receive from non-GEOG faculty are one-shot instruction sessions for AGOL and StoryMaps. Oftentimes the objectives of these sessions are introducing GIS as a tool (general exposure), and/or using GIS for a specific project. What are your thoughts on adapting GIS instruction for contexts such as this? Esri as well provides lessons, labs, and learning material in a variety of formats, those that are more focused on learning specific software, and those that are more focused on ‘how’ the software or tools are being applied to solve a specific problem.  I'm in a support role and we struggle a lot with preserving student projects (such as a senior thesis project) after the semester is over. Any thoughts? One potential avenue for preserving student projects is to shift final projects (map, layers, app) over to a ‘university user’ - to ensure that it can be preserved if the student graduates. Thinking about non-GIS courses and non-GIS research projects that incorporate GIS, where neither the students nor instructors are GIS professionals (or plan to be), what web GIS components and concepts do you view as reaching a level of maturity at which they can easily and successfully be used to support such scenarios, without the need for the direct involvement of a GIS professional? What should geographers be ready to "let go" of? Story Maps Not so much about letting go as recognizing that some lessons that took a long time to teach in the past should now just be part of a larger workflow lesson.  For instance, performing an attribute join should not be the whole lab exercise, it should be one step introduced during the data set-up for the project.   Which topics would be better suited for advanced GIS?   Personally, I think a lot of the ‘fundamentals’ and the ‘how’ could be shifted to more Advanced coursework. Not that students don’t need to understand what a projection is… but do they need to understand how to build a projection? Do they need to understand how and geoid and a GCS are related? Also - while an introductory program might be a good place to get familiar with analysis tools, the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of these tools are better left to advanced courses. As a social work faculty member I would like your thoughts on how best can GIS skills be integrated into social work practice? There are so many fantastic datasets and layers that relate directly to the important research that social workers conduct. Just starting with data discovery and exploring correlations between mental health services along with demographic characteristics or environmental factors would be a great starting place, and all of these datasets are available through Esri’s Living Atlas.  What textbook does Tara use for her introductory GIS course(s)? Is it integrated to Esri Ed. Program? I use all Open Educational Resources Intro GIS - Geographic Information Systems and Cartography - https://slcc.pressbooks.pub/maps/ Remote Sensing - The ArcGIS Imagery Book - Esri Advanced GIS - The ArcGIS Book - Esri There are no introductory textbooks that Esri has ‘integrated’ into the Esri Education Program, but we work closely with Esri Press to identify topics or content that the education community sees as a need. Where and when can we get updates on the OpenSource project that Trisalyn Nelson is working on? Stay tuned! There will be some sessions at this year’s Education Summit and User Conference, from which there will news/updates published. Do any of you have any suggestions to teach high school students GIS? I currently teach a dual enrollment physical geography class and would like to include GIS in a couple of the labs for the high school students.  Earth Science Geoinquiries - https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/700a99bf63a34b62abc0887f35c64c05 There are also a number of other great resources put together by Esri’s K-12 team: GeoInquiries: https://www.esri.com/en-us/industries/k-12-education/geoinquiries  Teach GIS: https://teach-with-gis-uk-esriukeducation.hub.arcgis.com/  National Geographic MapMaker: https://www.esri.com/en-us/industries/k-12-education/mapmaker  I need to know if the following objectives are taught in the introduction to GIS pre-built course: Utilize maps and map layers such as searching for, opening, and saving maps, basemaps, and layers; managing content, and/or creating and using metadata Construct maps using advanced mapping techniques and share map content such as feature services, spreadsheets, multimedia, and other content, and making maps from that content.  Sharing layers, maps, models, and web mapping applications Manipulate maps such as navigating maps, changing scale and map projection, finding locations and places, measuring, bookmarking, and selecting map features Utilize Symbology, Classification, and/or Filtering by changing symbology (style), classifying, clustering, filtering, and rendering imagery Manage attributes by working with tabular data such as selecting, creating fields and tables, sorting, summarizing, creating charts, and creating and using popups Analyze and interpret geographic patterns and relationships In short, yes. Each of the ‘modules’ in Esri’s Modern GIS tutorial series do not have defined learning objectives, as a full-fledged course curriculum would, but they do include lessons, labs, videos, and readings that cover each of these objectives. We have criminology and firefighter/EMS programs that would like to use GIS. Are there pre-built lessons to incorporate these disciplines? Esri offers a range of lessons and materials on a lot of different subjects and domains. A great location where you can search for ‘applied’ lessons by discipline is the ArcGIS Learn Gallery: https://learn.arcgis.com/en/gallery/  With just a quick search on this page for ‘fire’ I found lessons on monitoring wildfires, calculating landslide risk, analyzing & sharing fire incident data, and more! ... View more

UPDATE 5/24/24: A new 'credit/storage monitoring' solution is coming to ArcGIS Online with the June 2024 release - this page/video will be updated at that time to reflect the new workflow. Running out of storage space in your ArcGIS Online organization? I can almost guarantee that 80% of that content... could be deleted. There are probably dozens of feature services that are 20 GB in size, with 0 views, that were published 4 years ago. While this might be an exagerration... it's probably closer to the truth than you think. With students uploading random datatsets or researchers working with "SUB_SAHARA_HOUSES_FINAL5", there is definitely a lot of wasted space. The following video gives you a quick walk-through how you can generate an ArcGIS Online item report - and then use that information to narrow in on some of the top offending items. Also - please do not delete items unless you are 100% sure that they can be removed. There may be StoryMaps or other applications that depend on some of those 'troublesome' feature services.  Thanks and let us know if you have any questions. ... View more

This is the 3rd blog in a 6-part series highlighting the core concepts of a Modern GIS. To view the other blog posts – please visit this page Modern GIS Core Concepts Over the past few years, Esri’s Education team have been discussing the technology shift and the need for GIS coursework to move from desktop-centric patterns to those that include the web. Desktop GIS is still an integral part of the story – but it is no longer the focus of the story. Desktop GIS is vital for data management, advanced analysis, and cartographic production – but many of those workflows are now part of a web-based context. Desktop tools can now seamlessly consume web-based services published by authoritative geospatial agencies and individuals across the globe. Desktop GIS can publish map services and layers to the cloud – to be consumed by web-based applications and tools, and desktop GIS can edit and manage web-based data and layers. Through this series, we are asking: So, what does a course look like that focuses on the fundamentals of GIS but adjusts to a more web-centric paradigm? In this blog, we will be looking at spatial analysis. Pentax Digital SLR 4 Life! The first generation of the iPhone included a 2 MP camera. At the time, I scoffed at the fact that a ‘phone’ could replace a fully featured Digital SLR. With my trusty Pentax in tow... I could capture low-light shots, adjust the film speed for ‘action’, and set a wide aperture to capture nice ‘blurred background’ portraits. Well, as long as I had the right lens, remembered what an f-stop is, and didn’t forget any manual settings. Sorry to break it to you 1st Gen iPhone… but you’re not a ‘real’ camera. More than 17 years later and my Pentax is collecting dust in the corner.   When it comes to GIS, the same can be said about spatial analysis. Around 10 years ago, desktop GIS was the ONLY option. If students were going to be exposed to the basics of why spatial is special – they had to dive headfirst into ArcMap, hundreds of toolboxes, and SQL. It was a lot, but it was the only The real ‘aha’ moment of GIS for many new learners is often related to spatial analysis. What is the best location to build the park? Where are food deserts located and why? Why is wildfire more prevalent there? Understanding a spatial pattern in a new way is the ‘magic sauce’ of GIS, and for years – these inquiries were only possible in desktop GIS, which many times, were only earned through a lot of pain. With the rapidly advancing capabilities of web-based GIS, spatial analysis is now possible via python notebooks, the ArcGIS Online Map Viewer, API’s, as well as desktop GIS. There are simply more options available to users, the technology has advanced to the point that spatial analysis conducted on the web is a viable option for many. I can remember all too well – staring at SQL syntax in the ArcMap field calculator with an error that I had no understanding of. All I wanted… was to see what houses might be impacted by floodwaters. “Please computer, please just let me update some attributes, run a buffer, and make a selection.” Just like the next GIS professional, I love trading war stories over Avenue, VB Script, or 8 hour edit sessions that I forgot to save… but was an intro GIS course the right place to start earning those stripes? Buffers, Joins, and Overlays Just as it does for mapping and cartography, it comes back to the fundamentals. Forgetting about the software and tools for a minute… what do we want learners to actually take away from the limited time we have to spend on spatial analysis in an introductory course? What are the course objectives? Do we want to inflict scars and pain? Or inspire them to enroll in follow-up courses that allow them to dig deeper? At its most basic, we want students to understand that ‘spatial is special’. That asking a spatial question involves a different type of inquiry than that found in statistics or data science. The UCGIS Body of Knowledge provides a fantastic set of topics – especially when we look at the ‘Building Blocks’. (Analytics and Modelling Body of Knowledge: https://gistbok-topics.ucgis.org/AM-02) Areal Interpolation Classification & Clustering Boundaries and Zone Membership Buffers Overlay Grid Operations and Map Algebra Looking through the full list of ‘Building Blocks’ from the UCGIS Body of Knowledge these are (not surprisingly) many of the core topics that we want students to not only understand, but to apply, and evaluate in a meaningful way. So – are there any of these ‘building blocks’ that can not be accomplished in web-based GIS? To put it simply… no. With recent additions to the ArcGIS Online Map Viewer, it’s now possible to run any of these fundamental spatial analysis operations. While ArcGIS Online can be a fantastic location for introducing these concepts and running a great deal of real analysis, there is obviously an important place for desktop GIS. One of the fun aspects of the classroom is letting learners find that line, poke it, and discover when and where an analytical approach makes more sense in a different tool. Beyond just the ‘building blocks’ – there are also hosted tools that cover network and location analysis, spatial statistics, spatial autocorrelation (local and global), cluster analysis, kernal density, and more. Making It Real for Students As a student – we want to understand how this course relates to us. Learners want course content to be meaningful, impactful, and relevant. Teaching analysis methods and approaches and then letting students dive right into applying them is frictionless in ArcGIS Online.   One of the most important aspects of ArcGIS Online is the ability to quickly search for and use data. Thousands of layers are available from non-profits, government agencies, corporations, researchers, my crazy Uncle Larry (look at the data sources!), and more. The best sources of information also contain detailed metadata which anyone can read through. Rather than spending time trying to find data, students can spend their time asking questions and analyzing information. In this example, the following dataset includes state, county, and tract level attributes for Race and Hispanic origin from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). Looking at this dataset – there are spatial clusters related to race – but what do they really mean? Do the clusters of Hispanic or Latino populations (shown in green) represent a statistically significant cluster? What does it mean at different spatial resolutions? Not only can students find this authoritative data quickly, but they can also start to use analytical tools within ArcGIS Online to ask those questions.   The default symbology that is presented to learners is just a starting place. Students can use different attributes, colors, symbology schemes, class breaks, etc. Leaners can also use select and filter tools to work with the data they are interested in. In our example, this ACS dataset contains over 67 attributes that can be used for visualization and analysis.   In the ACS dataset, there is a field for ‘Hispanic or Latino Population’, but what does that mean? With the metadata just a click away, it’s easy to encourage students to explore what values the field contains by sending them to the layer properties (which defines this as an ‘integer’ field showing the total population). In the analysis tools pane, students can then search and find the tools that they want to run. In this case, we selected the ‘Find Hot Spots’ tool, which is using the Getis-Org Gi* statistic. What distance band settings should I use? Should I normalize my data or divide it by another attribute? What do these settings mean and how do they influence my results?   The output of the tool is a new layer, with a Z score, P value, and the total count of neighbors that were evaluated. This layer comes with a pre-defined symbology… which can be easily overridden. The analysis tools now include a 'history', to let learners look at prior model runs, adjust parameters, and then create a new output. In about 5 minutes, a learner could generate 3 results with varying parameters, and create a simple swipe app to compare them.   With the hosted analysis tools, students can discover data that they care about, ask questions related to that data, and test their hypotheses. The hot spots tool is just one of the dozens of other tools available in ArcGIS Online. ArcGIS Online has a lot of analytical capability, but it does not come close to the array of tools and analysis that are available in ArcGIS Pro (the incredible Suitability Modeler, GeoAI tools, spatial statistics, 3D analysis, field calculator, and hundreds of others). When it comes to large datasets, complex analyses, imagery workflows, chained model processes, and other specialized needs… desktop GIS is the required tool. Yet, the world of web-based analysis has come a very long way and offers a great deal that students and faculty can utilize. In Summary To be honest, a few weeks ago I dusted off my Pentax, changed the lens, and loaded in some fresh batteries. In a few weeks, a total solar eclipse was going to take place and I was going to attempt to get some photos of it. I would only have a few minutes to try and capture the moment and I needed some fine-grained control as this was a fairly specialized use case. After the 5-hour drive to Vermont… it was over in 3 minutes – and I had a handful of photos that weren’t too bad to show for it. The camera definitely did a better job than my phone. But, as I folded up the tripod, took off the 300mm lens, and put my camera in its case, I took out my phone… because it can do everything else. Resources The following is a small subset of resources that you can use as lessons, labs, or supplemental material for a course. Please explore any of these locations further, as there are hundreds of fantastic resources available for spatial analysis in ArcGIS Online. Esri Academy Spatial Data Science MOOC: https://www.esri.com/training/catalog/5d76dcf7e9ccda09bef61294/spatial-data-science-the-new-frontier-in-analytics/ Analysis in ArcGIS Online: https://www.esri.com/training/catalog/64dbc9f56e1a611a7491c66c/analysis-in-arcgis-online/ Interpolating Points Using ArcGIS Online: https://www.esri.com/training/catalog/5ecd6a6ddbabbe0afc9feb64/interpolating-points-using-arcgis-online/ Learn Use map analysis tools to develop parks equitably: https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/use-map-analysis-tools-to-develop-parks-equitably/ Find patterns in fire incidents: https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/find-patterns-in-fire-incidents/ Generate travel areas for charging stations: https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/generate-travel-areas-for-charging-stations/ Book/Texts Top 20 Essential Skills for ArcGIS Online: https://www.esri.com/en-us/esri-press/browse/top-20-essential-skills-for-arcgis-online Spatial Statistics Illustrated: https://www.esri.com/en-us/esri-press/browse/spatial-statistics-illustrated Introduction to Human Geography Using ArcGIS Online, second edition: https://www.esri.com/en-us/esri-press/browse/introduction-to-human-geography-using-arcgis-online-second-edition Documentation/Tutorials Perform analysis: https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/analyze/perform-analysis-mv.htm Join Features: https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/analyze/join-features-mv.htm How Calculate Composite Index works: https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/analyze/how-calculate-composite-index-works-mv.htm Other Spatial Statistics Resources: https://spatialstats-analysis-1.hub.arcgis.com/ Use H3 Hexagons for spatial analysis in ArcGIS Online: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/analytics/use-h3-hexagons-for-spatial-analysis-in-arcgis-online/ Draw input features for Map Viewer analysis tools: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/announcements/draw-input-features-analysis-tools/ Earthquake impact analysis using ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Living Atlas: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/mapping/analysis-using-living-atlas-earthquake-map-part-ii/     ... 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