SpatiaLABS Now Available from Esri Press
Tools for Building Students' Spatial Reasoning Skills
Designed for a higher-education curriculum, SpatiaLABS are independent computer lab activities that introduce, develop, and reinforce spatial reasoning and analysis skills. New from Esri Press, SpatiaLABS use current mapping technology and visualization tools to help students see real-world applications of the concepts they are studying.
SpatiaLABS are not designed to teach students how to use specific geospatial software tools but rather how to think about a problem, approach the analysis, and consider the spatial implications. SpatiaLABS run the gamut in terms of topic, level, and length—from short computer lab sessions to longer-term projects.
SpatiaLABS cover a variety of subjects, such as
- Determining areas accessible to search and rescue teams
- The global oil market
- Population mapping and modeling
- Examining insect vulnerability
- Calculating watershed impacts
- Demographic and lifestyle segmentation
- Sales territory design
The variety offered makes SpatiaLABS accessible to several disciplines in the arts and sciences. In addition, SpatiaLABS are available as Microsoft Word files so that instructors can customize as desired to use local data.
SpatiaLABS are provided for unlimited use per college campus with an annual license fee.
Says Paul Morgan, professor of physical geography and GIS, Ohlone College, Fremont, California, "What appeals to me about this concept as a teacher is to be able to supplement the student experience beyond the 'canned' data that comes with many GIS textbooks. I often struggle to create my own extra labs because I only teach part-time and have a full-time job I work at during the day, so there is not a lot of extra time. So I think this is a great potential tool for me as an instructor."
For more information and to view sample labs, visit esri.com/spatialabs.
