GIS or Geographic Information Systems has evolved over the years to convert traditional paper maps into digital form and has more recently been used in education to observe the development of locations over a period of time, overlaying a number of historical and aerial view maps, and to support school field trips. Now GIS is everywhere; you may even have some GIS software on your computer without even knowing it's there!
TLL has procured a MapInfo Pro licence for all Wirral Schools which allows them to create highly detailed maps, reveal patterns and trends in data that may otherwise be impossible to see and perform sophisticated and extensive data analysis. MapInfo Pro can be integrated within curriculum areas such as Geography and Business Studies and TLL is an educational leader in its use. The software has been used with children as young as 4 years old and with students to support their GCSE, AS and A level coursework. Students are able to manipulate OS maps, drawn maps, data, images and video seamlessly through various ‘zoom ranges’.
All the data, images and video can be referenced to a particular location on the map. For older students the data can be interrogated to produce choropleth maps, dot maps with distance decay indicators and proportional symbol maps.
TLL also has a class set of 16 Garmin GPS 60CSX handheld Global Positioning Systems with colour topographic mapping which can be loaned out to schools. Data from these units can be downloaded to GIS software to track a crumb trail, marked waypoints, altitude and locations eg points at which specific rare plants may be located, points of geographical interest, summits.. etc.
TLL also uses Memory Map Navigator which has embedded seamless OS Landranger 1:50,000 maps available for the whole of Britain. These maps can be used to plan routes, print your own maps and program routes and waypoints into a GPS. Memory Map Navigator can also visualise routes in continuous 3D landscapes and create 3D Fly-through movies of tracks.
Further equipment to support GIS includes a Leica Automatic Level, a spirit level, tripod and ranging pole to measure changes in height, horizontal angles and distances. TLL also has an Interactive Mapping Table which combines an ultra short throw projector and eBeam interactive whiteboard system allowing horizontal projection onto the table for interaction with maps and mapping software.
