ArcView-GIS is a desktop Geographic Information System (GIS) from the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). The power of the ArcView-GIS tables and graphs is the connection with the geographical data in the view.
Major research questions
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Skills in South Africa
Constructivism deals with the process of how students create meaning and knowledge in the world as well as the results of the constructive process. The ideas were translated into the design of the LOGO language and the learning interactions it was used to support.
ArcView-GIS literature
ArcView-GIS also helps students in data analysis as it is reliable and accurate in numerical analysis. ArcView-GIS also presents consistent patterns in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) to assist learners.
Conclusion
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Interviews
Interviews were conducted with GIS lecturers, technicians and students after they had spent some time working with ArcView-GIS. Each participant took about 30 minutes to interview, depending on how much they could chat about their ArcView-GIS experience. Brewerton and Millward describe three types of interviews: (i) Structured interviews involve a prescribed set of questions that the researcher asks in a specific order.
This method ensures rapid data coding and analysis and guaranteed coverage of the area of interest (Brewerton and Millward, 2001). ii) Unstructured interviews allow the researcher to address any of a given number of topics that may be of interest to the research. Questions and their order are not fixed and may evolve during the interview process (Brewerton and Millward, 2001). iii) Semi-structured interviews incorporate elements of both quantifiable fixed-choice responses and the opportunity to explore and investigate certain areas of interest in more depth (Brewerton and Millward, 2001). In the context of this study, semi-structured interviews have been conducted by the researcher due to its advantages as mentioned above (see Appendix 2).
Questionnaires
The responses were important because they provided views on whether students felt there were changes in their skills, knowledge and attitudes after using ArcView-GIS. Most questionnaires require respondents to provide some background information regarding themselves, race, and education level. However, questionnaires used in this research required the respondent to provide two types of information, namely Human Computer Interaction, which requires respondents to provide information regarding ArcView-GIS software.
Diagnostic testing is an in-depth test to discover the particular strengths, weaknesses and difficulties a student experiences and is designed to expose the causes and specific areas of weakness and strength. Summative testing is the test given at the end of the program and is designed to measure achievement, results or mastery. The test method helped me to test whether ArcView-GIS contributed to the cognitive development of students.
RESUTLS AND DISCUSSION
Participants
Results
Box plot shows the 2-dimensional visualization ability assessment of GIS, Human Science and Natural Science students. GIS students scored 80.9% Human Science students scored 48.4%, Science students scored 71.1% and GIS students without ArcView-GIS. Box plot shows the 3-dimensional visualization assessment of GIS, Human Science and Natural Sciences students.
Outlines of assessing the logical and numerical skills of GIS, humanities, and natural sciences students. Outlines of assessment of written expression skills of students of GIS, humanities and natural sciences. Outlines of assessing the reading comprehension skills of GIS, humanities, and natural sciences students.
Questionnaire
Most students rated ArcView-GIS as easy to use, while most lecturers were neutral. Most of the students agreed that ArcView-GIS are consistent and compatible, and most of the lecturers were neutral. Consistency referred to the ability of ArcView-GIS to consistently respond to user input and perform similar tasks in similar ways.
Both students and lecturers agreed that ArcView-GIS is flexible and efficient to use. Flexibility and efficiency of use mean that ArcView-GIS can satisfy both novice and experienced users. Even more lecturers than students agreed that ArcView-GIS had error messages that were useful.
Interview
The concept presented in the course and the deeper understanding of geographical and environmental knowledge which the lecturers felt those aspects were not useful. There was a positive attitude toward ArcView-GIS from both students and faculty, agreeing that ArcView-GIS is a valuable learning experience. Except for question 12 where one lecturer disagreed saying that ArcView-GIS did not make him change the way he looked at social and environmental issues.
Data from interviews were imported into QSR NVivo, a qualitative data analysis software package; the qualitative data were analyzed via three techniques derived from grounded theory: coding, memo writing and network viewing (Morse and Richards 2002). For the note-writing analysis, notes were written at the initial reading of the transcripts and during all phases of the analyzes for higWight key. In the network display phase of analyses, codes were used to visually “network display” the data.
Validity of analyses
The coding phase of the analysis progressed in three phases (Glaser and Strauss 1990): open (i.e. broad coding of general themes), axial (i.e. a more refined coding of themes) and selective coding.
Results from interviews
Triangulation
Despite the possibility that the software did not affect the learning process, there were other aspects that students believed were positively affected. Whether the results of the GIS course were among their best results or not, they were all enthusiastic about how much they had learned and benefited from ArcView-GIS, its approach and methodology. Students' expectations of what they would get out of the GIS course included the development of their knowledge and skills.
They cited significant academic, technical and social learning gains as a result of the GIS course.
Conclusion
CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Introduction
- Answers to the research questions
- Limitations
- Recommendations
- Conclusion
According to respondents in questionnaires and interviews, they found using ArcView-GIS a valuable learning experience. This shows that ArcView-GIS provides a user-friendly interface to introduce students to GIS. Furthermore, the questionnaire shows that students agreed that ArcView-GIS improved their skills, knowledge and attitudes.
From the above, it means that ArcView-GIS actually fulfills its goal in terms of features, ie. ArcView-GIS allows a user to easily create maps and add your own data to them. This study aimed to investigate whether ArcView-GIS promotes cognitive development in students studying a GIS course at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
The software always keeps users informed about what is going on through appropriate feedback within. The language used to label screen information (Le user interface) was simple and familiar to the user. The software did not offer more than is required for the user to perform a task, but it is aesthetic.
Please write any other comments about this GIS course on the back of this sheet.
Modified Evaluation Interview Protocol
Where a cross is necessary, place it in the blank box after the answer you consider correct or the closest. For Part 2 to Part 8 use the ANSWER SHEETS provided by filling in the blanks so that the correct letters cannot be read. For example, where the answer is B, fill in the blank as in this example answer. where necessary place a cross in the blank box after the answer you think is correct).
Find the lettered figure that is made up of the same pieces as the numbered figure. The correct answer is A because it is made of the same pieces; 2 long pieces and 1 smaller piece. Study each question carefully and decide which of the five drawings above the line is a drawing of the same set of blocks.
ITJD IDJ
34;If some Smaugs are Thors and some Thors are ThrainSj then some Smaugs are decide Thrains." 34;If some Bifurs are Bofurs and all Gloins are Bofurs, then some Bifurs are decide Gloins.". 34;Hvis alle Wargs er Twerps, og ingen Twerps er Gollums, så er ingen Gollums definitivt Wargs."
34;If all Fleeps are Sloops and all Sloops are Loopies, then all Fleeps are definitely Loopies." The sentence should read: "Geysers are often compared to volcanoes because they both emit hot fluids from beneath the Earth's surface." you should answer B The sentence should read: “During the early days of ocean navigation, there was little need for advanced instruments and techniques.” Therefore, you should choose answer D.
Written Expression
QUESTIONS
This section is designed to measure your ability to read and understand short passages similar in subject and style to those found in tertiary settings. Directions: In this section you will read a passage followed by a number of questions about it. Answer all questions about the information in a passage based on what is stated or implied in that passage.
SAMPLE PASSAGE AND QUESTIONS
In line 7, the phrase "this tradition" refers to A. the practice of starting the business day at dawn B. The phrase "this tradition" refers to the preceding clause, "people were in rough agreement with their neighbors about the time of the day." Therefore, you should choose answer D.
READ PASSAGE
The main idea of the passage is that societies must agree on how time is measured in order to function smoothly. In line 7, the phrase "this tradition" refers to A. the practice of starting the business day at dawn B. the railroad's reliance on time schedules. people's agreement on the measurement of time. To make matters worse, John's picture appeared in the coverage of the riot in one of the daily newspapers.
They explained how they had pinned their hopes on one of the main opposition parties, but now their leader was in prison. The lawyer said he did not get carried away by some of the fast-talking politicians and their many promises. The author lists all of the following as important for change in society EXCEPT a) change that occurs from the grassroots level.
Thank you very much for your participation in this exercise
