GIS+training


 * NBDC-N3 - ARARI GIS training **

=Objective of the training= Give a practical basic GIS training, based on the principle of learning by doing. After this course participants can independently geo-reference, load, project and map data, as well as perform basic data manipulations that are useful for suitability analysis. Moreover, participant will have acquired skill to look for other manipulations and teach themselves how to perform them. Background GIS baseline survey has shown that 2 persons have advanced GIS skills in ARARI, these 2 persons have been asked to contribute to the course. 2 potential participants have theoretical knowledge. Whereas about half of the surveyed people know how to load data, they are not able to perform most of other manipulations. =Pedagogical approach= Human beings tend to learn better when they have to discover how things work by themselves. For this reason we propose to work with exercises that lead through the different manipulations without showing first how to perform them. In this way, one can proposed a rather individualized training, taking each participant at his starting level and easily manage a heterogenous group of participants. We propose four module 1. basic concepts and manipulation in GIS 2.projections and coordinate systems 3. use of GPS 4. Basics of data analysis. Each module starts with a very short theoretical introduction, followed by sets exercises, for which the last questions are advanced so that people with existing knowledge can discover manipulations beyond the objective of each module. Each exercise will also be shortly discussed in plenary. This type of pedagogical approach shows the best results in terms of percentage of knowledge that a participant can remember. However, this is only the case if some basic principles are respected. Firstly, sufficient “teaching” persons are needed answer the questions and provide individualized support. Secondly, one needs to make sure that every participant truly managed to solve the exercises, through individual support but also by discussing each exercise in plenary. Thirdly, beyond the exercise, participants need a reference manual which they learn to use by doing the exercise. In this manner, after the training, participants do not need to dig back into an exercise for which they probably have forgotten to write down how to solve it, but directly look it up in a manual they have learnt to use. We propose to work with 3 “teaching persons”, namely Dejene and Menelik from Arari and Catherine from ILRI/IWMI for 15 participants (1 teaching person for 5 participants). Dejene is developing a very detailed manual for each manipulation in different module, from which exercises will be derived. We will use data from suitability analysis for potatoes performed by Dejene as basis for all the exercises, the last exercises being the suitability analysis.

=The different modules= Loading vector (lines and points) and grids. Zoom in, out export data Making maps, symbology, export maps || Collecting and managing your own data part 1 || Changing projections Download from databases (fao, ilri website) Editing existing datasets Digitize a jpeg file || Put the settings right Download data Join and relate || Regression Transformation – shape to raster Raster computation || =Report of the training=
 * Day || Title || Content ||
 * Day 1 -2 || Basic GIS manipulation || Opening Arc Catalogue and arc map
 * Day 3 || Projections (half day)
 * Day 4 || Collecting and managing your own data part 2 || Use a gps for tracking and waypoints (morning visit to the Nile falls)
 * Day 5 || Suitability analysis || Simple interpolation

= Participant evaluation =