DIGITAL FIELD MAPPING INSTRUCTION WITH POCKET PC COMPUTERS

Digital Field Mapping has grown from a convenience to a necessity and it is imperative that students be exposed to this technology at an early stage of their education. We are in the process of enhancing our GIS/GPS-based summer field geology course by using handheld Pocket PCs. Using Compaq iPAQ computers with integrated GPS receiver, ESRI’s Pocket PC GIS software- Arc Pad, Microsoft’s Media Player, Word, Excel, and other common software, we have created a series of instructional exercises to introduce digital mapping and enhance student learning in the field. Using this system, students can create digital geologic maps, record field notes and sketches, and perform certain types of data analysis in the field directly on their Pocket PCs. We have developed an eBook format for our field course guidebook and other references that the students take into the field with them on their Pocket PC. Using MediaPlayer, short video clips of simple field techniques can also be carried in the PocketPC as a “refresher” when students don’t have access to faculty or graduate assistants. As with many field camps, we utilize vans to get our students to the field taking up large amounts of travel time. Geological maps (surficial and others) tied to highway mileage markers or UTM coordinates within ArcPad with additional references and exercises have been developed as on-the-road geology exercises to convert long drives into educational opportunities. Overall, this system is inexpensive, highly portable, uses widely available software, and easily adaptable to a wide variety of learning strategies.