GEOIS: A SOFTWARE TO FACILITATE TEACHING GEOSCIENCES K-12

A mapping and teaching system is being developed and tested to facilitate geoscience education originally used for geologic mapping. It has a series of modules that can be used in different combinations approporiate for K12, undergraduate or graduate geosciences education. UTD has developed an approach to mapping geology using ArcGIS with modules. which facilitate the capture, visualization and analysis of 3D features in the field with GPS, a handheld laser gun and digital cameras. This system is defined as GeoIS ( Geoscience Information System) designed by Mohammed Alfarhan, and can also be used as an analysis tool of 3D virtual models being built at UTD. When a virtual model is imported into this program it can be used, in the same way as it operated in the field, to digitize the geology but using a cursor dragged along the surface of these photorealistic models. GeoIS incorporates those aspects of ArcGIS that allows mapping, visualization and analysis of geology. This concept is being used to evaluate its use in teaching GIS to geologists , for teaching geology to undergraduates and to teach earth sciences to K-12 students