GLACIAL ERRATICS, ENERGY USE, AND VOC EMISSIONS EXPLAINED IN A PICTURE

Students have traditionally used pictures or sketches to explain interpretations in many disciplines across curricula throughout their academic career. Both majors and non-majors taking environmental science courses at the University of Washington Tacoma are utilizing ArcGIS to express understanding of data and ideas. GIS is a tool that is introduced in many introductory science courses allowing for students to create maps with data interpretations. After a few short sessions, students are able to collect data using GPS units, create maps of the data being investigated and make relational symbols illustrating magnitude. These maps are then used to develop hypotheses and conclusions. The exercises are course specific, whether noting relative sizes and locations of glacial erratics around campus, determining businesses in downtown Tacoma that use excessive energy, or discovering areas around buildings with high emissions of VOCs. This presentation will demonstrate a clearer understanding of ideas made by students using visual representations instead of the essay or writing assignment.