OK, you might think, "Well - isn't GIS already something most people consider high tech?" The answer to that question is a little complicated. In comparison to where we were about 20 years ago, yes, current GIS systems are pretty high tech. In comparison to recent advances in software, interfaces, and the ways in which regular people can participate in the development of data and tools - no, off-the-shelf desktop GIS software isn't so radical anymore.
What I hope to do in this course is to bring in new trends and themes in technology and imagine how those advances can and will impact GIS in the future, with particular emphasis on how those technologies fit or could be adapted to support GIS for Emergency Management.
Each lesson features an Emerging Theme page that presents a technology and encourages you to envision its potential impact on GIS systems for Emergency Management. I draw upon video lectures, links to live demonstrations, and other multidmedia as much as possible to make these modules as engaging as possible.
The themes we will cover this term are:
On the next page, you'll find your first Emerging Theme assignment. In this assignment, we will examine new types of mobile interfaces and discuss how they should be integrated into future GIS systems for emergency management.