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Open Access Publications from the University of California

In 1996 NCGIA initiated an NSF Advanced Technological Education Program to develop a Core Curriculum for Technical Programs (CCTP). It was intended as a curriculum-building resource of information related to the needs of GIS education in community and technical colleges. The resource units in this curriculum offer a complementary perspective to the NCGIA Core Curriculum in GIS (1990) and the Core Curriculum in GIScience (1997‒2000).

CCTP focused on technician training, providing course content from the perspective of what practitioners need to be able to do and resources for GIS instructors in technical programs. The CCTP project began with a one-week working session in summer 1996 at which fourteen GIS instructors and other experts developed a framework for the CCTP.

Cover page of Outline of the GIS Core Curriculum for Technical Programs

Outline of the GIS Core Curriculum for Technical Programs

(2015)

An outline of the GIS Core Curriculum for Technical Programs, organized by topic, is presented with hyperlinks to each unit's material on eScholarship. Note that hyperlinks are only active if the PDF file is downloaded.

Cover page of Introduction to the GIS Core Curriculum for Technical Programs

Introduction to the GIS Core Curriculum for Technical Programs

(2015)

This introduction provides a historical overview of the GIS Core Curriculum for Technical Programs. It describes the working group and initial work session where a framework for the curriculum was developed, and it includes a task list outlining the topics originally intended for the curriculum.

Cover page of Unit 52: Project Management

Unit 52: Project Management

(1998)

In this unit students will learn how to assess the needs requirements and evaluate options in order to implement and maintain a GIS laboratory and how to plan and manage GIS project work. A generalized list of questions to ask when beginning any project and list of tasks are presented to illustrate a common approach to project management.

Cover page of Unit 17: Scanning Maps

Unit 17: Scanning Maps

(1998)

This unit describes the map scanning process with attention to map preparation, scale and accuracy, image types, file considerations, spatial resolution as it relates to map scale, hardware, and post-processing considerations. Image enhancement techniques such as contrast and brightness adjustment and gamma correction are noted.

Cover page of Unit 1: Data Acquisition

Unit 1: Data Acquisition

(1998)

This unit focuses on methods for acquiring GIS data over the Internet, including understanding Internet data transfer methods and developing skills in manipulating a variety of data formats. Procedures for connecting to remote computers, locating desired data sets, retrieving data in various formats and preparing data sets for transfer to other users are described.

Cover page of Unit 3: Locating Transportation Data

Unit 3: Locating Transportation Data

(1998)

This unit introduces some potential applications of transportation data and the appropriate data types and typical sources for each class of application. A practical exercise teaches students about acquisition and processing of data, and issues of data quality, costs and benefits are discussed.

Cover page of Unit 46: Address Matching

Unit 46: Address Matching

(1998)

This unit describes the process of address matching, which allows the GIS user to convert postal addresses and/or zip codes to geographic coordinates. Example applications from the medical field, government, marketing and distribution are given, along with practical examples with step-by-step instructions.

Cover page of Background: Computing for GIS

Background: Computing for GIS

(1998)

This unit is designed to assist the technical GIS educator in identifying the computer skills required for GIS tasks. Basic computer literacy skills are presented as a foundation for technical GIS computing skills. The latter are organized into several categories (e.g. 'Systems', 'Programming', 'Databases'), with lists of skills at different levels of achievement (Awareness, Competency, Mastery). 

Cover page of Unit 12: Planning a Digitizing Project

Unit 12: Planning a Digitizing Project

(1998)

This unit introduces digitizing—the transformation of information from an analog format to a digital format—as it relates to GIS. It describes essential points to consider when planning a digitizing project including scale, coordinate system, accuracy and software constraints.