Mobile device web-based complementary teaching of GIS

Abstract

The presence of mobile devices provides an opportunity to complement Geographical Information Systems (GIS) education. They contain internet browser application which can act as a thin client to Web-based Geographic Information Systems. This project aims to show that free and open source software (FOSS) provides a viable alternative to using proprietary software in terms of cost, ease of use, performance and conformance to open standards. The development of such an open source system clearly illustrates the logistics of open system architecture and the orchestration of the interaction between open source software’s. The opportunities for such a system are immense. Students are no longer tied to desktop applications to carry out their GIS practical work. Institutions in Kenya have an opportunity to take advantage of a system with no installation on their part. Today's university students are "digital natives." They were born into the digital world, and web-based learning comes naturally to them. Web GIS can engage students in a variety of fields and improve teaching and learning effectiveness. Mobile devices initially seen as a distraction in class provide an opportunity to complement teaching GIS in ways not experienced before