GISAS: geographical information systems applications for schools

GISAS (Geographical Information Systems Applications for Schools) is an educational and research project funded by the European Commission Minerva program during 2003-2006. The project has focused on the incorporation of basic desktop GIS technology into geography and environmental education at the European secondary and upper secondary schools. The project has used water quality as a unifying topic for the seven pilot schools, which have collected local GI databases, visualized their data and analyzed the interrelationships of different variables and map objects on the water quality through inquiry-based learning. The GISAS project has used action research to find out the possibilities and obstacles of using GIS at the European schools. This paper introduces the GISAS project with its objectives, partners, tools, methods and pedagogical framework. The empirical data analyzed in this paper was collected from the pilot schoolteachers with a questionnaire study in November 2005.