Geographic Information Systems as an Educational Tool.

Abstract When a Geographic Information System (GIS) is implemented in a classroom environment, valuable skills such as creative thought and problem solving can be encouraged. A group of college students were given the problem of siting a sanitary landfill for Brazos County, Texas, utilizing the technology of a GIs. They decided on the criteria needed and how the data and criteria would fit into a GIS. With minimal experience, they developed a data base and completed the task in a manner acceptable to private industry and governmental agencies. The use of GIS provided a physical product displaying the interrelationships between regulations, physical environment, group actions, and individual thinking.