Using ArcGIS Field Maps in the Classroom

The field of geography especially lends itself to fieldwork, getting students out of the classrooms and into the real world. Furthermore, studies have shown that when traditional lecture style is replaced at least in part with approaches that incorporate active learning, students earn higher examination grades and have a greater chance of passing the course (e.g., Freeman et al. 2014). Active learning helps students make a connection to the material learned in class lectures and increases student knowledge. Pedagogy that employs active learning is fundamental at Ohio Northern University (ONU). It involves hands-on activities, rather than traditional lecture-style classes, where students learn by doing and then reflect on their experience to encourage thinking (Scheyvens et al. 2008). Examples of active learning include field trips (e.g., Krakowka 2012; Kolb 1984), film as a pedagogical aid (e.g., Anderson 2013), discussion groups (e.g., Buckley et al. 2004), and volunteer work (e.g., Yarwood 2005). Active learning techniques, along with a clear class structure and an enthusiastic instructor, have been shown to increase student attendance rates and higher cognitive functions (Revell and Wainwright 2009). With this in mind, this article discusses how university students can get out of the classroom and engage with the community by utilizing mobile technology, an increasingly common tool in higher education (Pánek and Glass 2018). We discuss using ArcGIS Field Maps in a university geographic information systems (GIS) course. Using GIS creates competent spatial thinkers through improving a student’s map-reading skills and their ability to solve spatial problems and reason spatially (Madsen and Rump 2012). Adding an emphasis on primary data collection methods within a GIS course can allow students to have a better understanding of how data are collected in the real world and create a better link to the data provided to them by the in-class instructor. Furthermore, fieldwork can lead to a better understanding of managing data capture projects and workflows. Mobile applications in the classroom have increased, especially within GIS courses. Cell phones and tablets equipped with global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are also more widely used (Nowak et al. 2020). With the increased accuracy of GNSS (Dabove, Pietra, and Piras 2020), students are able to use their cell phones for classroom work to gain valuable skills using high-impact methods (Phantuwongraj, Chenrai, and Assawincharoenki 2021). In addition, these skills are transferable to the workforce, as digital field skills are necessary to prepare students for careers in geoscience (Lundmark, Augland, and Jørgensen 2020). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 12% increase in cartography and photogrammetry jobs between 2016 and 2026 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020). Government agencies and private companies are utilizing mobile technology in mapping. For example, the Silver Lake Water and Sewer District in Washington incorporates ArcGIS Collector, the predecessor of ArcGIS Field Maps, in its daily work to monitor which mains and manholes are due for inspection (Esri 2020a). Gulfport Energy, based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, relies on Collector to locate rights-of-way for pipelines and identify suitable pad sites (Esri 2020b). Boulanger (2017) takes advantage of Collector’s off-grid option to collect light pole and wattage data for his research on dark sky parks. Much of the work takes place in U.S. National Parks where cellular service is unreliable, so although live updates are not an option, data collection can still occur and can be uploaded and shared at a later time when service is available. Furthermore, instructors in higher education, as well as in K–12 education, have been testing the usefulness of mobile applications such as ArcGIS Collector. Pánek and Glass (2018) asked university students to define neighborhoods in an area of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, using ArcGIS Collector. In addition, they surveyed the students once the assignment was complete to measure usability. Their results show that ArcGIS Collector was a valuable tool for gaining a sense of place but found that some students struggled with the technological aspects of the application. Holloway et al. (2021) utilized Collector in a large classroom (275+) and still found that the tool created an environment that employed teamwork and peer-to-peer learning. Norton et al. (2019) created a project for a middle school in Knoxville, Tennessee, to assess ArcGIS Collector’s usefulness in environmental education. In collaboration with the University of Tennessee, students assessed stream health and enjoyed the hands-on learning using the technology but missed seeing the connection to how the application could be used in future work or research settings. These examples demonstrate an increase in the use of mobile technologies over the past decade, with active learning becoming more widespread (Norton et al. 2019; Holloway et al. 2021).