Is it really free?

Yes. Anyone can take part and use the resources for free. It is all about celebrating the value of Geographical issues with the public and buidling GIS skills with students. 

 

Who is the event for?

GIS fans of all ages. The Map Off is aimed at secondary school students, however it would be great if lots of adults took part also. This will provide more data for everyone to examine and allow us to look at whether the views vary according to age. We hope lots of GIS professionals will participate, partly to celebrate world GIS Day in November, but also to help contribute data which will enhance the opportunities for school students to analyse more interesting results. This year students could also enter data for more than just themselves. For example they could ask their family to answer the survey and enter data into the map so that we get a wider range of ages in the responses. 

 

Is it just for people in the UK?

No. This year's theme is about global warming and we hope that people from all around the world contribute their views as it will make the results more interesting to examine. Anyone with an internet connection anywhere in the world can take part. In previous years participants have come from every continent.

 

When is the "event"?

The event was originally desinged to link to World GIS Day which is on Wednesday November 16th 2016. Many people and organisations will want to participate in the event on this day to be involved with GIS Day. However doing it on just one day will restrict how many Geography students in schools can get involved, therefore people can participate at any time during, or after, November, allowing teachers to flexibly plan it around their timetables and schemes of work. 

 

What are the benefits for my school and students?

The idea is to provide an interesting, stimulating and challenging activity for Geography students. It is an opportunity to get students to understand about the uses of GIS and to build their computer mapping skills. By getting them involved with adding their own views (and perhaps their family and friends also) about global warming to an online map, students will be more engaged with exploring the results. The activity will get students thinking about data collection methods as well as opportunities to use some sophisticated map analysis skills should they choose to examine the results. Everything will be provided free online and made as accessible and simple as possible for students to use. It is a great stand alone GIS activity you could do with classes or it could link to schemes of work on climate change. Alongside the Map Off event activity a wide range of online lesson resources, including interactive maps relating to teaching climate change will be provided. It is hoped that some schools may take the opportunity to hype up the event with their students and get them excited to participate in a global wide mapping event and help promote Geography in the school. They could put up poster displays, run assemblies about the event, set up competitions related to the activity (see the competition question below) and organise climate change themed events around the school. 

 

Do I need to register?

You do not need to register to take part, it just helps us know who is planning to take part. It also means I will be able to keep you updated about the event with key information, resources and results. NOTE - registration is currently closed.

 

It is complicated?

No. It will all be very simple. As easy as clicking a web link. Filling out the online survey form and placing a dot near your home on the map. For those interested in taking it further there will be a range of online resources relating to maps and data about global warming and the opportunity conduct GIS analysis on all the mapped results. 

 

Will it be time consuming?

Not necessarily. The actual Map Off activity consists of completing a short online survey about your attitudes to global warming. It could take as little as 5 to 15 minutes to contribute. For schools participating there will be a range of education resources and lesson ideas to build this into a series of lessons. 

 

Will I need to log in to a GIS account?

No. Everything will be freely and publically available

 

Will it work on any device?

Yes. PC, Mac, Tablets, even phones should be able to complete the basic Map Off activity. Just an internet connection is needed. Of course organisations, particuarly schools, will need to check that the links are not blocked in thier organsiation before they launch the event to a group. 

 

What if the IT does not work?

There is always the risk that something does not work on the day. Like any such event, do have a back up plan. I will provide a printable version of the survey questions which could be completed offline and the data entered when the IT is working again. 

 

Does "Map Off" mean it is a competition?

Not exactly. Map Off is a fun and catchy name. It is really a collaborative data gathering activity and more about sharing than competing. However the purpose is also to promote GIS and Geography in schools. I hope schools will take the opportunity to hype up the event with their students.  As I am just a "one man band" organising this I can't administer a competition for all participants. However, schools participating may like to add thier own competitive angle. For example students could be asked to collect as many responses from people for the survey over a period of time. Also schools could get students to write an article or summary report about the event which explains the methods, analyses the results and evaluates the study. School's could run their own internal competitions based on this. 

 

Do I need to register separately for World GIS Day?

Yes. If you want your participation in this event to also feature of the World GIS Day website then you need to register with them separately. This event has no budget, however if you register on the GIS Day website before a certain date, around early September, you may be eligable to receive some free promotional material for up to around 200 people sent to your organisation thanks to the lovely people from Esri USA. 

 

Who has organised the event?

The Map Off events are developed and organised by Raphael Heath, a full time Head of Geography at the Royal High School Bath. For more information click here. 

 

Why are you doing this?

I am passionate about the value of GIS in education. Online GIS, such as Esri's ArcGIS online, makes GIS easily accessible for use with students. I am keen to get students to develop thier spatial literacy skills and to see the value of Geography in everyday lives. I also want to build links between the professional world of GIS and the work being done in schools. I also am really keen to develop links between schools on shared projects. Online GIS gives us the opportunity to work collaborative across many organisation around the world on a shared project to collect interesting data. 

 

What were the past events?

Over 20,000 people participated in the last two events. In 2014 participants conducted a global quality of life survey. In 2015 we ran the "Ashcloud Apocalypse" event where participants calculated the potential impacts should a mega volcanic eruption occur. Details of these events can be found here.

 

Where can I get more information about using GIS in schools?

Go to this link

 

Any other questions?

If you have any further questions or comments about the event then please visit the contacts page and email me.