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Part of a student final project
Billings blockgroups showing labeled location of a business, its top customers, and competitors; shaded by household income
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a new technology with potentially broad but as yet unrealized applicability in business education. The development of user-friendly PC packages and the availability of digital demographic data allow non-technical users relatively easy access to potentially powerful analytic tools. The rapid growth of business geographics underscores the importance of this emerging technology.
Curriculum and educational developments in business schools have not kept pace with the technological evolution in the private and public sectors. It is estimated, for example, that less than 10 percent of business schools have GIS available in the classroom for students in any discipline.(Murphy, l996) And there are a number of challenges facing any program that does seek to incorporate GIS. (AAG, l996) Typically, when GIS is being considered, it is housed in the Information Systems (IS) or Computer Science disciplines, which often are far removed from the purview of other disciplines and end users. Overall, GIS is still generally set up - and taught - as a technical subject, one that is isolated from (or not integrated into) end user applications in disciplines like marketing and management. There tends to be more of a focus on IS as opposed to the business geographics. Furthermore, in smaller institutions with a teaching (as opposed to research) focus, this technology has been limited, even unavailable. Instead, access to GIS has been primarily oriented toward specialists and limited to larger, research-oriented programs.
The advent of PCs and the development of PC based software makes GIS technology theoretically available, in cost effective ways, to a range of educational institutions. In addition, the emergence of on-line mapping applications make it feasible, even necessary, to train non-experts in specific applications appropriate to their disciplines. These applications can be incorporated into business curriculums by augmenting existing PC labs and resources, and can be effectively used by students. And familiarity with this emerging technology will help prepare students for the more competitive job market in both the private and public sector.
A beginning assignment
Basic county map of Montana, showing cities with population over 1,000
Montana State University at Billings (MSU-B) is a small public university (4,000 students), with programs in education, business, liberal arts, and vocational education. It is primarily an undergraduate institution, with a focus on teaching. It has the largest percentage enrollment of minority students in the State, and serves the largest population of non-traditional and female students. The majority of students attending MSU-B are place-bound, and seeking skill enhancement or career changes. The College of Business is the second largest school at MSU-Billings, with 850 majors. The College has an applied orientation, and has an active commitment to having students work with local organizations on a variety of problems and projects. Billings is the largest city in the State, and is the health services, retail, and commercial center. A number of potential local employers, including federal agencies (such as the Department of Interior), county and city offices, financial institutions, and area hospitals either use, or are interested in, GIS and business geographics.
In l996 MSU-B was awarded a three year FIPSE (Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education) Grant. The purpose of the project was to enhance the business curriculum by incorporating desktop GIS in specific business courses. Key objectives of the proposal were to:
- enhance student learning and technological skills across the business curriculum through interdisciplinary applications of GIS;
- increase student exposure to, and direct experience with, GIS;
- develop modules to incorporate GIS in specific content areas (e.g. marketing as well as information systems); and
- strengthen linkages between curriculum and course content and direct applications of emerging technology in the workplace.
An early assignment
Montana counties showing percentage of Native American population; selected counties labeled
Implementing the project proved to be a challenge, and required considerable flexibility. We encountered a number of constraints, including a reduced credit requirement for graduation and the difficulties of developing curriculum across departmental boundaries. A third factor was the search for suitable mapping software. Our original idea of working with MapInfo and requiring at least three credits involving GIS/business geographics was thwarted by the new credit cap and the desire to minimize curricular upheaval. In addition, we were committed to maintaining an end-user perspective and introducing all business students to the basic technology. This required a more simplistic and accessible approach.
Given the above realities, we developed a one credit computer lab (Market Mapping) that was attached to our Introduction to Marketing course. Because this class is a core requirement for all business majors, we essentially reached all business students during the three year trial period. By linking the mapping to the basic marketing course, we were able to emphasize and incorporate marketing examples and applications. The course was taught by marketing faculty, using Scan/US, a simplified desktop mapping software. Scan/US is a business oriented mapping program that allows users to create thematic maps, ring studies and area analyses, and import data (via Excel), including geocoded files. However, it does not permit users to query a database or digitize data. Using Scan/US allowed us to run the software in our existing computer labs via server to individual PCs, thus reducing the need for additional hardware. In terms of software, then, we traded sophistication and power for accessibility and ease of use.
Typical mid-course work
Thematic map of Montana showing counties with Average Household Income between $25k and $35k
Finally, an additional constraint we confronted was the lack of teaching materials. While there are manuals (and good support) for specific software packages, there are few broadly conceived educational materials that deal with GIS and business geographics, and the few that exist are software specific. (Mitchell, l997; Harder, l997). There certainly weren't any teaching tools addressing our audience: the inexperienced end user. We were on our own, from the conception of the course and topics it should include, to developing the necessary materials to help students learn about business geographics in general, and this software in particular.
We have been offering the market mapping course for three years, and are in the midst of evaluating the results. To date, we have collected data on over 500 students. This includes pre and post course questionnaires, designed to gauge students' changing degree of familiarity with GIS and business applications. The questionnaires include both quantitative and qualitative measures. Part of our evaluation process includes having outside evaluators - individuals familiar with GIS and business geographics - evaluate a random sample of student projects. Much of the data is presently unavailable as it is still being compiled, but the evaluation should be completed by fall, l999.
The course has evolved into a self-paced learning experience. We developed a Step by Step Guide to help students work through the software. There are assignments (via Web resources) that introduce students to basic concepts such as scale, cartographic principles, and data analysis. Course requirements include five exercises and a final project involving an application of techniques learned in class. This project must include at least one thematic map and the use of geocoded files, along with analysis of demographic data. You can view some of the course materials at the course website.
In spite of the fact that the evaluation is incomplete, there are a number of outcomes from this project that we can discuss. First, there has been considerable spillover from this introductory course into other classes and disciplines. Students have used this software in subsequent courses, particularly Retail Management, Marketing Research, and Business Policy. This latter course requires that students work with a client from the community. Desktop mapping and business geographic techniques have proliferated in some of these client projects. This is an important outcome, given that we sought to strengthen linkages between curriculum and work related applications as a primary project objective.
The course is now drawing students (and faculty) from other programs and Colleges, including health administration, human services, sociology, and political science. The concepts of business geographics, and particularly spatial demographics, have wide applicability. We have not sought a broader audience: they are finding us. We believe this is because we have emphasized the end user perspective, and are exposing students to the potentials of this technology. And they are quick to realize its applicability.
More generally, there is increased awareness of, and interest in, business geographics and spatial analysis. For example, the Information Systems discipline in our College of Business now offers a three credit business geographics course using MapInfo. At the same time, we have also learned that students need more exposure to basic geographic and cartographic principles. Clearly, a one credit lab cannot encompass all that is necessary, but even a three credit course with an IS focus will likely neglect cartographic fundamentals. The 'learning curve' for even the more user-friendly GIS packages is still fairly steep for the naïve user. To address the problem of better educating the end-user we are increasingly making use of on-line resources (like Directions). And we are contributing to development of an on-line module (part of the Virtual Geography Department) designed to introduce novice users to the data behind choropleth maps, using Demographic Data Viewer as an on-line mapping tool.
End-of-course capabilities
Billings blockgroups and streets; two business ring studies; mapping Average Household Income in $15k increments
As software becomes more user friendly, and on line data more plentiful, it is imperative that business students in a range of disciplines be educated about it. However, few business colleges seem to be doing this, particularly on the undergraduate level. The one credit course we developed has been an effective mechanism for introducing end users to the concepts and potentials of business geographics. And we are in the process of expanding our concept into an interdisciplinary minor in business geographics. We would be happy to share our experiences with anyone else thinking about embarking on such an adventure!
Market Maps 340
Scan/US
MapInfo
Association of American Geographers and GIS World (l996), Business Geographics for Educators and Researchers. Proceedings. Washington DC: AAG
Baker and Baker (l993) Market Mapping: How to Use Revolutionary New Software to Find, Analyze, and Keep Customers. NY: McGraw Hill
Business Geographics, GIS World Inc.
Chrisman, N. (l997) Exploring Geographic Information Systems. NY: John Wiley
Harder, C. (l997) GIS Means Business. CA: ESRI
Longley & Clarke, eds. (1995) GIS for Business and Service Planning NY: John Wiley
Mitchell, A. (l997) Zeroing In: GIS at Work in the Community. CA:ESRI
Monmonier, M. (l996) How to Lie With Maps. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.
Murphy, L. (l996) GIS in Business Schools: A Status Report. Business Geographics for Educators and Researchers. Washington DC: AAG
