The UCSB GradPost web site features an article by geography graduate student and Academic Peer Advisor Indy Hurt who writes about six undergraduates who have been instrumental in creating a unique web site that relies on volunteered geographic information. But let Indy speak for herself:
“A group of illustrious geographers here at UCSB put together a rather unique website to collect interesting data about student life here at UCSB. Mentored by Dr Mike Goodchild and Dr Linna Li, two graduate students (yours truly and Kitty Currier) along with six undergraduates (Tiffany Armstrong, David Avon, Lisa Berry, Aleks Hammer-Barulich, Bryan Karaffa, & Stephanie Truitt) developed www.IdMapThat.com. The website aims to collect volunteered geographic information about three topics that are near and dear to the members of our campus community.
The first topic is memories. What kind of memories? Well, anything you care to share! You simply click one of the symbols on the left side of the page, and then you click on the map to report something memorable. This could be where you were the minute you walked out of your last final, it would be where you met your best college buddy, it could be where you unfortunately lost something, it could be the location of you first apartment in Isla Vista, or just about anything else you can think of. You get to decide what is worth remembering, good or bad!
The second topic highlights our strong biking culture here on campus by giving you a place to report every type of bike issue imaginable. Like the first map, you simply click a symbol on the left side of the page, and then click the map to add a report. Did you get your bike impounded and want to warn others? Are there particular locations in Isla Vista that are notorious for traffic and accidents? Did you witness an epic case of bike rage? This is the place to map these locations! As you can imagine, AS Bikes is excited to see this map develop.
Finally, the third topic revolves around Internet access. Let’s face it, we just can’t get by these days without a reasonable wireless signal. With a map interface as simple as the prior examples, you can report areas that have either excellent, average, or poor wireless Internet access here on campus or around town.
Even if you don’t have anything to add to any of the maps, it’s entertaining to click the existing points to see what others have added. Do you have a project you would like featured on the Grad Post? Contact us today!”
Participating undergraduates made the following personal comments about their VGI project:
- Tiffany Armstrong – Tiffany Armstrong, a recent graduate of the Department of Environmental Studies, enjoyed working with the geography department, getting to know the faculty, and becoming part of a community. “I liked how I got to actually create something with the skills that I learned in the courses I took. The final VGI website we created is something I can actually show my friends.”
- David Avon – “When I first came to UCSB, I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to study. The Geography department gave me a sense of direction in a field with seemingly endless opportunities. It was awesome to see the culmination of the GIS skills I’ve learned in courses taken here at UCSB result in a project which is based on the contribution of data from the local community I’ve been a part of for the last four years.”
- Lisa Berry – “I took my first GIS class with Indy Hurt, and I love that I get to work with her again now that I continue my GIS knowledge at UCSB. In particular, I plan on continuing research regarding VGI in the field of emergency mapping for natural disasters. If not for the Geography department, I wouldn’t have been exposed to so many opportunities such as this internship.”
- Aleks Hammer-Barulich “I never imagined when I first stepped into Kathy Davis’s office during my freshman year that I would have had this opportunity to work with such an esteemed group of individuals on unique topic. This projected provided a great opportunity for us to learn more about volunteered geographic information by creating our own applications. The UCSB geography department is unique because it not only provides a solid techniques curriculum but also an excellent basis in geographic theory and research. ”
- Bryan Karaffa – Bryan, a senior majoring in geography, is interested in seeing how these VGI websites will continue to develop over time. “The geography department provides plenty of opportunities and I’m thankful that the department is so connected. When I was looking for an internship, Kathy Davis connected me to Professor Keith Clarke who connected me to Kitty Currier who connected me to Professor Mike Goodchild and this VGI project!”
- Stephanie Truitt – “It’s cool that the geography department now has a presence on campus, and I hope this encourages others to take on research projects because it has been a great experience.”
Editor’s note: Many thanks to Indy for compiling the material for this article and hats off to the participating undergraduate students who helped to bring such an innovative web site to fruition!
