In Lab #4 the students of Geography 7 at UCLA were introduced to ArcGIS. In this lab we learned how to use ArcMap and ArcCatalog, both of which are crucial elements to ArcGIS. Our finished product was a full-featured map that had a background, scale bars, title and legend just like most ordinary maps. However, the map that we created was in fact quite unique. Not only did it have these map essentials but it also represented different layers. These layers provide thematic information for forming a GIS map. In addition to forming layers, students also learned how to digitize maps as well as export data, work with attribute tables and add data, and manipulate a road. We have learned all of this in our very first tutorial, which started with the mere basics of how to open ArcMap and ArcCatalog and use the toolbar for simple tasks such as zooming in and out.
In working with GIS we have been exposed to some of the difficulties and pitfalls in working with ArcMap. Let me start off by saying that for someone who is technologically challenged this was quite a difficult lab to overcome. For someone like myself who is not very good with computers this lab proved to be very frustrating and time consuming. With practice it is supposed to get easier and faster but I have a feeling that it will take lots and lots of practice. I think that the most difficult task for me was properly saving my work. Due to the many drives (S, D, F drives) that we are working with it became quite difficult to make sure that my work was saved in the right folder so that I could work on it at a later time. I’m going to be honest; I’m still very confused on how to save my work to the right folder and to copy the files. This was a huge problem for me as I had assumed that I saved all of my work on the flash drive only to return to it not being there. Instead I was greeted by a whole bunch of red exclamation marks. This brings me to the conclusion that GIS is a very difficult field and is geared toward people who are tech savvy. I feel like GIS is not geared toward the everyday person but rather is geared to a specific audience. Yes, the tutorial was straightforward but along the way there are bumps in the road probably due to my unfamiliarity with the program. All of these bumps I took as learning experiences and I’m sure that with time and practice that understanding how to use ArcGIS will hopefully get better.
In addition to the pitfalls of ArcMap within GIS there are also many possibilities. The potential is overwhelming and it is with this potential that GIS has taken unsurpassed importance and popularity within the growing academic world. GIS can be used not only for geography and information technology but it can also be applied to urban planning, public health, environmental work and conservation just to name a few. GIS is also beneficial as it allows students, who previously probably would never have been exposed to this tool, the opportunity to learn a new skill. Knowing GIS and how to use it properly will be a very important skill for people to learn especially in this very competitive job market. Maps created on ArcMap are unlike normal ordinary maps that we are used to. Rather, they are complex maps composed of different layers that have all been created from different data frames located within the geodatabase. What is also quite important is the expanse of this geodatabase. I found it absolutely amazing! GIS in the right hands is quite a powerful tool if utilized properly. Lastly, another thing that I noticed was that with time steps that had to be repeated became easier. Troubleshooting, and doing the steps over and over again until I got them right also helped in learned how to use basic tools on ArcMap.
All in all, ArcGIS has both pitfalls and great potential. In my opinion the possibilities are endless and outweigh the pitfalls. With the growing field of geography and its large expanse I believe that GIS will become an even more important tool for scholars to utilize. GIS is going and is having a large impact on geography and other disciplines of the like. In addition, with the emergence of neogeography GIS also has great potential. Everyday people and scholars are taking geography into their own hands and are changing the field forever. Currently, GIS is extremely expensive and therefore is only limited to a certain audience. However, with a growing interest in map making as seen on the internet with Google maps and mashups who knows what the future will bring to our society…only time will tell!
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