50 years of Cartography teaching at the University of Glasgow: Reflections and future directions.
ISBN 978-85-88783-11-9
Authors
1Forrest, D.; 2Dunlop, A.
1UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW Email: david.forrest@glasgow.ac.uk
2UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW Email: anne.dunlop@glasgow.ac.uk
Abstract
While teaching of the mapping sciences goes back to the origins of the Department of Geography in early 1900s, formal qualifications in the subject first appeared in the mid 1960s with the introduction of the Postgraduate Diploma in Cartography, the first graduate being former ICA President Michael Wood. The PGDip in Cartography was soon followed by the undergraduate BSc in Topographic Science which included coverage of Surveying, Photogrammetry and Cartography, and a further PGDip in Photogrammetry. In the late seventies postgraduate teaching was extended to a PGDip in Surveying and in the mid-1980s a PGDip in Digital Mapping and Automated Cartography (what would now be called GIS). It also became possible to complete a Master of Science in Applied Sciences by combining courses from 2 diplomas followed by an MSc project. In the ensuing years there were many reviews of the programmes, leading to inevitable changes to reflect different ideas of new staff, but most to reflect changes in technology and expectations of industry. Despite its popularity with students and an exemplary employment record, Department politics lead to the closure of the specialist undergraduate programme 2008, but postgraduate teaching remains strong. There are currently 3 MSc programmes: one in Geoinformation Technology & Cartography; one in Geospatial & Mapping Sciences which focuses on land and hydrographic survey; and a programme taught jointly with the Adam Smith Business School in Geomatics and Management. Despite the home for mapping science teaching being a department of Geography, the approach taken is much more like an engineering programme, with a focus on technical understanding and problem solving. Indeed in searching for an appropriate name for the undergraduate degree to cover the wide range of surveying and mapping, the term ‘Topographic Science’ was adopted, based on the concept of the French ‘ingénieur topographique’. The diversion of pedagogical approaches by Geography and Geomatics often led to conflicts within the Department, somewhat eased in recent years by the merger with geologists to form a School of Geographical & Earth Sciences. Those behind the introduction of the original programmes in the 1960s had particular education goals and philosophy. Despite developments in technology and educational theory, and changes in staff and the student body, much of this original philosophy is still and place and has stood the test of time. With an emphasis on cartographic elements of these programmes, this talk illustrates how the focus and teaching practice has developed over the years and speculates on how changing technology and educational theory and practice will drive future changes.
Keywords
education; University of Glasgow; pedagogy