[Ica-osgeo-labs] Award for GIS Course/Teacher Confusion

[Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX)]

Dear Good OSGEO Gentlefolks,

Howdy! I am confused. Teacher Award, GIS Course Award? What is it?

I believe we are well resolved on the GIS students award! The student award is not an OSGEO judging exercise. This is donated award money going to other efforts with formal judging criteria in place. OSGEO is simply increasing the attractiveness of those established award processes with award money. Yay!

But the OSGEO GIS Teacher or GIS Course award? Are these one and the same?
And we'll need more guidance for how to judge this and the information needed for the nomination process please.
Example of criteria:
http://eurochallenge.como.polimi.it/challenge2014 (ignore the year)
Problem 1: What is the title of this award? It has been referred to in multiple ways:
- GeoforAll Educator of the Year
- Open Education Award
- Teacher Award
- Educators who have created GIS courses
- Geospatial course ( online or class based) based on Open Principles
- Openness in GeoEducation

Problem 2: Is this award for the best GIS course or the best GIS teacher?

Whether they are the same or different, what are the criteria?
I see a well-designed course and its online syllabus a result of a teacher or a department, students and teaching assistants (TA). But one individual (teacher or TA) must take responsibility for that for this award to proceed. Ergo, the "GeoforAll Educator of the Year" or whatever we are calling it. The only trouble with this is that a great syllabus and content does not define a great teacher. That is a combination of inspiration, talented guidance and successful students. If the award is for the combined effect of GIS course and GIS teaching, we will need to have more information. Evaluation of a GIS course is technical, evaluation of a GIS teacher seems more an organic art.

Antoni Pérez Navarro has put forth this list, and it is a good list of essential information, but, except for the link to course materials, there is no way to evaluate the 'teacher' part, and the effectiveness of the course.
+ Title in English
+ Original title
+ Language taught in
+ ECTS credits/Hours
+ Number of classes taught per year
+ Average Number of students per class
+ Interface: Virtual, classroom, blended
+ Target audience (professionals, technical students, grade school, high school, university, embedded in a wider program, etc.)
+ Goal (maximum 150 words): what is the goal of this course in its socio-economical context and why the course was created?
+ Contents
+ Links to course, materials, contents, etc.

Possible guidance, the GIS CERTIFICATION: Syllabus
http://www.aicanet.it/aica/ecdl-gis/la-certificazione/syllabus/GIS_syllabus_ECDL_F_endorsed.pdf

The first time is always a painful learning experience! It does get better! We hope!

-Patrick

 Patrick.Hogan at nasa.gov<mailto:Patrick.Hogan at nasa.gov>
 Project Manager
 NASA World Wind
 650.604.5656 (office)
 650.269.2788 (cell)

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