GEOMATICS.ORG.UK: A UK RESPONSE TO A GLOBAL AWARENESS PROBLEM
J. P. Mills *, D. Parker, S. J. Edwards
School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK —
(j.p.mills, david.parker, s.j.edwards)@ncl.ac.uk
Commission VI, WG VI/1
KEY WORDS: Education, Geography, GIS, Mathematics, Professional, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Surveying
ABSTRACT:
Academics and practitioners involved in photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences will be aware of a gen-
eral world-wide shortage of undergraduates embarking on degree programmes in geomatics. Whatever the reasons for this shortage,
it is apparent that this is a major issue that needs addressing to safeguard the future of the profession. There is a requirement to
educate school leavers such that they are aware of geomatics — know what it is, what it involves and the exciting opportunities a ca-
reer in the subject offers them. This paper illustrates how the UK is tackling the problem through the geomatics.org.uk project.
Geomatics crosses the disciplines of mathematics, geography, ICT, physics, and many other subjects taught in schools across the
UK. Established in 2001, geomatics.org.uk is supported by the UK geomatics sector and aims to raise the discipline's profile in
schools by providing useful and timely learning and teaching resources based on contemporary research. Resources available to
teachers include lesson plans, instrumentation, software and data that are nominally out of reach of schools due to excessive cost
and insufficient training. All resources are aimed at the UK National Curriculum and exam specifications and are provided free to
teachers. The management and distribution of resources is operated via a website, whilst a portfolio of nationwide teacher training
courses initiates teachers into geomatics theory and practice. The website is not a stand-alone source of information; instead it op-
erates as a portal to the geomatics industry, serving to promote the profession through raising public awareness.
Examination of Figure ] reveals a peak in the mid-1980's,
: when almost 350 applications were received for the univer-
1. INTRODUCTION
Academics and practitioners involved in photogrammetry, re-
mote sensing and spatial information sciences will be aware of
a general world-wide decline in the number of undergraduates
embarking on degree programmes in geomatics. This has been
reported in a number of professional geomatics journals and is
exemplified by Figure 1. Figure 1 shows the number of student
applications to degree programmes in “geomatics” at the Uni-
versity of Newcastle over two decades, 1980/81-2000/01.
ider sppiying
a
um
a
e
(
50 4
0 T—T En EEE EEE Tr
^ A d ^ d N
xb d» do © & d^ T" d? 3» x» + X
QU OU QU quU qu qv q^ QU qe Eee
Academic Y ear
Figure 1. Line graph showing the number of applications for
geomatics related degree programmes at the Uni-
versity of Newcastle, 1980/81-2000/01
* Corresponding author.
sity’s dozen or so places on the “Surveying Science” pro-
gramme (a ratio of approximately 30 applicants per place). By
the 2000/01 academic year the number of applicants had
dropped to around 100 for the two programmes then offered,
“Surveying and Mapping Science” and “Geographic Informa-
tion Science”. To exacerbate the problem, the undergraduate
quota for these two degree programmes in 2000/01 stood at 35,
implying an application to place ratio of approximately 3: I.
Today the number of applications hovers dangerously below
the 100 level, with the quota standing at approximately 31.
The fact that this figure has not dropped further still may well
be related to the fact that significant effort has been made to
raise the profile of geomatics in schools and further education
colleges across the UK through a project known as geomat-
ics.org.uk.
The National Curriculum for England (DfEE, 2004) together
with GCSE, AS and A level examination boards (AQA, 2004;
CCEA, 2004; Edexcel, 2004 etc.), place considerable empha-
sis, throughout a variety of subjects, on aspects of science, en-
gineering and technology that fall under the general remit of
geomatics. Examples include age-old geographic principles
such as the use of maps, the application of trigonometry in
mathematics, propagation of electromagnetic radiation in phys-
ics, and the use of databases in ICT. New geomatics technolo-
gies, such as remote sensing and geographic information sys-
tems (GIS), are also now becoming mainstream in
