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long introduced students to use computer 
aided design (CAD) techniques, their 
usage is even more commonplace with the 
new Port and Airport Development Scheme 
under implementation by the Hong Kong 
government. Consultancy firms competing 
for construction contracts are well 
aware of the importance of using 
computer-generated graphics in their 
proposed designs. A complex geographic 
database of the territory is needed for 
use in advanced mapping software. Great 
needs in terrain modelling work demand 
degree-holders to receive training along 
that line. Thus, disciplines like 
planning, surveying, and to a certain 
extent geography, have begun to impose 
such training to their students in 
anticipation of employment in these 
areas. A positive macro environment for 
geocomputing education is thus formed in 
Hong Kong. 
CURRICULUM EFFORTS 
Extensive changes in curriculum emphasis 
on microcomputing in geography have been 
made within the last five years or so. 
When Yeh (1986) wrote his article on the 
use of microcomputing in geography, such 
a direction was still something under 
planning. Today, among almost all well- 
established geography departments in 
developed parts of the world, a lab 
devoted to computer applications is 
considered to be a regular facility. To 
most people within the geography 
community, the ability to use micro- 
computers is added to the list of basic 
Skills one should possess such as 
literacy, numeracy, and graphicy. 
Part of the reasons to explain such 
changes concern with great strides that 
have been made in geographic methodology 
since the 1980s. One is the use of 
computers to: generate maps which were 
hitherto hand-drawn, a tedious job for 
any cartographer. Another is the use of 
remote sensing, digital image processing 
in particular, in the acquisition of 
remotely sensed data for subsequent 
classification and interpretation. 
Thirdly, the. rise of geographic infor- 
mation systems technology, in which both 
geographers and computer specialists do 
play a part, rapidly and extensively 
revolutionize spatial data handling and 
modelling. I shall subsume these areas 
under the heading "geocomputing" in the 
following discussion. 
Apparently, geocomputing requires large 
amount of capital "input, both in 
hardware and software acquisition and in 
"humanware" recruit. Outside private 
145 
businesses, only tertiary educational 
institutions can afford such setups. 
Such training is offered in two streams: 
within geography or land surveying 
departments. In the former category, 
geography departments at the University 
of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of 
Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Baptist College 
all offer some levels of training at 
both undergraduate and graduate levels. 
In the latter category, the Hong Kong 
Polytechnic's Center of Land and 
Engineering Surveying is the principal 
training base. 
Each of the four departments/center 
possess some kind of hardware setup 
which is different from others. For the 
case of the University of Hong Kong, the 
Department of Geography and Geology 
houses a remote sensing lab and another 
computer-aided cartography unit. They 
are equipped basically with 286 and 386 
machines for students’ usage. Software 
available include ORSER (for remote 
sensing), ATLAS*GRAPHICS (for computer 
cartography), AutoCAD (for graphics 
drawing), IDRISI (for G.I.S.), etc. 
Peripherals like printers, plotters, 
scanners, and digitizers are also 
available. 
As the second oldest geography depart- 
ment in the territory, the Chinese 
University of Hong Kong's equipment are 
all located in their remote sensing lab. 
Again, several 286 and 386 machines are 
available for student usage. A recent 
addition is an engineering workstation 
for staff's research purposes. A host 
of software is available: IDRISI, SPANS, 
pcARC/INFO (for G.I.S.), ATLAS*GRAPHICS 
(for computer cartography), and a couple 
of remote sensing software. Input and 
output devices of all kinds are 
available too. 
The Hong Kong Baptist College setup is 
located as a G.1.8. unit within the 
Cartography Lab. Within the unit, there 
are five IBM PS/2 machines, each 
attached with a digitizing tablet. 
The whole setup is networked to the 
College's system, thus access to 
software can be obtained in many more 
locations. Since its inception in 1990, 
the list of purchased software has been 
expanding rapidly. A partial list 
include ATLAS*GRAPHICS and SURFER (for 
computer  cartography), DRAGON (for 
remote sensing), and  IDRISI (for 
g.1.8.). Future considerations may 
include VGA-ERDAS, pcARC/INFO or SPANS. 
Similar to other counterparts, usual 
input and output devices are installed.