Researching Student Interaction with GIS Software While Learning Spatial Concepts: Toward a Standard Measure of GIS Interaction

Abstract A better understanding of differences in the nature of human computer interaction (HCI) relating to GIS software can help with learning spatial concepts and spatial thinking skills. This motivates our study, which aims to create a standard measure of interaction with GIS software that can be used individually or along with existing measurement instruments for spatial thinking to generalize results across studies for evaluating GIS interaction and usability. The study developed a composite taxonomy identifying types of user interactions and strategies with GIS in relation to different spatial concepts and processes of reasoning. The taxonomy was used as a framework to create tasks which users can complete with GIS software as a measure interaction with GIS. Study data were collected from 35 students enrolled in an online undergraduate course covering fundamentals of geographic information science and technology. Following three course assignments using GIS software to demonstrate a range of spatial concepts for problem solving, students completed various tasks constituting the standard measure of GIS interaction. The results indicate that the standard measure succeeds in measuring how individuals interact with GIS and strategize to complete different spatial tasks. The standard measure of GIS interaction will be useful for the development of usability guidelines for GIS and further contributes to research in the acquisition and application of spatial concepts and reasoning in learning environments.