Sergei Andronikov Ph.D. Dean, Graduate School of Business & Accounting
Spatial Business Intelligence Program and GIS Courses are directed and taught by a GIS professor, one of the pioneers in GIS Technology, Dr. Sergei Andronikov. Dr. Andronikov has over 30 years of experience in Geospatial world: researching, working and educating in the UK, the Netherlands, South East Asia and over the last 20 years in several US universities. He designed and developed several academic Graduate and Post-Graduate Programs in GIS, also established and directed CMC GIS Center at APSU in Clarksville, TN and GIS Center of Excellence at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. Dr. Andronikov was awarded as a “Key GIS Technical Contributor” for DARPA Challenge, received “Academic Excellence and Quality Award” from TBR (Tennessee Board of Regents) and International Award “Special Achievements in GIS Technology” from ESRI, Inc.
Web 2.0 is it a tool or just cool for education? By Dr. Sergei Andronikov
The concept of utilizing social web-wide interactivity through Web 2.0 became indisputable reality. We even started to use new Web 2.0-based jargon: twitting, blogging, mashing, etc. Today we have to acknowledge complete evolution and establishment of Web 2.0 environment. What did Web 2.0 bring to education and how it changed or will alter the way we teach, deliver educational concepts, and transport learning? To me, Web 2.0 has completely transformed the way we do “business” of education. New Web-based operational, demonstrational, learning tools provide innovative opportunities that have to be brought to our classrooms and educational environment. The way of running the lecture, giving the assignment, delivering the material measured by Student Learning Outcomes have to be adjusted according to the available tools within the Web 2.0 environment. We have to take into consideration that Web 2.0 apps have changed the way how our students access and comprehend the educational materials, news, and knowledge in general. Thus, how to utilize the innovative power of Web 2.0? How to change our learning environment? Easy to say – hard to do, right? Well… instructors can bring virtual environment into a classroom; design and create tools that support digital-based communication to deliver required knowledge content; better utilize interactive whiteboards, iPods, digital cameras, etc. Being for a generation of baby boomers, I am still in favor of more traditional learning environment and still consider that reading provides probably a bit more educational value then blogging or twitting. But I am certain that proper balance of different educational approaches enhanced by Web 2.0 apps, tools and more important, unlimited digital capabilities will create novel exciting learning environment and help us produce new generation of educated, technology-savvy learners. One more twist related to Web 2.0-based education was described today in Washington Post. The concern is in the title: “How the Internet will disrupt higher education’s most valuable asset: Prestige”. What is your take on it?
Privacy on the Web…does it really exist? Do we always need to think about the possible circumstances once we hit the “Enter” button…? Yesterday I’ve heard the story in the News that the teacher was fired because she posted some pictures from her teenager’s time on her Facebook page… Also, every day you are hearing and watching ads asking you to protect your Web identity, not post your information on an unknown Web sites, think twice when you open an e-mail or post your photos, blogs, personal letters on a Web… It makes me think – can we have full privacy on the Web? Or every time when I turn on my computer and go on-line, “a-priory” I partially or completely loose it, and my private information can be used anywhere and by anyone?! The more I am contemplating on this matter, the more it seems obvious that “privacy” and “on-line” do not coincide. If it is the case, could we be safe and secure with our on-line interactions? Furthermore, the IT Companies are talking today about using our fingerprints and retina on the Web for protecting our privacy during transactions and private communications. But if the full privacy does not exist on the Internet, would anyone be certain that such private individual characteristics will not end up somewhere in a wrong place…? I do realize that it sounds like paranoia, and I would like to admit that Internet brings so much convenience to my day-to-day life, operations, communication, etc. Thus, what I decide for myself is that, first, be smart on what is posted on the Internet, and second, be careful with any transactions and on-line communication. Internet and Web is a great environment, and if it used wisely would still bring more benefits than fear.
Teaching & Learning: Methods and Models By Dr. Sergei Andronikov
How to deliver the teaching material? How to keep students engaged in the class? What teaching methods and models to use? Each of us, who has ever being an instructor, constantly asks yourself. Especially if you would try to apply it to enhancing the distance learning methods. I personally, prefer hybrid approach. It allows students to stay engaged through the whole week of study, and also increases flexibility of students’ learning and studying methods. Very intriguing to me is a flipped classroom approach. I have never applied it, but would like to try during the next academic Quarter. To me, the challenge of pure on-line education is the way to teach technology and IT methods that require symbiosis of in-depth discussion and hands-on experience. I was always skeptical on teaching GIS and Geospatial Technology courses pure on-line, because understanding of this Technology requires getting knowledge of several disciplines: Higher Mathematics, Cartography, Remote Sensing, Database Management, Computer Languages, etc. I believe a flipped classroom approach can solve the problems of cohesiveness through providing on-line study of theoretical part and practical hands-on experience with Geospatial software in a classroom environment. The knowledge obtained through on-line studies can be directly implemented with the classroom practical assignments. Such flipped classroom hybrid approach will dramatically change the way I am teaching GIS right now, and hopefully will bring engagement and joy to my classroom. We’ll see..