Understanding the environment and the many factors that must, of necessity, contribute to decisions regarding the management of the environment, depend on one's ability to access stored data. The most effective way to make sense of this type of data is with the system called Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS is an essential tool in the management of spacially distributed information. The students of today are the managers of tomorrow; they must, therefore, be familiar with GIS. This project funds the software and instrumentation necessary for students to learn the GIS applications. In order to learn how to use a data management system, students need to connect the learning with a real-life application. This project introduces students to the GIS system in three introductory geology courses. The courses have a steady high enrollment, they are populated by students within the geology major and well as from other majors, and they are popular choices to fulfill the college's general education science requirements.
