3,789 research outputs found

    Potential applications of geospatial information systems for planning and managing aged care services in Australia

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    [Abstract]: This paper discusses the potential applications of Geospatial Information Technology (GITs) to assist in planning and managing aged care programs in Australia. Aged care is complex due to the numbers of participants at all levels of including planning of services, investing in capacity, funding, providing services, auditing, monitoring quality, and in accessing and using facilities and services. There is a vast array of data spread across the entities that are joined to aged care. The decision-making process for investment in capacity and service provision might be aided by technology including GIT. This is also expected to assist in managing and analysing the vast amount of demographic, geographic, socio-economic and behavioral data that might indicate current and future demand for services the aged and frail-aged population. Mapping spatio-temporal changes in near real time can assist in the successful planning and management of aged care programs. Accurate information on the location of aged care services centres and mapping the special needs of clients and their service needs may assist in monitoring access to services and assist in identifying areas where there are logistic challenges for accessing services to meet needs. GIT can also identifying migrations of aged people and of the cohorts of the population who are likely to be the next wave of clients for aged care services. GITs include remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) technologies, which can be used to develop a user friendly digital system for monitoring, evaluating and planning aged care and community care in Australia. Whilst remote sensing data can provide current spatiotemporal inventory of features such as locations of carer services, infrastructure, on a consistent and continuous coordinate system, a GIS can assist in storing, cross analysing, modeling and mapping of spatial data pertaining to the needs of the older people. GITs can assist in the development of a single one-stop digital database which will prove a better model for managing aged care in Australia. GIT will also be a component of technologies such as activity monitors to provide tracking functionality. This will assist in tracking dementia sufferers who may be prone to wandering and be exposed to risk

    Map Calculus in GIS: a proposal and demonstration

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    This paper provides a new representation for fields (continuous surfaces) in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), based on the notion of spatial functions and their combinations. Following Tomlin's (1990) Map Algebra, the term 'Map Calculus' is used for this new representation. In Map Calculus, GIS layers are stored as functions, and new layers can be created by combinations of other functions. This paper explains the principles of Map Calculus and demonstrates the creation of function-based layers and their supporting management mechanism. The proposal is based on Church's (1941) Lambda Calculus and elements of functional computer languages (such as Lisp or Scheme)

    A Twenty-Year Look at “Computational Geology,” an Evolving, In-Discipline Course in Quantitative Literacy at the University of South Florida

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    Since 1996, the Geology (GLY) program at the USF has offered “Computational Geology” as part of its commitment to prepare undergraduate majors for the quantitative aspects of their field. The course focuses on geological-mathematical problem solving. Over its twenty years, the course has evolved from a GATC (geometry-algebra-trigonometry-calculus) in-discipline capstone to a quantitative literacy (QL) course taught within a natural science major. With the formation of the new School of Geosciences in 2013, the merging departments re-examined their various curricular programs. An online survey of the Geology Alumni Society found that “express quantitative evidence in support of an argument” was more favorably viewed as a workplace skill (4th out of 69) than algebra (51st), trig (55th) and calculus 1 and 2 (59th and 60th). In that context, we decided to find out from successful alumni, “What did you get out of Computational Geology?” To that end, the first author carried out a formal, qualitative research study (narrative inquiry protocol), whereby he conducted, recorded, and transcribed semi-structured interviews of ten alumni selected from a list of 20 provided by the second author. In response to “Tell me what you remember from the course,” multiple alumni volunteered nine items: Excel (10 out of 10), Excel modules (8), Polya problem solving (5), “important” (4), unit conversions (4), back-of-the-envelope calculations (4), gender equality (3). In response to “Is there anything from the course that you used professionally or personally since graduating?” multiple alumni volunteered seven items: Excel (9 out of 10), QL/thinking (6), unit conversions (5), statistics (5), Excel modules (3), their notes (2). Outcome analysis from the open-ended comments arising from structured questions led to the identification of alumni takeaways in terms of elements of three values: (1) understanding and knowledge (facts such as conversion factors, and concepts such as proportions and log scales); (2) abilities and skills (communication, Excel, unit conversions); and (3) traits and dispositions (problem solving, confidence, and QL itself). The overriding conclusion of this case study is that QL education can have a place in geoscience education where the so-called context of the QL is interesting because it is in the students’ home major, and that such a course can be tailored to any level of program prerequisites

    Institutional use of information technologies in city planning agencies: implications from Turkish metropolitan municipalities

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    Thesis (Doctoral)--Izmir Institute of Technology, City and Regional Planning, Izmir, 2004Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 175)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishxiii, 185 leavesThis study argues the pivotal relationship between the computing technology and its organizational context. It focuses on nature of implementation in organizational settings that are becoming increasingly important. A further motivation point for this study is to reveal the different discourses (managerial/political/emotional etc.) in the cycle of implementation. The assumption behind this interest is that IT and other technologies are not value-neutral and these tools have the possibility of shaping the goals and agenda of the planning profession.As a part of methodology of the thesis, a comprehensive literature survey was completed around the theoretical issues that constitutes the framework of IT/IS adoption in organizations with a particular reference to urban planning and management. The statements and research questions were tested in the planning departments of selected metropolitan municipalities (Ankara, Izmir, and Bursa) that are experiencing information technologies and systems in various implementation stages. The research strategy was based on a variety of qualitative approaches, including two different types of closed questionnaire-based surveys and semi-structured/unstructured interviews. To measure the success/failure degree of the planning technologies used in the case study organizations in the 'user' dimension of the study, DeLone and McLean.s (1992) IS Success Model and Heeks'(1999) ITPOSMO model were used.Case study research revealed the current stands of ICT implementation in urban planning departments of local governments. It was also evaluated planning practitioner.s commitment and dependence towards computerized planning tools in working practice. In a more exploratory context, a progressive research agenda for ICT implementation in public planning agencies was developed based on the implications of empirical research and literature-based analysis

    Study To Evaluate Pedestrian Systems

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    The number of pedestrians in the city of Venice has been rapidly increasing and the mobility of the streets has been compromised. Since 2007 pedestrian data on bridges and street segments has been collected by WPI students. Our project sought not only to continue this, but also analyze how pedestrians impact the streets. Our data provides information on the understanding of traffic flow on the streets. It will also serve as a baseline to later determine the effect the installation of a new tramline will have on the city. Our team also worked to model the infrastructure of the streets through the creation of GIS map layers as well contributed data to a Pedestrian Model. The infrastructure information was published in Venipedia pages where it will be preserved for the future

    The use of cloud technologies when studying geography by higher school students

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    The article is devoted to the topical issue of the cloud technologies implementation in educational process in general and when studying geography, in particular. The authors offer a selection of online services which can contribute to the effective acquisition of geographical knowledge in higher school. The publication describes such cloud technologies as Gapminder, DESA,Datawrapper.de, Time.Graphics, HP Reveal, MOZAIK education, Settera Online, Click-that-hood, Canva, Paint Instant. It is also made some theoretical generalization of their economic, technical, technological, didactic advantages and disadvantages. Visual examples of application are provided in the article. The authors make notice that in the long run the technologies under study should become a valuable educational tool of creation virtual information and education environments connected into common national, and then global, educational space

    Using GIS to Manage Surfrider Foundation Membership and Promote Growth

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    The Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit environmental organization, has an extensive membership distributed throughout the United States. It has become difficult for the organization to visualize the extent and support of its members and how spatial trends may affect the continued success of its programs. To discover the geospatial pattern and distribution of its membership and their donation activity, the Surfrider Foundation required a means of visualizing this data in order to perform further analysis and gain a better understanding of these datasets. For this purpose, an online GIS application was created to display all the datasets included in this project. This application allows the Surfrider Foundation to visualize, explore, and analyze membership distribution for themselves with no prior knowledge or skill with GIS software and theory. Simple GIS tools were also developed to allow the Surfrider Foundation to analyze its membership data
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