[geo-discuss] Hello and request for advice w.r.t developing open geo-data as part of an undergraduate degree course geography module

[Andy Turner]

Hi,

I'm a researcher based at the University of Leeds. I expect some of us have met :) Anyway, I've just joined this list as I think it is a good one to perhaps field a question I have. Sorry not to have joined the list sooner.

I'm working with a small team to develop a proposal for a new module for an undergraduate level 1 module in geography to be run at the University of Leeds from October. The focus and proposed title for the module is "Leeds: From local to global". The idea is to focus some teaching and learning (and research and data development) about our local region (and introspectively mapping out how the University of Leeds collaborates/collaborated with other organisations around the world).

I have interested David Bell, the Director of Learning and Teaching, (who is leading the development of the module) in developing open data and linked data and geo-data in particular. The plan is for something like 50-100 students to take the module and learn about the different types of data that exist and then actively contribute to developing maps.

So we're still in the planning stage and I'm after some advice.

I want us to get the students and staff engaging more in creating their own open web content and contributing more to collective efforts like OpenStreetMap, Wikimapia and Wikipedia. I'm also keen to somehow be able to show what we have added collectively and hopefully show our contributions blossoming and developing year on year. I'd like us to have a lovely map of Leeds through time that can be merged with other maps through time in a virtual world based on reality.

We are keen to work with Ordnance Survey and our Local Authority and local organisations (especially those developing open data).

Should we be thinking about maintaining our own wiki's be they map based or otherwise.

I want some comparisons happening with all the data we have available including comparisons with more open commercial data like Google/Bing/Yahoo maps and especially from things like Google Map Maker and similar.

Do you have any advice?

Thanks in advance,

Andy
http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/people/a.turner/