Exploration of Ideological and Political Reform in the Principles of Geographic Information Systems Course

Sun Jing
Tongling University, Tongling 244061, Anhui

Abstract

Ideological and political education is not only crucial for shaping students' humanistic, political, and professional literacy, but also serves as the key to cultivating their innovative spirit and practical abilities. The Principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a core course for geographic information science and related majors. This paper explores reforms in the ideological and political dimensions of this course from three perspectives: teaching methodologies, teaching content, and assessment and evaluation. These reforms aim to better achieve the educational objectives of higher education institutions and cultivate more high-caliber GIS professionals for the nation and society.

Keywords: Principles of Geographic Information Systems; curriculum ideology and politics; teaching methods; teaching content

1 The Necessity of Ideological and Political Education in GIS Principles

The Principles of Geographic Information Systems is a core course for geographic information science and related majors, characterized by strong theoretical and practical components as a comprehensive discipline \cite{4}. Its instruction must extend beyond technical theories and methods to encompass the cultivation of students' higher-order thinking abilities, humanistic literacy, political literacy, and professional qualities. The teaching process inherently contains rich ideological and political elements. First, GIS applications involve resource and environmental protection, socio-economic development, urban planning, and management. Students must possess correct values and social responsibility to better serve society in their future careers. Second, as a theoretically and practically comprehensive course, GIS principles require students to develop innovative spirit, practical abilities, interdisciplinary thinking, and teamwork—qualities that necessitate guidance through ideological and political education. Finally, GIS involves vast amounts of data and information, requiring students to maintain rigorous thinking, sound judgment, and awareness of data confidentiality, all of which benefit from ideological and political support \cite{5-9}.

Based on these considerations, this paper proposes a teaching reform of the GIS Principles course guided by the concept of curriculum-based ideological and political education. The reform focuses on teaching methods, content, and assessment to ensure the cultivation of high-quality GIS professionals.

2 Overall Objectives of Curriculum Ideology and Politics

This reform aims to excavate ideological elements embedded within the GIS Principles curriculum and integrate them throughout the teaching process. The overall objectives encompass four dimensions: humanistic literacy, political literacy, professional literacy, and higher-order thinking (Figure 1 [FIGURE:1]).

3 Reform of Teaching Methods

The course employs flexible and diverse teaching methods as detailed below:

3.1 Problem-Based Learning

This approach emphasizes active student participation through questioning and problem-solving to explore the essence and applications of geographic information, thereby promoting intellectual development and knowledge mastery. Before the course begins, instructors communicate with students to understand their interests, needs, prior knowledge of GIS principles, and learning difficulties. This enables the design of appropriate course content tailored to students' actual situations.

3.2 Case-Based Teaching

This method guides students to analyze and discuss existing cases, cultivating critical thinking skills. Students evaluate which aspects of cases merit emulation, identify shortcomings, and propose improvements or alternative solutions. Following case analysis, instructors guide students to summarize lessons learned, develop independent thinking, and apply these insights to practice, thereby enhancing practical abilities and comprehensive qualities.

3.3 Discussion-Based Teaching

This approach encourages active classroom discussion, exchange, and question responses. Through organized group discussions and individual presentations, students share perspectives and experiences, learn from one another, and promote intellectual development and knowledge acquisition while improving autonomous learning and problem-solving capabilities.

3.4 Experiential Learning

Students engage in hands-on operations including raster data analysis, vector data analysis, network analysis, terrain analysis, and spatial statistical analysis to better understand and master GIS principles. For instance, experiential learning integrates theoretical knowledge with software such as ArcGIS, SuperMap, and QGIS, enabling students to complete practical tasks independently and thereby enhance their practical competencies.

3.5 Project-Based Learning

Projects guide students in conducting spatial analysis, helping them understand theoretical and methodological applications across industries while improving humanistic and political literacy. For example, participating in the creation of China's administrative division map cultivates territorial consciousness and rigorous scientific work attitudes, particularly regarding the South China Sea, where "every dot must be accurate."

3.6 Blended Online-Offline Teaching

Utilizing platforms like Xuexitong and Rain Classroom, this approach combines online and offline instruction. Before class, instructors release learning resources online for preview, improving offline teaching efficiency and fostering autonomous learning. During class, online sign-in complements offline questioning, discussion, presentations, and defense, developing clear expression and scientific reasoning abilities. After class, online platforms facilitate discussion and exchange between teachers and students.

3.7 Blended Campus-Industry Learning

This method organizes student visits to relevant enterprises and institutions to learn about cutting-edge GIS technologies and methods while cultivating craftsmanship, responsibility, standardization, and teamwork awareness. Additionally, inviting renowned experts from domestic and international universities and companies such as Esri China and SuperMap to deliver lectures keeps students informed about theoretical and technological frontiers, broadens their perspectives, and nurtures innovative thinking.

4 Reform of Teaching Content

The teaching content is reorganized along the pathway of "hardware/software—acquisition—management—processing—analysis—modeling—display." Ideological elements are excavated and integrated into the curriculum to form a comprehensive teaching system closely linked with ideological and political education (Table 1 [TABLE:1]).

Table 1 Ideological and Political Elements in GIS Principles Course

GIS Teaching Content Ideological and Political Elements Hardware/Software
1. Digitizers, plotters
2. GIS professional software, databases
3. Operating system software 1. Awareness of national geographic information security
2. Territorial consciousness
3. Confidentiality awareness Data Acquisition
1. Geographic coordinate systems
2. Projected coordinate systems
3. Surveying and mapping data
4. Satellite data 1. Rule of law awareness
2. Teamwork awareness
3. Cultural confidence and national pride
4. Diligence and rigorous work ethic Data Management
1. Spatial databases
2. Vector data
3. Raster data 1. Scientific thinking
2. Scientific exploration spirit and dedication to serving the nation through technology
3. Ability to rationally analyze and grasp essential issues Data Processing
1. Data transformation
2. Data reconstruction
3. Data extraction 1. Environmental protection awareness
2. Cultivation of social responsibility Spatial Analysis
1. Spatial query and measurement
2. Overlay analysis
3. Buffer analysis
4. Network analysis
5. Terrain analysis 1. Cultivation of autonomous learning, innovation, and professional mission
2. Development of patriotism and national strategic identification
3. Enhancement of professional identity and mission Modeling
1. Land use suitability models
2. Site selection models
3. Flood prediction models
4. Population diffusion models
5. Soil erosion models 1. Development of domestic computer hardware
2. Development of domestic GIS software
3. Development of China's GIS industry Visualization
1. Thematic map production
2. Campus 3D modeling
3. Tongling City 3D modeling
4. Map compilation standards 1. Basic Geographic Information Element Classification and Coding
2. Surveying and Mapping Law
3. Development of domestic surveying instruments
4. Development of domestic satellites Case Studies
1. Current status of domestic database software
2. Raster resolution determination methods
3. Raster code determination methods 1. Haze and satellite image radiometric correction
2. Distribution of impoverished villages and poverty alleviation Practical Applications
1. Tongling specialty white ginger planting area analysis
2. Anhui water-land transportation and economic development
3. Revolutionary warfare and the Dabie Mountains region 1. Scientific thinking for problem analysis and solving
2. Autonomous learning and exploration abilities Social Context
1. Economic development and population migration across Anhui cities
2. Chaohu Lake ecological environmental protection
3. Distribution of grain crop planting areas in Anhui 1. Map production standards
2. Enterprise visits
3. Industry lectures

5 Reform of Assessment and Evaluation

The traditional "usual grades + final exam" model is abandoned. The assessment for GIS Principles includes the following components:

5.1 Evaluation of Humanistic and Political Literacy

Through instructor evaluation, self-assessment, and peer assessment, students are comprehensively evaluated across ten dimensions: ideological quality, moral concepts, physical and mental well-being, personality cultivation, ideals and beliefs, patriotism, cultural confidence, political identification, rule of law spirit, and social responsibility. Ratings follow four levels: excellent, good, moderate, and poor (Table 2 [TABLE:2]), with weightings of 40% for instructor evaluation, 30% for self-assessment, and 30% for peer assessment.

Table 2 Evaluation of Humanistic and Political Literacy

Dimension Excellent (10 pts) Good (7 pts) Moderate (5 pts) Poor (3 pts) Ideological Quality Tolerant and self-disciplined with firm will; steadfast Marxist belief; ability to dialectically analyze problems; high ideological consciousness; adherence to correct values Self-disciplined with relatively firm will; acceptance of Marxist principles; correct ideological stance and values Weak self-discipline; unstable mental state; values susceptible to negative influences; distorted values Narrow-minded; lacking self-discipline and willpower; no understanding of Marxism; easily influenced by unhealthy thoughts Moral Concepts Strict observance of social and professional ethics; consistent words and actions; strong sense of social responsibility; exemplary role model Adherence to basic moral norms; trustworthy and helpful behavior; demonstration of fundamental ethical standards Shallow understanding of moral norms; occasional inconsistency between words and actions; weak sense of social responsibility Lack of basic moral concepts; inconsistency between words and actions; selfishness; violation of basic moral principles Physical & Mental Well-being Strong and healthy; good lifestyle habits; psychologically stable; strong stress resilience; good interpersonal relationships Good physical condition; healthy lifestyle habits; relatively stable psychology; some stress resilience Average physical condition; some unhealthy habits; psychologically vulnerable; weak stress resilience Poor physical condition; unhealthy lifestyle; negative psychological state; extremely poor stress resilience Personality Cultivation Noble character; modest and prudent; continuous self-improvement Good personality cultivation; ability to be modest and tolerant; proactive self-enhancement Average personality cultivation; insufficient humility and tolerance; lack of initiative for improvement Poor personality cultivation; arrogant and narrow-minded; indulgent behavior Ideals & Beliefs Firm belief in communism and socialism with Chinese characteristics; clear goals; unwavering will Identification with ideals and beliefs; relatively clear goals; firm will generally maintained Understanding of ideals but unclear goals; wavering when facing difficulties No understanding of ideals; no clear goals; weak will; easily giving up pursuits Patriotism Strong patriotic spirit; concern for national affairs; active participation in national development; willingness to contribute Relatively strong patriotic spirit; concern for national development; participation in construction within capacity Average patriotic spirit; insufficient concern for national affairs; low participation enthusiasm Lack of patriotic spirit; no concern for national affairs; self-centered Cultural Confidence Deep understanding of Chinese cultural values; full of confidence; active inheritance and promotion Understanding of main Chinese cultural content; some confidence; active inheritance and promotion Shallow understanding of Chinese culture; insufficient confidence; weak intention to promote No understanding of Chinese culture; no confidence; rejection or even opposition Political Identification Firm support for Party leadership; understanding of system superiority; compliance with policies; active political participation Support for Party leadership and system superiority; policy compliance; relatively active political participation General identification with Party leadership and system; shallow policy understanding; low political participation Opposition to Party leadership; non-compliance with policies; no political participation Rule of Law Spirit Strong legal consciousness; familiarity with laws and regulations; strict compliance; respect for legal authority; good at using law to protect rights Strong legal consciousness; understanding of basic laws; compliance; respect for legal authority; ability to protect rights Average legal consciousness; incomplete legal knowledge; occasional violations; shallow respect for law Lack of legal consciousness; ignorance of laws; frequent violations; disrespect for legal authority Social Responsibility Proactive assumption of social responsibility; concern for public welfare; courage to face social issues; positive contribution Ability to bear some social responsibility; concern for public welfare; some attention to social issues Weak sense of social responsibility; insufficient concern for public welfare; shallow understanding of social issues Lack of social responsibility; no concern for public welfare; self-interest only

5.2 Evaluation of Professional Literacy

A final closed-book exam assesses mastery of GIS principles and theoretical knowledge. Practical operation evaluations examine software proficiency and report standardization, testing professional skills, competence, work style, and professional spirit.

5.3 Evaluation of Higher-Order Thinking

Classroom discussions, exchanges, group collaboration, and individual presentations assess student engagement and communication abilities, including discussion participation, analytical depth, solution rationality, task completion, and seminar involvement. These evaluate decision-making and critical thinking skills. Open-ended project tasks based on the latest national and industry developments test students' ability to apply GIS knowledge to real-world problems, assessing scientific thinking, innovative spirit, independent thinking, and expression capabilities.

The final course grade is a weighted average across four dimensions: humanistic literacy, political literacy, professional literacy, and higher-order thinking. Humanistic and political literacy account for 40%, professional literacy for 40%, and higher-order thinking for 20%.

6 Conclusion

Ideological and political education in the GIS Principles course constitutes a vital component of undergraduate education. Through this course, students develop across multiple dimensions including humanistic literacy, political literacy, professional literacy, and higher-order thinking. Continuous reform, exploration, and practical improvement of teaching methods, content, and assessment will better achieve educational goals and cultivate more high-quality GIS professionals for national and social development.

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Funding: Anhui Provincial Quality Engineering Project for Higher Education Institutions: 2022xsxx232.

Author Biography: Sun Jing, male, born in 1985, associate professor at the School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Tongling University.