On Fri, Oct 2, 2009 at 10:32 AM, Peter Batty <pe...@ebatty.com> wrote:
> I think that programs to encourage greater use of OSGeo products in > universities would be a great idea too - ESRI dominate in this area at the > moment, but this would be another way to get the word out to a broader > audience. Currently universities are locked in a vicious circle with GIS software in that the students demand we teach them on ESRI software because that's what employers want and employers use ESRI software as that is what the universities are teaching the students on. The fact that ESRI are giving the software away for free (or nearly free) doesn't help. I'd love to teach more (undergraduate) students with FOSS but first I have to find technician time to install the software on all the lab machines in the university (which is where ArcMap is provided) for just one course (and any way why can't I use Arc like everyone else will be the question). Of course we're supposed to be teaching techniques not software packages but you still spend most of your time sorting out the software issues. So *I* think that universities are a lost cause and we should focus on high schools - but in many states ESRI has got there before us and has signed deals with the state to provide arc in schools at no cost to the school. When I query teachers as to how the kids will do their homework they usually shrug and point out it's too hard for them to do on their own or that they can use the school library. May be elementary schools are the winnable battlefield? Ian -- Ian Turton These are definitely my views and not Penn States! _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss