|
|
Home > Our Products
STARS
SPACE
AGIS
STARS (Spatial Technology And Remote Sensing)
STARS is both the name of an industry standard Geospatial Certification and also the name of a series of courses that prepare the student to take the GIS certification test. STARS is the first and only competency based, industry recognized, entry-level, geospatial certification! The four STARS courses are mapped directly to the "GWD" (Geospatial Workforce Development) model. The GWD is recognized by NASA, the U.S. Department of Labor and by industry leaders as the basis for determining the skill set needed to make the best possible geospatial employee.
The courses delivered by following the STARS curriculum series are designed to both teach and assess a student's level of competence in the geospatial skill set required by the geospatial industry to become employed. The STARS certification is a 4 semester series of courses that provides students with skills to be an entry level geospatial technician. The curriculum is based upon teaching all concepts and skills that would be necessary to enter the geospatial industry. The introductory course does discuss and educate students on basic concepts in Project Management, GIS, and Remote Sensing. It is in this course where students learn about history of mapping, projections, coordinate systems, scale, multispectral imagery, and various other concepts that are essential to being effective in GIS/RS. Courses Two and Three will discuss the uses and applications of ArcGIS software and its extensions including: Spatial Analyst, 3D Analyst, Network Analyst, and Leica's Image Analysis extension for ArcGIS.
The fourth course is a capstone project. This is a guided project in one of three areas in Agriculture, Public Health and Safety, or Business and Marketing. This course demonstrates a student's application of the skills and concepts learned in previous courses (This project is submitted to the STARS Certification Committee on completion for review). Successful completion of Course 4 and the STARS Exam are essential components to receiving the certification.
The STARS GIS Certification Test consists of two parts. The first part is a project that is designed in such a way that the student or prospective employee must demonstrate they understand the GIS process and utilize all of the skill set required for employment. The second part is a written exam requiring the student or prospective employee to demonstrate that they have the necessary depth of knowledge to be employed in the geospatial industry.
Our Philosophy is to give both the teacher and the student every thing they need to be successful. The STARS curriculum is a turn key solution that is delivered with locally customized data sets, Lesson Plans, Assessments, PowerPoints and PowerPoint Notes to help facilitate the class.
- The STARS materials include:
- 4 sequential levels of instruction
- 6 software titles
- 10 student books
- 16 teacher books
- 100's of PowerPoint slides
- 100's of layers of information
- 500's test bank questions
- 1000's of pages of support materials
- 1 Final "Capstone" Project
- 1 Final Exam
- 1 AND ONLY entry-level certification recognized by the US DOL and Geospatial Center of Excellence at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center
Back to Top
SPACE (Spatial Projects and Community Exchange)
The SPACE series of courses, developed by the SPACESTARS partnership, are designed to allow students to use GIS skills in the context of selected community based topics. This series fits a variety of needs in an organization. Whether, your organization is made of students looking for introductory to intermediate training or in need of continuing education, SPACE courses can provide a solid foundation on which to build.
As GIS evolves it becomes more evident how GIS can help specific sectors of the economy. The SPACE series describes and teaches GIS through the eyes of organizations who have a vested interest in the community. These organizations are the businesses and government agencies that protect us and increase the efficiency of our everyday lives.
The SPACE Series currently offers three different scenarios with new titles debuting annually. Follow the East Mississippi Development Corporation as they use GIS to efficiently develop industry and define regional indicators in our GIS in Economic Development course. Experience how Homeland Security uses GIS to plan and ensure effective planning in natural and human driven events that may effect the security of our nation in our GIS in Homeland Security Course. Or see how GIS is being used to redefine the way our Law Enforcement agencies track criminals, predict crime, and manage the day to day workings of these agencies in our GIS in Law Enforcemnt Course.
These courses teach not only "Buttonology" but also process in efforts to prepare our students and workers to be effective technically and organizationally in their respective areas. As with all of the SPACESTARS products this series is delivered with Powerpoints, Lesson Plans, and Assessments to make sure that teachers and students have all of the tools they need to successfuly complete a class.
Back to Top
AGIS (A Geospatial Industry Series)
A Geospatial Industry Series is a new series being developed by Digital Quest. This series examines an entire industry/ career cluster to show students how much Geospatial Technology impacts and improves those industries. These courses feature detailed narratives about the relationship between the particular industry and Geospatial Technology. In addition, guided lessons and scenarios give students hands on experience with GIS Software.
The career clusters are based on the "16 Career Clusters" developed by the NCTEF/NASDCTEc (National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium). These career clusters were developed as a means to provide a link between "what students learn in school with the knowledge and skills they need for success in college and careers." (Career Clusters Institute, www.careerclusters.org) The link between education and careers makes this program ideal for students and professionals alike. Since, the career clusters, and by extension the AGIS series, encompass all industry that is pertinent to a specific cluster, students can learn what they need to know to begin a career in a variety of industries. Professionals also will find this book useful in defining how best Geospatial Technologies can be used in their organization and discover how all related industries are interconnected through Geospatial Technologies.
In each on our AGIS series books, students learn about Geospatial Technology over ten lessons designed to demonstrate key concepts, software capabilities, and future opportunities in the geospatial industry. These lessons contain overviews of career profiles, which provide examples of industries and individuals that use this technology. Students gain hands on experience using GIS software.
Educators will find these courses easy to implement in their classroom. They are modular in design and easy to use. Colleges use this book to supplement their existing courses like “Introduction to Computers”, “Integrating Science and Technology”, Environmental Education”, “Tools in Business” and many others. High Schools integrate this course into classes like “Project Lead the way”, “Career Exploration”, “CAD”, “Technology Education” and many other classes. A perfect fit for any STEM based indicatives. The total time to teach this class can be from 6 to 18 hours.
Our first book in the series is “Introduction to Geospatial Technologies”. It asks and answers questions like: What is Geospatial Technology? Where are the jobs in Geospatial Technology? How much does a Geospatial Job Pay? How is Geospatial Technology used in various careers? Why is knowing about Geospatial Technology becoming so important? "Introduction to Geospatial Technology"
Look for our second AGIS book to debut later this year with a topic in the "Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources" cluster. This book will examine the industries involved from animal and plant systems to power infrastructure to resource and agribusiness management. Learn how GIS impacts all of these industries and how all of these industries use GIS to function as complements to other industries in the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Cluster.
Back to Top
|
