GeoTech Center Webinars
Ethics in GIS Education and Professional Practice
Presented By: David DiBiase, Director of Education, Esri
September 21, 2016
2:00pm (ET) to 3:00pm (ET)
Abstract:
Awareness of ethical pitfalls, and the ability to apply moral reasoning skills when confronted with ethicalchallenges, is part of what it means to be a geospatial professional. It should also be part of what students learn about GIS and GIScience. During his presentation, DiBiase plans to:
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describe the National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored GIS Professional Ethics Project, and the collection of ethical case studies the project has produced, and
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explain how the case method has been applied in a mandatory ethics workshop for students in Penn State University's online masters degree in GIS.
Beyond the case studies, he plans on discussing ethical challenges that students have cited, sharing assessments of the workshop’s effectiveness, and discussing how ethics cases - along with GIS Code of Ethics and other resources related to geospatial ethics, law and policy - might be deployed in work settings for continuing professional development.
David DiBiase, Director of Education, leads Esri's education outreach program. He also teaches professional ethics part-time for Penn State University, where he founded its online certificate and master’s degree programs in GIS. David was principal investigator of the NSF-sponsored GIS Professional Ethics project, and is a former President of the GIS Certification Institute. He was lead editor of the first editions of the Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge and the U.S. Department of Labor's Geospatial Technology Competency Model. David currently serves as a National Councillor of the American Association of Geographers. Beyond work, his pastimes include hiking, running, cycling, good wine, and classic jazz music - not necessarily in that order.