Web GIS in Cardiff schools
Jeremy Jones - Cardiff County Council

October 2006

Jeremy Jones presented a paper on Web GIS in Cardiff schools at IRLOGI's GIS 2006 conference at Croke Park on 18th October.

The county of Cardiff is the largest in Wales in terms of population and the council delivers services to approximately 320,000 people.

Cardiff Council has completed a major project to provide a new web based Geographic Information System (GIS) that will be accessible to all of Cardiff's primary and secondary schools via the Council's Intranet. Using ESBI Computing's powerful off-the shelf Web GIS solution 'GeoXplorerTM', the Council's ICT and Schools Services have developed a web based resource for teachers and pupils. 'GeoXplorer' delivers through a simple to use web browser interface a wide variety of data including current and historical Ordnance Survey mapping, aerial photography, a selection of themed world and local maps, census data, environmental and land use data. The system has been set up to compliment the requirements of the national curriculum's key stages 1 to 4.

Finding that local schools were still only using paper maps in their curriculum based studies of History and Geography (2003), it was soon realised that there was the potential that 'GeoXplorer' could be employed to deliver digital maps and mapping tools to our schools using the Council's successful web based teaching resource CardiffSchools.Net. In addition, the GIS support the national curriculum requirements for the use of ICT with curriculum subjects.

Working closely with primary and secondary school geography advisors and teachers, the Council has been able to compile a wide variety of themed maps, which looks at both global and local level physical and human environments.