Illinois on Ipad: Teaching Soil Science Via Isee - Integrating Spatial Educational Experiences.

In cooperation with adjacent states, as part of a regional project called “Isee,” we have developed a method of presenting location-specific soil science information on iPads. This involved preparing geospatial soils information derived from the gridded Soil Survey Geographic (gSSURGO) Database for display with a specially designed mobile app (Isee) that leverages iOS location services to show soils data at the current location. As a teaching tool, the Isee app allows students to interact with soils data and can be used on natural resources/soils field trips and in field-based undergraduate classes to enhance learning outcomes. After a preliminary series of lectures giving an overview of the software and the map layers, the students are taken on field excursions. The maps on their iPads are instantaneously updated as to location thus permitting students to locate themselves on any of the several maps made available to them. A wide range of maps can be produced from pre-existing georeferenced data, including general geology maps, landform, soil taxonomy, drainage class, slope, and parent materials. Also included is a cultural feature map layer showing county boundaries and roads to assist with spatial orientation. The base layer of the GIS is a shaded relief map based on state wide elevation data. In addition to facilitating learning of soil science, using Isee improves students’ spatial thinking and problem solving skills.