CAS Spatial Information Systems – Strengthening competency development and transferability using project-based learning
In the continuing education program CAS Spatial Information Systems, learning shall become more project-based (using case studies) - paired with more interaction and learning from each other. Linked to the case studies are overarching competencies participants acquire. The existing course contents are updated, supplemented and arranged in a meaningful way based on how competences are acquired.
The project
The aim of the Innovedum project is to strengthen the practical relevance and the benefits of transfer in the continuing education program “CAS in Geoinformation Systems (GIS) and Analysis” and to promote the exchange and mutual learning among students. To achieve this, the curriculum will be redesigned based on predefined subject-specific and transferable competencies (according to the ETH Competency Framework). The focus will be a project where students, working in pairs, apply their acquired methodological knowledge directly and develop additional transferable skills, such as problem-solving competence.
The motivation behind this is to create a continuing education program that is current and practice-oriented, ensuring that participants gain the greatest benefit for their professional development. This approach is intended to keep the program attractive and competitive.
Implementation into teaching practice
In the first step, the essential subject-specific and transferable competencies required for today’s working world were identified in a workshop with experts. Based on these findings, the competencies were organized according to the ETH Competency Framework. The curriculum of the continuing education program was then revised, learning objectives were formulated, and project topics were developed to enable students to apply the knowledge directly.
Project Topics: Three project topics have been developed, each representing a current scenario. These topics allow for individual processing and offer different focal points. The results are open, which gives students the flexibility to contribute their own questions and solutions.
Project methodology: The project is carried out according to the established GIS methodology MEVAP (Modeling, Acquisition, Management, Analysis, Presentation), supplemented by project management methods to ensure structured and effective processing.
Project Approach: The project is divided into milestones (M1-M5) and project phases (Initialization, Concept, Realization, Presentation). The milestones are used for progress monitoring and decision-making, while the project phases represent the various work stages in the GIS project, which are handled independently by the team.
Project Journal: Students are required to maintain a project journal throughout the entire project. This journal documents progress and reflects on the experiences gained.
Project Framework: A comprehensive document that includes the learning objectives, the timeline, a description of the expected outcomes in the project phases and milestones, as well as the assessment criteria.
Lessons learned and further impacts
In the CAS ETH GIS 2023/24, the newly revised curriculum was successfully implemented. The review and evaluation of the submitted projects from the study cohort, along with the evaluations, indicate that the desired improvements have been achieved with the changes made.
The quality of the project work has significantly improved compared to previous years. This improvement is attributed to the early start of the project during the CAS and the associated coordination with the content taught, as well as to the structured approach according to the project management methodology and the regular feedback from project supervisors and fellow students at each milestone.
The integration of project-based learning into the classroom can also be easily implemented with larger groups. Key to success are clear guidelines for the process and established milestones where exchanges take place, and the project is directed appropriately. In this way, the project can be successfully completed, as it can be checked at an early stage whether it is on track or whether the goals may be too ambitious.
The School for Continuing Education (SCE) has been closely involved in the implementation of the Innovedum project. Stefan Küenzi, an educational developer at the SCE, will use the insights from this project as a basis for advising other CAS programs, aiming to further promote the concept of project-based learning, including the CAS project case study. Additionally, we plan to publish a paper in the Learning and Teaching Journal titled: «Exploring the Subjective Learning Transfer of Competences into Professional Contexts: The Case of the Revised CAS in Geoinformation Systems and Analyses.» Stefan Küenzi will conduct structured interviews with former continuing education students about their competence acquisition, which we hope will provide further insights by the end of 2024.