Using Programming Environments in Teaching GIS Concepts

When teaching Geographical Information Systems (GIS) it is important to explain the theoretical elements, but it is also necessary to illustrate the basic functions with examples. To help students it is advisable to separate the teaching of fundamentals from the practical application of complex GIS software. A simple programming language like Logo creates opportunities for acquiring knowledge in an easy way. The development of a program makes it possible to understand the most important categories. If the program contains query functions as well, students can learn more about problem solution methods. This paper also demonstrates the power of the Logo family of languages which is delivered by different implementations. Elica Logo is used to build simple GIS tools that provide a very wide range of educational problems and lead to numerous ideas for further explorations. The nice intuitive 3D interface is an attractive approach to gain and retain student's engagement in the learning process. (Orig.).