Chapter 3
This chapter focused on how to create web apps to make maps interactive and easy for people to use. One of the main things I learned is that web apps can show how data changes over time, which is especially helpful for topics like land use change, climate patterns, or population growth. The book explained different tools called widgets that you can add to web apps. Widgets make it easy to add useful features like sliders, search bars, filters, charts, and more. I liked learning about the 3D and 2D feature because I think maps with prominent data make data feel more alive. Another important part of this chapter was learning how chart widgets can make data clearer by showing graphs and not just locations on a map. This is helpful when you want people to understand patterns or trends quickly. Filter and query widgets also stood out to me because they help you focus only on the information you need instead of looking at everything at once. I think these tools make maps much more user friendly and help for communicating scientific information to the public.
Application Idea:
I will use this chapter to show the tornadoes that have occurred throughout Indiana in the past years and how they have affected the land.
Chapter 4
This chapter explained mobile GIS and why it is useful. Mobile GIS lets people collect and use spatial data in the field instead of having to wait until they return to a computer. This is very helpful for fieldwork, which I am excited about because I hope to do field research in the future. Mobile GIS is great for tracking data in places that computers cannot reach, and mobile devices have GPS, which makes data collection accurate and fast. The chapter also explained some challenges, like needing good battery life and sometimes having weak cell service. Still, the benefits seem very strong. It also covered VGI (volunteered geographic information), which means regular people share geographic information, like reporting wildlife sightings or road issues. Another exciting topic was augmented reality (AR), which lets you see digital map information on top of the real world through your phone camera. There is also VR (virtual reality), this is a computer-generated simulation. There are other concepts as well. I also learned how feature layers in mobile GIS can be editable, so users can add new points, update information, and even delete things if needed. Surveys can also be added to mobile maps so users can submit information directly from their phone.
Application Idea:
I can use this chapter to help in my volunteer work at the Ohio Wildlife Center to help track where animals are found with what injuries. This can help for us to locate where problem areas might be that put different species at risk.