ecdlgis

1. The GIS certification endorsed by the ECDL Foundation : how to support the capacity building for SDIs. http://www.ecdlgis.com

2. Some NON trivial questions ? • How many users are able to use effectively GI, GIS , SDI ? • How to check /to certificate the ability ? • Is it our interest to develop usable systems? • Which are the most relevant braking forces in GIS and SDI ? • How much we spend for the ITC (GIS) illiteracy ?

3. GIS certification : specialized ICT European certification programs • The European certification programs in the ICT sector. The STANDARD: • Analysis based on the labor market demands • Jointly developed by teams of experts • Different levels of certification (basic user, professional, specialized) • Standard system : • - Syllabus (requested competences) • - Question and Test Base –QTB- (tests)

4. ECDL and ICDL around the world • Currently available in 138 countries, in Europe, China, Australia, India, Saudi Arabia, Chile, etc. • Translated into 32 languages • 4.5 mil. registered students • 2.0 mil. certificated (October 2004) • 300,000 tests each month

5. Licenseer of ECDL Foundation Greece :ECDL Hellas Albania : ECDL Hellas • Czech Rep.: Ceska Spolecnost pro kybernetiku ainformatiku (CSKI), Praha • Hungary : John von Neumann Computer Institute, Budapest • Romania : ECDL Romania , Bucharest • Bulgaria :  ECDL Bulgaria , Sofia • Croatia :  Croatian Information Technology Society - ECDL CROATIA , Zagreb • Bosnia & Herzegovina : Asocijacija Informaticara U Bosni I Hercegovini , Sarajevo • Serbia : JISA - Jedinstveni Informaticki Savez Srbije , Beograd • Israel : ICDL Israel , Tel-Aviv

6. ICT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES PROVIDERS 580.000 Professionals (1,375 mil.) ICT FUNCTIONS IN USERS COMPANY 389.000 NET WORKERS 406.000 HEAVY USERS 2.525.000 Users (9,225 mil.) 6.700.000 GENERIC USERS 11.332.000 NO USERS Total workforce 21.932.000 (*) 2002 The workforce in Italy in the ICT sector (*)

7. GIS certification – Endorsed by the ECDL Foundation • System of certifications of competences about the professional knowledge related to the basics of the computer science and its components used in the GI&GIS field. Levels : Base (endorsed) Advanced Professional

8. GIS certification : candidates and users • They who wish to demonstrate to have a robust knowledge of basic principles governing the GI techniques and their basic use through a specific software. • They who wish to have evidence that the GIS users have certificated basic competences.

9. GIS certification Base syllabus STANDARD : it follows the structure of the European certification programs syllabus in the ICT sector

10. GIS certification Base syllabus • It is organized in  3 Modules • Module 1: Cartography. • Categories : 6 • Knowledge areas : 18 (e.g. reference systems, coordinates, geometry, Italian cartography, EU cartography, digital cartography , metadata , etc.) • Knowledge items : 36 • Tests : about 120

11. GIS certification Base syllabus • Module 2: GIS • Categories : 5 • Knowledge areas : 12 (e.g. basic concepts, scale, modeling the reality, topology, spatial analysis, classification, etc.) • Knowledge items : 40 • Tests : about 120

12. GIS certification Base syllabus • Module 3: Use of a GIS software. • Requires the candidate to demonstrate the ability to use a GIS software. • Developed in conjunction with ESRI and Intergraph. • The candidate shall be able to accomplish everyday tasks associated with basic use of GIS commands. • The module is using the homogeneity of knowledge areas and items necessary to drive a GIS software respecting the peculiarity of the commands. • It may run in open source sw ( e.g. QGIS, etc.)

13. Certification features • Quality check, transparency, standard (syllabus), certificated test center, continuous checking (e.g. audit, etc.) • Anonymous tests evaluation • Vendor neutrality (tests are independent, commands depend on sw.) • Multilanguage

14. GIS certification : who is involved • AICA • Not-for-profitorganization, founded in 1961 • Founder of IT certifications in Italy • Italian chapter of ECDL Foundation • LABSITA • Others involved: • Politecnico di Torino , Politecnico di Milano • University of Bologna , University of Siena • ESRI Italia and Intergraph Italia , • ESRI and Intergraph corporation • CEMAGREF, France • UPSAM Spain • University of West Hungary • University of the Federal Armed Forces, Germany • Van Hall Instituut, Netherlands • University of Utrecht • Coastal and Marine Resources Centre, ERI, University College Cork, Ireland

15. References • The ECDL Foundation has analyzed the project and has given the endorsement • In EU the subject has been explored also within AGILE, EUGISES and EC GI&GIS conferences (Kemp, Toppen, and others); • EU projects have addressed and explored the issue, some are still running (HUMBOLDT, VESTA-GIS). • Some educational and training activities are related (Unigis, National initiatives, etc.)

16. EU perspective Basic knowledge is only the start for vocational training, higher education and professional specialization • ECDL-GIS as a facilitator for INSPIRE data and principles diffusion and better using • ECDL-GIS as a common reference layer for EU GI • ECDL-GIS for facilitating professional mobility and vocational training • ECDL-GIS as basis for building scientific knowledge (e.g. courses, etc.) and specialized skills (e.g. sw training) • VESTA-GIS “endorsment” as a specific facilitator for INSPIRE data handling and sharing.

17. LabSITAwww.labsita.org Ecdl (www.ecdl.com) Mauro Salvemini mauro.salvemini@uniroma1.it