Digital sketch maps in teaching GIS for law enforcement students

Abstract. This paper presents a project-based learning method designed by teachers of GIS for students in public order. The aim of the method is to utilize GIS technologies for analysing digital sketch maps made after interviewing people by students. This method gives a hands-on experience of the students about the subjective feelings of the citizens of the examined settlements. For the projects, a paper-based survey and a web application in the form of digital sketch maps were used.

The article shows the process of projects used in the studies of public order. The methods applied in the phase of planning, processing and visualising of the data are explained in the case of digital sketch maps and of paper-based surveys. Some general findings of the project are also introduced as well as the students’ opinion of the effectiveness of the projects.

General findings show that the results of the students correlate with observations found in the literature. It is evident that more informatics the students acquire during their everyday routine, the more useful and beneficial they find the usage of Geographical Information Systems and the project of using digital sketch maps of fear of crime in different cities.