Space for Information

Tuesday’s presentation by Lauren incorporated space in a new dimension that our class hadn’t confronted yet. She talked about GIS as an advanced way of organizing data and giving it a proper location, or space. I had simply thought about GIS as plotting information on maps but not assigning it a physical space as she had described. I think this relates very closely with the current project with TNC. This reoccurring theme of giving information a space for the audience to interact with makes me consider the data, advertisements, and ideologies that lack a presence because of inaccessibility to public space. The tyranny of the majority that prevails in democratic societies seems to be the major force behind inaccessibility to proper space, especially historically. It seems that with these new technologies such as google earth becoming publicly accessible, more information that previously would not have been viewed is given an equal shot at informing the interested public.

I think it is also important to emphasize how programs such as Google Earth can aid in diversifying the education system. More and more we are realizing the enormous range of conditions in which people learn best. I think the interdisciplinary approach that most classes at DePaul utilize is successful and necessary. Information should not be presented in an entirely one-dimensional way but should be given context in the actual world around us. Google Earth is an awesome way of providing information with a physical context and would greatly aid visual learners with alternative routes to the interpretation of the material. I hope to see programs such as this more heavily incorporated in the learning environments at all levels.