Using geographical information system software and Internet technologies for multidisciplinary cultural education

This work describes a unique multidisciplinary and international project and experience that combines cultural studies with a digital mapping project. The program had three major education objectives. As this experience was an international one, the most fundamental objective was to introduce students to another culture and to develop an understanding of the history of that culture. The second goal was to expose students to geographical information system (GIS) applications and to develop fundamental skills in GIS and in Web page construction. The third was to develop professional interpersonal skills in the areas of multidisciplinary teamwork and oral presentations. To accomplish these objectives, multidisciplinary teams of students used GIS and Web development tools to develop chronological maps of the city of Cordoba, Spain, covering 2000 years of history. The undergraduate students were from the science, engineering, social science, and humanities backgrounds. The specific pedagogical elements of the experience, the results of the mapping project, and a summary of the lessons learned are presented.