The Application of Open-Source Web-based GIS and Database Tools in the Development of an Education Quality Information Database in Peru - EduCal

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The Application of Open-Source Web-based GIS and
Database Tools in the Development of an Education
Quality Information Database in Peru - EduCal

• A Case Study for the Open Source GIS Conference
  2004 Second Annual MapServer User Meeting
• Michael G. Leahy Dr. G. Brent Hall
• University of Waterloo
• June 9-11, 2004

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Outline

• Summary of goals and objectives for the EduCal
  project
• Existing approach to the collection and use of
  information in the Peruvian education system
• Relevance of ICTs and GIS to the development and
  improvement of education quality in Peru
• Application of Open-Source tools for the design
  of the EduCal website
• Demonstration of EduCal
• Plans for continued development of EduCal

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The EduCal Project

• The project is a partnership between UW and
  Alternativa (www.alter.org.pe), an NGO located in
  Lima, Peru.
• Funded by the Ford Foundation.
• Overall goal of the project to improve local
  capacity for evaluation of education quality and
  enhance decision-making processes for education
  administration and planning, ultimately to
  improve education quality for children.

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Main objectives of the project

• The first objective was to assemble in a
  well-organised and well documented database data
  on factors or indicators that are known to
  influence education quality drawn from five
  components or dimensions of an education process
  model that underlies the research and from
  multiple levels of the Peruvian education system

Education Process
Socio-Economic Context
Model originally adapted from Scheerens, J.
(1992). "Process Indicators of School
Functioning". In The OECD International Education
Indicators A framework for analysis. OECD
(Eds.). Paris, Centre for Educational Research
and Innovation (OECD) 53-76.
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Main objectives of the project (contd)

• The second objective of the project sought to
  take data on the assembled indicators and
  transform these data into information and
  knowledge through the use of an Internet based
  tool that will allow users to calculate custom
  indicators of education quality for user selected
  indicators and user selected levels and
  components of the education system.
• Highly accessible to education researchers,
  administrators, public stakeholders, etc.
• Provides flexibility in the perspectives taken
  for the evaluation of education quality
• Integration of indicators with map data provides
  the ability for intuitive visual interpretation
  of analysis results and the option to spatially
  select areas of interest.

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Flow of Information Within the Peruvian Education
System
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Role of ICTs and GIS in Education Planning in Peru

• Planning and decision-making processes at all
  levels within an education system rely on some
  form of information
• Internet provides a cost-effective medium through
  which education information may be made
  accessible to decision-makers as well as a large
  proportion of the public
• Effective use of information also requires its
  transformation into relevant knowledge
• Internet technology can be used to provide tools
  for interaction with and analysis of information
  to produce knowledge that supports
  decision-making processes
• Human development issues are often very local and
  very specific
• GIS allows interpretation and analysis of
  information about phenomena that vary at local
  scales, and can associate information between
  various spatially related features

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Role of EduCal in the Context of Peru

• Provide downward/horizontal links in the flow of
  information and knowledge throughout the Peruvian
  education system
• Encourage more critical assessment of education
  quality and its relationship with social context
  at the level of the community or individual
  school
• Increase participation of local-level
  stakeholders in the development of education
• Allow flexibility in the interpretation and
  analysis of education information
• Improve efficiency of data collection by
  providing direct access to administration units
  for input of information, thus realizing benefits
  faster
• Enhance qualitative aspects of education
  information by enabling individual administration
  units to define specific data requirements

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Adoption of Open Source Technologies for the
Development of EduCal

• Benefits of using open source tools far
  outweighed alternatives given the context of the
  project
• Cost of software and support
• Time and resources available for acquisition and
  development
• Transferability of technology to Peruvian
  partners
• Technical requirements of project
• Ability to generate maps in an interactive online
  interface
• Interoperability with dynamic data source or
  RDBMS
• MapServer (with associated tools) and PostGIS
• Met technical requirements of project as well as
  any commercial package
• Active user community and support groups

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Adoption of Open Source technologies for the
Development of EduCal (contd)

• MapServer Rosa
• Generation of cartographic map images and
  interactive Internet-based interface
• PostgreSQL PostGIS
• Storage of education quality indicator data and
  digital map data
• PHP MapScript ( MapLab)
• General programming environment interfacing with
  PostgreSQL/PostGIS and MapServer

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Conceptual Design of EduCal
Contextual Maps
Map Visualization of Analysis Results
Area of Interest Selection by Map
User analysis preferences

• Education quality indicators
• Calculation of analysis output

Tabular Results

• User registration
• Multiple language support
• Help documentation
• Site management

General Project Information, Research, Publicatio
ns, etc.
PHP-Enabled Web Server
Administrative Tools
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Structure of Map Viewer Tool
viewer.php
query.php
emailmap.php
printmap.php
initParams.php
menuloader.php
initParams.php
initParams.php
mapviewer_include.php
maploader.php
globprefs.php
MapScript
MapServer
initParams.php
getString.php
mapviewer_contents.php
logfile.php
Education Quality Analysis Tool
error_manager.php
Rosa
logger.php
map_session.php
utilities.php

map_navigator.php
map_query.php
dynamicConstructor.php
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Process Flow of Map Viewer
Input Parameters
Display Map Viewer
Draw Full Extent Image

• Map parameters
• User interactions
• Map viewer context
• Previous viewer state

Draw Image With New Extent
Yes
Generate Map Object
New Map
Map Navigation
No
Feature Selection
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Process Flow of Education Quality Assessment Tool
Selection Type
Start
Map Selectable Regions for Analysis
PostGIS
Map
List
Display Results in Map Format
Display Results in Tabular Format
User Defined Area of Interest
List Selectable Regions for Analysis
Output Type
PostgreSQL
List Indicators Available for Analysis
Display Options For Viewing Results
User Selected Indicators
Directly View Indicators
Analysis Type
Display Input Form For TWA Parameters
User Input Analysis Parameters
Target-based Weighted Analysis
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Data Relationship
Display Results in Map Format
Generate Temporary Table
Output Type
Display Results in Tabular Format
SQL Formula
If Min T Then Q W - T V/ Max T
W where Q 1 if Min gt V Q 0 if Max lt V If
Max T Then Q W - T V/ Min T
W where Q 0 if Min gt V Q 1 if Max lt V If
Min lt T lt Max Then Q W - T V / A
W where Q 0 if Min gt V or Max lt V A T -
Min if V lt T A T - Max if V gt T
User Input Analysis Parameters
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Continuing Development of EduCal

• Project has completed first year of a three-year
  plan completed work can be viewed as a live
  proof-of-concept application
• Continued work will focus on enhancing existing
  tools, and adding functionality relevant to the
  objectives of the project
• Add controls to Map Viewer tool for modifying map
  display properties or to add/remove layers
• Include options for using school points for
  selection of area-of-interest in analysis tool
• Develop data model/interface sequence for data
  input by education administration units
• Include additional options for analysis,
  including spatial analysis techniques (e.g.,
  cluster analysis)

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Links

• Access to development site
• http//gaia.uwaterloo.ca/educal
• Access to public site
• http//toa.uwaterloo.ca/educal
• Access to the developers at UW
• Dr. G. Brent Hall - gbhall_at_fes.uwaterloo.ca
• Michael G. Leahy - mgleahy_at_fes.uwaterloo.ca
• Juan Alperin - jpalperi_at_fes.uwaterloo.ca