eLearning in Central Asia: Benefits and Challenges

Already more than one decade ago Geo-Informatics (GI) was introduced at Central Asian Universities as a separate subject. Nowadays, Geo-Informatics is a widely recognized and rapidly developing field.

The demand for GI experts is increasing, and thus the need for solid GI education. Currently, the number of experts and students in this domain is very limited compared to existing demand. Of course teaching GI requires substantial computer and connectivity (Internet) resources, trained faculty, the provision of adequate study material and lifelong learning.

To address this situation, the implementation and use of eLearning is slowly gathering interest across Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). Now, what are the benefits and challenges regarding eLearning, particularly considering these countries as former Soviet Union republics? Which recommendations can be given to enjoy the benefits and to face the challenges of eLearning?

For dealing with these questions a survey (directed towards teachers working at Central Asian universities) was conducted. The questionnaire is still open for everyone who is interested and having experience in teaching GI in Central Asia. It is also possible to participate in this survey just following to this link https://surveymonkey.com/r/P8V5RDN.

If you are interested in the results of this survey you are welcome to our conference GISCA´19 (https://gisca2019.wordpress.com).