Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): A Conceptual Framework for Instruction and Learning the Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM)

A wide range of geospatial literacy programs at colleges and universities have been developed based on the foundation pillars of the Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM). Geospatial literacy programs at the associate and the baccalaureate degree levels may also seek accreditation so that graduates can become licensed professionals who will serve to protect the health and welfare of society. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) stipulates that the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) be explicitly covered in curricula. However, reports suggest that academic instructions fall short in student empowerment on DEI. This gap may be attributed to academics of the GTCM that follows traditional pedagogical models with a focus on technical skills without much consideration to address the power dynamics of unjust social structures. This paper seeks to close this gap by investigating a framework for instruction and learning that informs DEI outcomes in association with the technical skills of the GTCM. Because geospatial literacy follows a similar pattern as information literacy, this paper investigates the applicability of the instructional framework used in information literacy to teaching the GTCM with DEI-informed outcomes. The framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education offers exploratory pathways for educators and institutional support departments to design instructional strategies that facilitate the transformation from information discovery through to knowledge creation. Following this paradigm, we expect that graduates from geospatial literacy programs will have gained significant technical skills and insight on understanding imagery, geospatial analytics, patterns and distributions of natural resources, boundary law doctrines, land development, and urban planning and be empowered to comment on social structures and institutional behaviors that infringe on the principles of DEI. This study contributes to the literature on education by seeking to understand factors on engineering pedagogy that supports DEI-informed learning outcomes for the GTCM.