2 replies to this topic

[Hans van der Maarel]

A friend of mine is looking for a software solution that's essentially offering the same functionality as a stack of sheets for an overhead projector.

It's for a classroom environment (highschool, but maybe younger, I'm not sure) where kids form groups and then each map out certain features (watercourses, meadows etc), which are later overlayed into a single map. It has to be easy to use, easy to administer and preferably free or low-cost. Google Earth comes to mind, maybe Google My Maps. Any other options? Am I still making sense?

[David Medeiros]

A friend of mine is looking for a software solution that's essentially offering the same functionality as a stack of sheets for an overhead projector.

It's for a classroom environment (highschool, but maybe younger, I'm not sure) where kids form groups and then each map out certain features (watercourses, meadows etc), which are later overlaid into a single map. It has to be easy to use, easy to administer and preferably free or low-cost. Google Earth comes to mind, maybe Google My Maps. Any other options? Am I still making sense?

I'd second Google My Maps or Google Earth. If this is a digitizing experiment, your friend could set up a web hosted overlay image the students would digitize from, or just have them digitize directly from Google Maps. Each group can save their map as a unique KMLs which can then be combined as overlays in Google Earth.

I'd say use Google Maps for the digitizing though, I think it's a bit easier than GE. While GE will handle the KML overlays a little easier than Google Maps.

[phs_phl]

You might also want to check out Quantum GIS:

http://www.qgis.org/en/about-qgis.html

It's free, easy to use, and runs on Linux, Unix, OSX, or Windows.