Integration of information technology into the surveying course at Penn State University

Information acquisition, processing, management, and dissemination methods are undergoing evolutionary changes. In surveying, the need for adaptation has compelled employers to seek employees with the requisite exposure to information technology. This requirement imposes new demands on surveying graduates, especially from the undergraduate programs. The surveying graduate is expected not only to possess the ability to apply the latest information technology, but to understand the implications of the data processing methods as well as the quality and usefulness of the results. It is the responsibility of educators and researchers to keep pace with technological advances and to empower students to transfer the technology to the industry. This paper highlights some of the efforts within the Penn State Surveying Program to expose undergraduate students to information technology as applied to the surveying profession.