Lab 2: Esri Virtual Campus - Geodatabase

 

Geodatabase Created
Through Esri Training

Esri Virtual campus online training is a helpful tool when learning GIS. This particular lesson assigned in Lab 2 focuses on how to create a Geodatabase within ArcMap. Knowing how to create a geodatabase in ArcMap is a necessary skill to have in order to successfully create a map. This skill is necessary because a geodatabase is essentially a container that stores spatial attributes and data that is then reflected onto a map. In a geodatabase certain features and their associated attributes can be built in a unified system that enforces rules, relationships and topological relations. Basically a geodatabase is what allows you to model the real world the way you decide depending on the circumstances. Not only did the Esri virtual training describe what a geodatabase does and why it is important, it also teaching about the different types of geodatabases and the specific uses for them. After the training covered the background on geodatabases, the next step was to go step by step on how to create one.



Contents of Created
Geodatabase

The step by step training was helpful in learning how to create a geodatabase. Each step was clear and concise which made following along simple. If there was any confusion when following along with the steps a visual representation was provided. The visual representation provided a specific image as to exactly what the end product of the step should look like. In addition to the images there were brief descriptions explaining the material before each step by step scenario. For example, before going into the steps to “Create a geodatabase and add initial data” there were several lessons to read through and also a video. This helped to enhance the overall understanding when following the step by step process. Instead of simply following through the steps blindly, you could actually have some sort of understanding as to what each step was asking you to do. After completing the lesson I was successfully able to create and comprehend a geodatabase.



Certificate Received
Through Esri Training

In comparison to the MAG tutorials the Esri training is much different. The MAG tutorials provide much of the same information that the Esri online training provides. However, the way the information is displayed in what makes the two very different. The Esri training is much more simplistic compared to the tutorials in the MAG book, which makes the Esri training more beneficial to ArcMap beginners. Both give explanations to the step by step processes but it is much easier to get lost along the way when going through the MAG tutorials. Furthermore, when going through the Esri training I did not encounter any type of program errors. This is another reason I found the Esri training much more helpful. Often when going through the MAG tutorials I encounter several errors within the program along the way even when I follow each step exactly as it is stated. For an ArcMap beginner this is extremely difficult and frustrating because I am unfamiliar with how to fix the issue.  Even though both options are helpful in teaching ArcMap, I found that I preferred that instructions within the Esri online training over the MAG tutorials.