While the official opening of the ESRI User Conference is still a couple of days away, several other concurrent conferences have already started. At the opening plenary of the 2009 ESRI Education User Conference Bern Szukalski delivered a 30-minute presentation covering some of the new features of ArcGIS 9.3.1, ArcGIS Online, and an overview of the upcoming new release of ArcGIS Explorer. Here's a few highlights of what he showed.

Bern started off with ArcGIS Desktop, and opened a mostly empty map. He explained what he needed was additional basemap information; he was looking for topographic maps.

To find basemaps to use he opened ArcGIS Online and searched for "usgs topo." The search turned up a list of results. But unlike a Google search using the same keywords, the results are ready-to-use ArcGIS maps and layers.

He examined the descriptions of several services, and showed how they can previewed in a browser.

He clicked "Open in ArcGIS" to add the basemap to ArcMap.

Next, Bern added some data that he had downloaded from the National Park Service clearinghouse. He adjusted the symbology, hid some fields, and checked the HTML popup property "on" as part of the authoring process.

Finally he right-clicked the layer and chose Create Layer Package...

He then logged in to ArcGIS Online, explaining that when you do (with your ESRI global account) you can add content, and create or join groups.

First he created a new group called "EdUC" and explained this is where he wanted to share his newly saved layer package.

Then Bern added the newly saved layer package to his content by choosing Add Item.

 

A thumbnail and description were automatically generated.

Bern then chose to share the layer package, making it available to "Everyone" and also sharing it and adding it to his new "EdUC" group.

Next he showed how the shared layer package could now be discovered and then opened in Explorer. The layer package captures the symbology and other information as authored using ArcGIS Desktop, and when opened in Explorer the same desktop cartography and other properties are seen.

From there it was a whirlwind tour of new capabilities in the upcoming release, with many features resonating with the audience. Shown below is a screen capture of part of the presentation authored using Explorer, showing a virtual tour along the Upper Geyser Basin including links to Yellowstone National Park information.

Later in the day Bern held a workshop for EdUC attendees in front of a packed room. All heartily agreed that ArcGIS Explorer is a valuable way to teach and present GIS and geography.