ArcGIS Online update: latest features and enhancements for educators

ArcGIS Online is a mapping platform that provides users access to data, Web applications and Web maps. The latest release includes changes in symbology capabilities and story map options. Find out more about the new features and enhancements and begin using them in your classroom.

Have you logged into ArcGIS Online in the last week? If you answered yes, you may have noticed a few changes. The list below includes changes to some of the functionality available in ArcGIS Online that educational users may commonly use in their classroom.

• The option to "Change Symbol" has been updated to "Change Style" – this can be found under the layer Contents menu of your Web map. Change Style, also known as Smart Mapping, now includes data-driven workflows that enable you to author visually appealing Web maps easily. When feature layers are added, the data are analyzed and appropriate layer styling options are presented in a streamlined user experience. Capabilities include creating heat maps, continuous colour ramps, using size and transparency and graduated symbols.

"Change Style" is used to change the symbology of your layer.

• The Story Map Series now offers several different layout options — tabbed, side accordion and bulleted — making it ideal for presenting multiple maps.
• Scene Viewer is no longer beta and is one of the built-in ArcGIS Online apps, complementing the map viewer by enabling you to author, view and share 3D scenes.

Find out what else has been added or updated in ArcGIS Online.

Visit Esri Canada’s Lesson Planner to find free ArcGIS Online resources to use in your classroom.