This talk looks at what it means to teach geoinformatics today, in a world where geospatial data, tools, and platforms are already widely available. As geoinformatics becomes part of many different disciplines and FOSS4G solutions make access easier than ever, the real challenge is no longer getting students to use the technology, it’s helping them think spatially and critically.

We will reflect on how the explosion of Earth observation data, open datasets, and user-friendly tools has changed both the field and what we expect from graduates. While this accessibility is empowering, it can also lead to shallow, tool-driven learning if we don’t deliberately focus on concepts, methods, and reasoning.

A key idea in the talk is the shift from teaching tools to teaching thinking. We will discuss why spatial thinking, domain knowledge, and the ability to critically evaluate data and results matter more than ever, especially when automated workflows and ready-made solutions can hide important assumptions and limitations.
The talk will also touch on how artificial intelligence is changing the classroom. As AI becomes part of everyday geospatial workflows, we need to rethink not only how we teach, but also how we assess students, placing more value on interpretation, transparency, and critical engagement with machine-generated outputs.

Finally, I will share practical experiences from moving teaching from proprietary GIS software to open-source environments. This includes both the benefits, such as openness, reproducibility, and accessibility, and the challenges of redesigning courses and supporting students with different backgrounds.