Course Outline

Theme: The digital-electronic revolution has produced a wide variety of tools that enable us to investigate and make decisions on spatial issues in ways that never were possible in the past. One unifying theme underlying much of this change is GIS (Geographic Information Systems), it provides a means of inputting, organizing, analyzing, manipulating, and outputting spatial information for investigative and decision making purposes; information that is produced by a variety of technologies. This course will introduce these technologies as they relate to GIS.

 

Goals: Students will be aware of the power of GIS as an important decision making tool and unifying tool for allied technologies through hands-on exposure to:

Objectives: The following topics will be introduced over the quarter, allowing one or two weeks per topic. Topics will be introduced in an active hands-on lecture format. This means that the instructor will both explain and illustrate each topic and then students will have a chance to experiment with each during the period. Assignments are then fashioned around each topic on a weekly or biweekly basis.

Topics:

  1. GIS-1: Introduction to a GIS database and Software resulting in student access to and display of outputs from an existing database using ArcView software
  2. GIS-2: Creation of a GIS database using on-screen digitizing in ArcView software
  3. GIS-3: Creation of three dimensional outputs, digital elevation models, and shaded relief maps in ArcView software
  4. GIS-4: Projection tools in ArcView software
  5. GIS-5: Demonstration of analytical tools available for research in GIS
  6. Electronic Atlases: Lecture and hands-on experience with a web based electronic atlas, learn about downloading such data and the strengths and weaknesses of such technologies
  7. Thematic Mapping Systems: Lecture and hands-on experience with a web based thematic mapping package(s), learn to produce outputs and compare these results to electronic atlases
  8. Global Positioning Systems: Lecture and hands-on experience with global positioning tools, demonstration of importing such data into a GIS
  9. Remote Sensing: Lecture and hands-on experience with accessing remotely sensed data
  10. Computer Cartograpy: Introduction and hands-on exercise in a Computer Cartography software package

Student Responsibilities and Grading:

  • Material will be presented through lectures and hands-on experience in accessing data and developing a final product
  • Grading is A -- F, this grade will be based on student's:
  • weekly assignments
  • participatation in all class meetings
  • midterm score
  • and final project score
  • Note: there is no final exam. Instead presentation and submission of an electronic copy of the final project will occur at the time scheduled for the final exam. A student must be present at this time to present his/her final project.
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  • Each unexcused absence losses one participation point
  • Late assignments lose 10% per day and are not accepted after they become one week late
  • Scoring

    100pts

  • Assignments -- 70pts total
  • Participation -- 10pts
  • Mididterm -- 10pts
  • Final Project (instead of a final exam) -- 10pts
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    Letter Grades from Points

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