Syllabus
GEO 2470
Introduction to GIS (Geographic
Information Systems)
Spring 2011
Synonym 23686
Contact Information
Instructor: Dr. Mary Beth Booth, O.D.
Office: Room 2145, Building 2000
Northridge Campus
E-mail:
Telephone: 512-223-4023
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday
Noon – 5:00 pm
SAC Room 1224 (Note: If I am not in Room 1224, look in Room 1207)
223-9207
Tuesday
9:30 am – 11:00 am
2:05 pm – 2:35 pm
NRG Room 2145
223 – 4023
Thursday
10:00 am – 11:00 am
NRG Room 2145
223 - 4023
(Or by appointment)
GIS (Geographic Information Systems) is a computer-based tool that uses spatial (geographic) data to analyze and solve real-world problems. This course is designed to introduce the student to the basic principles and techniques of GIS. The lab material will emphasize GIS data collection, entry, storage, analysis, and output using ArcGIS.
Ormsby, Tim et
al. 2010. Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop .
Most readings as assigned will be available in electronic format. Most lectures include an assigned reading that should be completed before class the class in which it will be discussed. Students should come to lectures prepared to discuss the reading assignment. The reading assignments are in the course calendar.
A USB drive (aka flash or thumb drive). It should be at least 2 GB in size. If you can afford it, I recommend you get one with 4 or higher GB of storage. This will allow you to work in the lab and at home.
The course will be taught with a combination of lectures, lab exercises, and lab projects.
Course rationale
Introduction to GIS is designed to provide the students with an understanding of the methods and theories of spatial analysis that will allow students to apply GIS knowledge and skills to everyday life and their chosen careers, to apply the course towards an associate’s degree or a certificate at Austin Community College, and to prepare them for success in upper division courses in GIS at other institutions.
By the end of this course, the student
· Will be able to describe what geography and GIS are
· Will understand the importance of scale, projection, and coordinate systems in GIS
· Will understand vector and raster data structures and the appropriate use of each of these data structures
· Will understand the basics of data capture, storage, analysis, and output in a GIS
· Will understand typical uses of GIS in business, government, and resource management
Grading
Tests
There will be four lecture exams. Each test is worth a maximum of 100 points. I will drop the lowest grade of your first three tests grades. If you miss a test for ANY reason, that will be the test grade I drop. Everyone MUST take the fourth test. There are NO make-up tests. There are NO retests. You must start the test BEFORE anyone finishes the test, so do not be late on test days.
Lab Projects
There will be two lab projects due throughout the semester. These lab
projects will use the skills acquired from the previous lab exercises. The
first lab project will be worth a maximum of 40 points, and the second lab
project will be worth a maximum of 80 points. During the last week of the
semester, you will give an oral presentation of your second lab project to your
fellow classmates and me. Details will be provided on the lab project
assignment sheet.
Lab Homework
There will be 8 lab homework assignments. Each assignment is worth 5
points. Late assignments will NOT be accepted.
Written Assignments
There will be two written assignments. The first will be a written
report (300 – 500 words) about the use of GIS in a field or industry of your
choice. The second will be a map critique.
Each written assignment will be worth 20 points.
Lab Quiz
On April 19th, there will be an in-lab hands-on lab quiz. You will not be able to use your notes or lab book, but you will be able to use ArcGIS’s help feature. I will give you 3 practice lab quizzes ahead of time. These are intended for you to gain practice with the software before the actual lab quiz. The lab quiz is worth a maximum of 100 points.
Lab projects 120 points
Lab Homework 40 points
Written Assignment 40 points
Lab Quiz
100 points
Total Points Available 600 points
A 540 to 600 points
B 480 to 539 points
C 420 to 479 points
D 360 to 419 points
F 0 to 359 points
*Note: The grade of “I”
(Incomplete) is very rarely assigned in this course. In the event that a true
emergency (such as hospitalization) prevents the student from taking the last
test, a grade of “I” may possibly be given at the discretion of the instructor.
Incompletes must be made up by the deadline published in ACC’s academic
calendar (sometime in the middle of the Summer semester, 2011), or the “I” will
automatically be converted to an “F”.
Course Policies
Success in this class will depend
on your commitment to the class. You are expected to attend class unless an
emergency keeps you from doing so. You are responsible for any announcements
made in class and lab even if you were not in class that day. Students who miss class/lab need to hand in
assignments (if there are any) on time and need to make their own arrangements
to obtain related notes, handouts, or announcements.
Students with Special Needs
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.
Classroom Policy
The classroom will be a place in which we will discuss and debate many issues this semester. As college students and professors, we must make the classroom a safe place for stimulating discussion and academic growth. This class will be conducted in a manner that honors common courtesy and mutual respect for all students. In this spirit, please:
·
turn off
all cell phones and pagers before you enter the classroom
·
do not
use the class computers for Facebook, email, other classes’ work, etc. during scheduled
class time
Lecture Notes
Lecture note outlines will be available on ACC’s Blackboard website (http://acconline.austincc.edu) In order to log into Blackboard, you will need your ACCeID. Your ACCeID will consist of the first letter of your official first name followed by your 7-digit ID number. Your 7-digit ID number can be found on one of the following:
· ACC ID Card
· Student Grade Mailer
· Fee Statement
· Pay Advice/Check Stub
· ACC Online Services
Faculty, staff, and students will choose their own password, which must be changed regularly. To activate your ACCeID, go to ACC’s main webpage (www.austincc.edu) and follow the link above the big gold key on the right side of the page.
Once you have activated your ACCeID, log into Blackboard (http://acconline.austincc.edu). Follow the link to this course (GEOG 2470). If you are not familiar with Blackboard, go to http://irt.austincc.edu/blackboard/StudentSupport.php for online support help. To access the Blackboard User Manual, go to http://irt.austincc.edu/blackboard/downloads/Blackboard_Community_System_User_Manual_for_Release_8.pdf.
These lecture notes are OUTLINES only and do NOT substitute for class attendance. They are NOT comprehensive. I provide them as a courtesy to you so that you will not have to transcribe the PowerPoint slides. You are still expected to take notes on the material presented in class. I make no promises that the lecture outlines are complete. We may also discuss other things in class that are not on the lecture outlines; however you will still be responsible for knowing that material. I encourage you to print the notes out BEFORE you come to class.
Reading Assignments
Most readings as assigned will be available in electronic format. Most lectures include an assigned reading that should be completed before the class in which it will be discussed. Students should come to lectures prepared to discuss the reading assignment.
Handouts
Occasionally additional material will be handed out during class. It is the student's responsibility to obtain handouts from other class members if the student misses class. The instructor will NOT provide handouts to students who miss class.
Topic-Specific Study
Guides
Study Guides for each topic are available on Blackboard. The study guides
are meant as an aid to help you check your comprehension of the material. To
access the study guides, click on the “Study Guides” button on the main
Blackboard web page for this class.
This is how you should use the study guides: When you believe that you
really know the material, look at the study guide for that topic. You should be
able to easily define the key concepts and answer the review questions. If you
are having difficulty, you need to go back and study some more. The study
guides are not meant to be comprehensive.
Every ACC student is given an email account through ACC. This email address will end with @g.austincc.edu. This is the email address that I will use and the college will use to contact you throughout the semester. As a requirement of this course, you MUST activate your ACC email account and check it as least once per week. To learn more about this email and how to activate it, go to http://www.austincc.edu/accmail/. Activate it today and start checking it regularly.
Students enrolled in this class are responsible for observing the policy on academic integrity described in the 2010-2011 ACC Student Handbook (http://www.austincc.edu/handbook/ ).
Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework.
If a student commits any of the above actions, the instructor may seek disciplinary action in the form of an academic penalty (which may include a course grade of 'F'). Such disciplinary action will be at the discretion of the instructor.
Academic Freedom
Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class discussions. In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints. Students may not only disagree with each other at times, but the students and instructor may also find that they have disparate views on sensitive and volatile topics. It is my hope that these differences will enhance class discussion and create an atmosphere where students and instructor alike will be encouraged to think and learn. Therefore, be assured that your grades will not be adversely affected by any beliefs or ideas expressed in class or in assignments. Rather, we will all respect the views of others when expressed in classroom discussions.
The last day to withdraw from this course for the Spring 2011 session is Monday April 25, 2011. It is the student's responsibility to withdraw from the course if needed. Once a student has shown up to class at least once, the instructor will NOT withdraw that student from the class.
ArcGIS Online
What is ArcGIS online?
ArcGIS Online provides a common platform to find, share, and organize geographic content and to build GIS applications. It is a web resource hosted by ESRI, the company that makes the ArcGIS software that you will be using in this course and throughout your academic program at ACC. Through ArcGIS.com, the Web interface for ArcGIS Online, you can access maps, apps, and tools published by ESRI and other GIS users, and share your own content with a broad community of users. Resources can be shared with everyone or can be restricted to members with a group.
How will ArcGIS
Online be used in this class?
ArcGIS Online will be used in two ways in this class. You will upload some of your homework assignments as map packages to your own private group. You will also share your maps, as well as view and critique your classmates' maps, within the class group.
How do I make a free ArcGIS
Online account?
See this video (http://www.austincc.edu/mbooth/hybrid2470/ESRI_account.htm) for detailed instructions for creating an ArcGIS Online account. It is a two step process. First you must create an ESRI global account and then you must register your global account on www.arcgis.com.
Which ArcGIS Online groups
will I use in this class?
You will belong to two groups within this class.
1. A class group called Geog 2470 Fall 2011 T&H. All registered students will be members of this group. Anything you post to this group can be accessed by anyone in the class.
2. A private group called yourlastname GEOG 2470. So if your name is Jane Doe, your private group would be Doe GEOG 2470. Only you and the instructor will be able to see and access this group. This is where you will upload most of your assignments in this class. The detailed directions for uploading homework will be in the homework assignment.
Now that I have made my ArcGIS Online account, what do I
do?
Once you have created your ArcGIS Online account, email the instructor (mbooth@austincc.edu) to let her know what your user account name is. The subject line should read "Your name - ArcGIS user name. In the body of the email, put your ArcGIS user name and your real name. Once the instructor receives your email, she will invite you to join the class group and your private group on ArcGIS Online. You will receive an email after she issues the invitations with directions about how to accept the invitations and access your groups.
Miscellaneous
Studying
As a college-level academic course, this is a challenging course that will cover a lot of material. Every semester, I am asked what the best way to study for this class is. Clearly there is no one right way to study. But I have two suggestions that may help you master the material. First, every day after class, go home and rewrite your notes so they make sense to you. Second, every night, review all of the material for that test. So on the first day of class, rewrite your notes and review the first day’s material. Every day until class meets again, review the first day’s material. When class meets for the second time, rewrite those notes and then study the material for the first and second day. Every day until class meets again, review the first day’s and the second day’s material. By the time test time rolls around, the earlier material will be very familiar to you, so you can concentrate on learning the newer material.
GIS@ACC Website and Mailing
List
ACC’s GIS Department maintains the GIS@ACC departmental website. (http://sites.google.com/a/accgis.org/gis-acc/) This website has information about the department, GIS job opportunities, internships, GIS conferences, etc. You can subscribe to GIS@ACC by email. You'll be emailed any job and industry announcements posted on this website. See the website for more information.
ESRI Publications
ESRI has many free publications for GIS users. ArcNews and ArcUser are particularly helpful. You can sign up for these publications at the ESRI website (www.esri.com)
Finally
Here are a few things to remember:
1. Neither I nor other instructors give you grades. You earn grades. The ways you earn points towards your grade are detailed in this syllabus.
2. These are the rules.
3. The rules are not negotiable.
4. The rules apply to you.
If you remember these things, we will all have a much more pleasant and productive semester. Welcome to the class!
Lecture/Lab Outline and Calendar
The instructor reserves the right to change the lecture schedule if necessary.
January 18 and 20
What we will cover in class/lab:
§ Syllabi
§ Getting User IDs and passwords for lab computers
§ Introduction/Definition of GIS
§ Review of lab chapter 3
§ Complete all the exercises in chapters 3 in the lab book
What you must do on your own:
§
Read the article “what is GIS?” by Caitlin
Dempsey on the GIS Lounge website (http://gislounge.com/what-is-gis/)
§ Read Chapters 1 and 2 in the "Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop" lab book. Chapter 1 describes GIS and Chapter 2 introduces you to the ArcGIS software that will be used throughout the semester.
§ Complete Lab Homework #1. It is due at the beginning of class on Jan 27th.
These things are optional:
§
A great website about GIS careers and Education:
http://geoinfo.sdsu.edu/hightech/index.htm
January 25
What we will cover in class/lab:
§ Watch Penn State’s “Geospatial Revolution” videos
§ Review of Lab Chapter 4
§ Complete all the exercises in chapter 4 in the lab book
What you must do on your own:
§
Complete Written Assignment 1. It is due
February 3rd.
§
Read the following. Each of these websites
illustrates how local agencies are using GIS.
Sidewalk
Planning: A GIS-based Approach in Austin, Texas
Capital Area Planning Council's GIS Services
§
Read the following article on classification
methods. It explains the classification methods used in ArcGIS in more detail.
Make sure that you click on each of the links to explore all the classification
methods.
Standard Classification Schemes (ArcGIS Desktop Help)
January 27 and February 1
What we will cover in class/lab:
§ Scale, Projection and Coordinate Systems
§
Review of lab chapters 5 and 6
§ Complete all the exercises in chapters 5 and 6 in the lab book
What you must do on your own:
§ Complete lab homework #2. It is due at the BEGINNING of class on February 8th.
§ For more information on Scale, please read:
o The Geospatial Resources Portal's tutorial on scale (http://www.gisdevelopment.net/tutorials/tuman002a.htm) . (This link will take you to page 2 of the tutorial. Please read pages 2 and 3 of the tutorial.)\
§ For more information on Projections, please read:
o The
National Atlas' article on Projections (http://www.nationalatlas.gov/articles/mapping/a_projections.html)
§ For more information about Coordinate Systems, please read:
o ArcGIS
Resource Center's article on Coordinate Systems (http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//003r00000001000000.htm)
These things are optional:
§ If you would like to take ESRI’s online virtual campus course on Projections and Coordinate Systems, send me an email requesting the code for that course. I will get the code for you. You will have one year to complete the online course.
§ If you want more information about projections and coordinate systems, the GIS lounge (http://gislounge.com/projections-and-coordinate-systems/) has many tutorials which can provide additional information
§ For more information on Scale:
o Map Scale - Measuring Distances on a
Map (http://geography.about.com/cs/maps/a/mapscale.htm)
§ For more information on Projections:
o ArcGIS
Resource Center's article on Map Projections (http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.3/index.cfm?TopicName=About%20map%20projections)
§ If you would like to look at some sources of GIS data for our next lecture, please explore these websites:
o Foote,
Kenneth E. and Margaret Lynch. The University of Colorado – The Geographers
Craft – Data Sources for GIS.
[http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/sources/sources_f.html]
o Texas Natural Resources Information System (Texas Data) [http://www.tnris.org/DataCatalog/Index.aspx]
o
UT Community and Regional Planning – GIS Data.
[http://soa.utexas.edu/crp/gis/datasets]
o
The Capital Area Council of Governments –
Geospatial Data.
[http://www.capcog.org/information-clearinghouse/geospatial-data/].
The Texas Natural Resources Information System.
[http://www.tnris.org
o
US Maps and Data
[http://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gos/].
o ESRI’s
The Geography Network.
[http://www.geographynetwork.com/].
o The
GIS Data Depot.
[http://data.geocomm.com
February 3
What we will cover in class/lab:
§ Data Sources
§ Review of Lab Chapter 13
§ Complete all the exercises in chapter 13 in the lab book.
What you must do on your own:
§ Complete Lab Homework #3. It is due at the beginning of class on February 10th.
These things are optional:
§
Possible
Sources of Data:
o Texas County Data: http://www.county.org/resources/countydata/index.asp
o Harris County: http://pdata.hcad.org/GIS/
o City of Austin: ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/GIS-Data/Regional/coa_gis.html
o Williamson County GIS links: http://www.williamson-county.org/CountyDepartments/GIS/Links/tabid/533/language/en-US/Default.aspx
o Texas Natural Resources Information System (Texas data) [http://www.tnris.org/DataCatalog/Index.aspx]
o
o High Resolution Ortho Imagery (USGS): http://seamless.usgs.gov/website/seamless/products/highortho.asp
o National Atlas raw data download: http://www.nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html?openChapters=chpbound#chpbound
o The National Map Seamless Server: http://seamless.usgs.gov/website/seamless/viewer.htm
o ArcGIS Resource Center: http://resources.esri.com/arcgisonlineservices/index.cfm?fa=home
o US-Mexico Border Environmental Health Initiative: http://borderhealth.cr.usgs.gov/datalayers.html
o USDA (One stop Source for Natural Resources Data): http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/
o The Berkeley/Penn Urban & Environmental Modeler's Datakit: http://www.dcrp.ced.berkeley.edu/research/footprint/
o GIS Climate Change Scenarios: http://www.gisclimatechange.org/
o Kenya data: http://www.wri.org/publication/content/9291
o NatureServe Animal Data: http://www.natureserve.org/getData/animalData.jsp
o Conservation GeoPortal: http://www.conservationmaps.org/index.jsp
o GAP Analysis Program: http://gapanalysis.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt
February 8
What we will cover in class/lab:
§
Test 1
§
Review of
lab chapter 7
§
Complete all the exercises in chapter 7
February 10, 15 and 17
What we will cover in class/lab:
§ Steps in a GIS project
§
Vector Data Structure
§
Data Quality, Accuracy and Precision
§
Review of
lab chapters 8, 9, and 10
§ Complete all the exercises in chapters 8, 9, and 10
What you must do on your own:
§ Complete lab homework #4. It is due at the BEGINNING of class on February 24th.
§ Read Barbara Parmenter’s (Tufts University) article on GIS Data Structures: http://ocw.tufts.edu/data/54/676127.pdf
February 17 and 22
What we will cover in class/lab:
§
Raster Data Structure
§
Review of
lab chapters 11 and 12
§ Complete all the exercises in chapters 11 and 12
What you must do on your own:
§ Complete lab homework #5. It is due at the BEGINNING of class on March3rd
§ Start working on Lab Project #1
Feb 24, March 1, 3, and 8
What we will cover in class/lab:
§
Cartography
§
Map Critiques
§ Review of/update on Project 1
What you must do on your own:
§ Complete lab homework #6. It is due at the BEGINNING of class on March 10th
§ Complete Written Assignment 2 (map critique). It’s due on March 22nd.
§ Continue working on Lab Project #1. Lab Project 1 is due March 24th.
§
Read (http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/cartocom/cartocom_f.html).
This website was developed by Kenneth E. Foote and Shannon Crum, The
Geographer's Craft Project, Department of Geography, The University of Colorado
at Boulder
These things are optional:
§
If you want to more information on cartography,
request a code from me for the ESRI virtual campus course on cartography (http://training.esri.com/acb2000/showdetl.cfm?DID=6&Product_ID=831).
To request this code, send me an email (mbooth@austincc.edu)
March 10
What we will cover in class/lab:
§
Test 2
§
Continue working on Lab Project #1
March 15 and 17 – No Class (Spring Break)
March 22 and 24
What we will cover in class/lab:
§
Data capture
§
Review Chapter 18 and 19
§ Complete all the exercises in chapters 18 and 19
What you must do on your own:
§ Complete lab homework #7. It is due at the BEGINNING of class on March 31st.
These things are optional:
§
For a tutorial on GPS by Trimble, go to: http://www.trimble.com/gps/index.shtml
March 29
What we will cover in class/lab:
§ GPS outdoor exercise
March 31, April 5, and 7
What we will cover in class:
§ Database Management
§
Review Lab Chapters 14, 15, and 16
§ Complete all the exercises in chapters 14, 15, and 16
What you must do on your own:
§ Complete homework #8. It is due on April 15th.
April 12
What we will cover in class/lab:
§
Test 3
§
Review of
lab chapter 17
§
Complete all the exercises in chapter 17
What you must do on your own:
§
Read ArcGIS 10 Desktop help – Statistical
Analysis http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/Statistical_analysis/002s0000000n000000/
§
For a basic primer on Statistical Analysis, go
to: http://graphics.clemson.edu/vdp/Basic_Stats.pdf
April 14 and 19
What we will cover in class/lab:
§
Statistical Analysis
§
Start working on Lab Project #2
What you must do on your own:
§ Read ArcGIS 10 Desktop help – What is geoprocessing? http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/What_is_geoprocessing/002s00000001000000/
§ Read ArcGIS 10 Desktop help – An introduction to the commonly used GIS tools. Read that web page and also click on the links for Overlay and Proximity Analysis and read those pages as well. http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/An_introduction_to_the_commonly_used_GIS_tools/002s00000006000000/
April 19, 21, and 26, May 3
What we will cover in class/lab:
§ Spatial Analysis
§
Lab Quiz
– April 19th
§
Continue working on Lab Project #2
What you must do on your own:
§ Continue working on Lab Project #2
§ Read the Legal Issues handout that the instructor will give you.
These things are optional:
§
For a scholarly look at Spatial Analysis, "Geospatial
Analysis" by de Smith, Goodchild and Longley addresses the full
spectrum of analytical techniques that are provided within modern GIS and
related geospatial software products. http://www.spatialanalysisonline.com/
May 5
What we will cover in class/lab:
§
Overview of GIS Industry and Legal Issues
What you must do on your own:
§ Continue working on Project #2
May 10
What we will cover in class/lab:
§
Project
#2 Presentations
May 12
What we will cover in class/lab:
§
Test 4
Syllabus Agreement
Please read the following and if you are agreed, sign and turn into the instructor:
I have read the syllabus for GEOG 2470 (Introduction to GIS) to be taught by Mary Beth Booth in the Spring semester of 2011. I understand the requirements of the course as detailed in the syllabus and I agree to abide by them.
_______________________________
Print Name
_______________________________
Signature