Following SIS related courses are open in SIS lab during four semesters. To find the detail lab schedule in this semester, please visit Lab Schedule.
Geog 250: CARTOGRAPHY I
Administrative details
Pre-requisites: GEOG 100 or 221 or 241; and 111. Basic proficiency in using computers is assumed.
First Week of Term: There will be Lectures, but no Labs in the first week of the term.
Post-requisites: This course may be applied towards the Certificate in Liberal Arts.
Course overview
Spatial Information Science (SIS) is a modern and exciting discipline. It combines cartography, remote sensing, spatial data analysis, geographic information systems (GIS), and geographic information science to solve real-world geographic problems at local, regional and global scales. SIS allows geographers to integrate maps, spatial data and computers to understand spatial events on or near the earth’s surface. A range of events are studied in SIS covering areas such as human settlement, landscape morphology, groundwater flows, urban growth, forest management, human health, climate change, and crime.
Course focus
This course focuses on the fundamental methods of Spatial Information Science (SIS) and is divided into the following five areas: (i) cartography, (ii) spatial data acquisition, (iii) air photo interpretation, (iv) GIS, and (v) spatial data analysis. The course will show how these areas are inter-related and how they can be used to gain a better understanding of the social and physical events on the earth’s surface. Students will also develop an understanding of how SIS concepts can be extended to study events in many other disciplines.
Lectures
Each lecture will provide insights into the concepts, issues and methods related to SIS using real-world examples. The required readings will enhance and extend understanding of the materials presented in the class lectures, and facilitate more meaningful participation during the classroom discussions.
Lab sessions
The guided computer lab sessions will use digital spatial data and ESRI’s ArcGIS© desktop software (with mapping extensions) to reinforce the theoretical concepts and methods presented in the class lectures. These labs will allow students to apply the SIS methods to a variety of problem contexts within geography.
Expected outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be expected to:
- understand how data is collected and prepared for use in SIS
- demonstrate knowledge of SIS, its main parts, and their relationships
- develop competence in using the ArcGIS© software for data management and analysis
- develop competence in using the ArcGIS© software for cartographic layout design
- understand the links between SIS and geography
- apply the SIS methods to human and physical geography problems
Assessment
- Class and Lab participation = 2%
- Four (4) assignments = 48%
- One (1) midterm examination = 20%
- One (1) final examination = 30%
Recommended textbook
- Campbell, J., 2000. Map Use & Analysis. 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill Science. 384p.
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Geog 251: QUANTITATIVE GEOGRAPHY
Administrative details
Pre-requisites: GEOG 100 or 221 or 241; and 111. Basic proficiency in using computers is assumed.
First Week of Term: There will be Lectures, but no Labs in the first week of the term.
Post-requisites: This course may be applied towards the Certificate in Liberal Arts.
Course overview
The course is an introduction to the use of quantitative methods in geography, including data collection, management, and analysis. Analytical procedures will include graphical presentation of data, descriptive statistics, application of probability and sampling theory, and inferential statistics. Examples will be taken from both physical and human geography. Computers and data analysis software will be used.
Course focus
Only very basic statistics knowledge is assumed. Hence, each topic will begin with a comprehensive introduction, and developed to a level required for the course. The course topics will include: Defining quantitative geography; exploratory data analysis; univariate data analysis; exploring categorical data; writing and presenting statistics; spatial data analysis; time series analysis; data visualization; map-based data analysis; data collection methods; elements of chance; from population to samples; from samples to population; bivariate data relationships; and multivariate data relationships. Students will also develop an understanding of how quantitative concepts can be used to study events in geography and other disciplines.
Lectures
Students will learn about and practice geographic analysis techniques through formal lectures, computer labs, individual assignments, and critical analysis of data and geographic research. Data analysis software will be used to explore real world data from multiple sources. There will be a strong emphasis on problem based and interactive learning. The textbook readings will enhance and extend understanding of the materials presented in the class lectures, and facilitate more meaningful participation during the classroom discussions.
Lab sessions
The guided computer lab sessions will use sample data sets and the Microsoft Excel software to reinforce the theoretical concepts and methods presented in the class lectures. These labs will allow students to apply the quantitative methods to a variety of data and problem contexts within geography.
Expected outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be expected to:
- understand how data is collected and prepared for use in Excel
- demonstrate knowledge of quantitative geography concepts
- develop competence in using Excel for data management and analysis
- apply the quantitative methods to human and physical geography problems
Assessment
- Class and Lab participation = 2%
- One (1) midterm examination = 20%
- Four (4) assignments = 48%
- One (1) final examination = 30%
Recommended textbook
Williams, P. (2004). Interactive statistics for the behavioral sciences. Sinauer Associates. 386p.
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Geog 253: AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION
Administrative details
Prerequisites: GEOG 100 or 221 or 241; and 111. Basic proficiency in using computers is assumed.
First Week of Term: There will be Lectures, but no Labs in the first week of the term.
Postrequisites: This course may be applied towards the SIS Certificate.
Course overview
This course deals with aerial photography and the interpretation of aerial photographs as a primary cartographic technique in geography and resource management. The course is divided into the following three sections: (1) Technical introduction to aerial photography and interpretation; (2) Applications of aerial photographic interpretation, digital 3D photogrammetry and resource mapping for environmental analysis; and (3) Introduction to digital remote sensing.
Lectures
There will be two 1-hour lectures per week. Each lecture will provide insights into the concepts, issues and methods related to aerial photographic interpretation. The textbook readings will enhance and extend understanding of the materials presented in the class lectures.
Lab sessions
There will be one 3-hour lab session per week. Nine elementary lab exercises provide the basis for practical experience and further study in aerial photography, remote sensing, and related cartographic applications. Due to the limited number of instruments available you may not be able to switch between lab sessions.
Supplies
Students are requested to buy color grease pencils (Staedtler Omnichrome pencils in red, blue and black). All other materials will be supplied. A ruler and pocket calculator will also be needed. In addition, there is a mandatory $15 supplementary fee for field trip related work.
Assessment
- Regular assignments = 50%
- One (1) midterm examination = 20%
- One (1) final examination = 30%
Required textbook
Avery, T.E. and Berlin, G.L. (1992). Fundamentals of remote sensing and air photo interpretation. 5th Edition. Toronto, Maxwell Macmillan. 472p.
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Geog 255: INTORDUCTION TO GEOGRAHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE I
Course Description
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Geographic Information Science (GIScience) cover a wide range of topics surrounding the measurement, characterization, data representation, visualization and analysis of spatial phenomena. GIS is a pivotal tool for natural resource management agencies, urban planners, public service agencies, atmospheric scientists, strategic information systems, both ‘grass roots’ and federal environmental monitoring groups, crime prevention groups, forestry, agriculture, and many other fields where management, integration, and application of spatial data is key.
Comprising a combination of hardware and software, GIS has revolutionized the possibilities of spatial analysis in many fields. While GIS was initially used as a descriptive technique for mapping and management of land and networks, it has become a tool for decision-making, public outreach, marketing, legal analysis and political lobbying. Given the proliferation of this technology, it is not surprising that demand for people familiar with GIS has increased. More jobs are created in GIS than any other field of Geography, and the market continues to grow. The power of GIS depends however, not on hardware or software, but on understanding of spatial sampling, spatial phenomena, spatial data, the operations you can perform on them, and the user groups you are developing these tools and products for.
There is an increasing emphasis on the need for better qualified GIS users. That is, users who are more than just capable at using software and hardware. The key to excellence and distinction in GIScience and GIS, is an appreciation of key concepts, issues and considerations that underpin the use and application of GIS hardware and software tools. This course aims to introduce you to what GIS and GIScience are, discuss key methodological and conceptual topics underlying their use, and to provide you with an introduction to using GIS software. By the end of the course you will have developed a solid understanding of these concepts in GIS/GIScience, have a working knowledge of ArcGIS software, and be able to design and perform your own geographic analyses on vector data.
A weekly lecture will introduce, explain, discuss and critique GIScience concepts. Note that there will often be material/topics or examples covered in lecture that will not be available elsewhere, and which may be used in examinations. In your weekly lab sessions, you will work through a sequence of exercises that operationalize concepts from lecture through practical activities that also train you how to perform basic operations with ArcGIS.
Prerequisites
- GEOG 100 or GEOG 111 or permission of instructor
- Familiarity and competence with the Windows XP desktop environment
- Familiarity and competence with using files, folders and file/folder paths in Windows XP
- Familiarity with Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software
Required Text:
- An Introduction to Geographical Information Systems (3rd edition).
- I. Heywood, S. Cornelius and S. Carver. 320pp. Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0130611980.
Assessment
- Lab exercises (6) 30%
- Course Project 25%
- Midterm Exam 20%
- Final Exam 25%
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Geog 351: CARTOGRAPHY AND VISUALIZATION
Prerequisites: GEOG 255 and under permission of the instructor
Course Description
This course introduces students to current developments in the rapidly expanding field of multimedia cartography. Key components of traditional cartographic design and analysis will be used as the foundation to introduce the principles of multimedia cartography. Students will learn the theory and implementation associated with Internet and Web mapping, electronic atlases, interactive mapping, web graphic design, geovisualization, animation systems, virtual representation and spatial simulations systems. A comprehensive coverage of multiple forms of cartographic media and their correct use in spatial mapping, visualization and communication will be outlined. Examples will reinforce these concepts.
The integration of cartographic design principles with web design tools, cartographic software and internet mapping server (IMS) technology will allow students to design and deploy electronic cartographic products over the web and other digital medium for communication and decision making purposes. The course will be composed of lectures, discussions, and computer labs. Functional computer literacy should be assumed. The guided computer lab sessions will use a variety of digital cartographic and web design software to reinforce the theoretical concepts and methods presented in the class lectures. These labs will allow students to develop broad based web cartography skills that would be beneficial in further research and industry. At the end of this course, students should be well prepared to apply cartographic solutions to problem solving in human or physical geography, be ready for further studies in spatial information science, and for using digital and web cartography in the workplace.
Grading
- The final grade for the course will be determined from: laboratory assignments (25%);
- quizzes (10%);
- final project (35%), and
- final exam (30%)
Textbooks
- Kraak, M-J., Ormeling, F., 2003. Cartography – Visualization of geospatial data. Prentice
- HallCrtwright W., Peterson M., Gratner G., 2007. Multimedia Cartography. 2nd ed. Springer.
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Geog 353: REMOTE SENSING
Administrative Details
Prerequisites: GEOG 253.
First Week of Term: There will be Lectures, but no Labs in the first week of the term.
Postrequisites: This course may be applied towards the SIS Certificate.
Course Overview
The course deals with digital environmental remote sensing and image analysis. The first half of the course will cover remote sensing principles, instrumentation and analysis. The second half will cover remote sensing application in geography and environmental management. The specific topics are: terrain analysis; basic photogrammetry, multispectral and color photography, reconnaissance aerial imagery, electro-optical imagery, thermal imagery, multispectral scanners, microwave applications, and satellite imagery.
Lectures
There will be one 2-hour lecture per week. Each lecture will provide insights into the concepts, issues and methods related to remote sensing. The textbook readings will enhance and extend understanding of the materials presented in the class lectures.
Lab Sessions
There will be one 2-hour lab session per week. Nine practical laboratory assignments will familiarize students with important and basic aspects of applied remote sensing. There will be a field trip fee of $35 included in your fee assessment to enable us to cover some of the costs for acquiring airborne imagery.
The practical lab sessions will include: Terrain analysis of digital stereoscopic aerial photography; relative and absolute orientation of imagery; flight planning for aerial imagery; digital image enhancement techniques; densitometric and digital interpretation of images; level slicing and spatial filtering; unsupervised and supervised image classification.
Assessment
- Regular lab assignments = 50%
- One (1) midterm examination = 20%
- One (1) final examination = 30%
Required Textbook
Lillesand, T.M., Kiefer, R.W. and Chipman, J.W. (2008). Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation. 6th Edition. Toronto, John Wiley & Sons. 756p.
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Geog 355: GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS II
Geographic Information Systems implement a unique mix of geographical principles, computer science and mathematics. This course will examine both geographical and technical components of GIS, from spatial representation to matrix algebra. Emphasis will be maintained, however, on the quality and completeness of GIS data, data structures, and processing. Course material will include discussion of representation, data input and quality, data structures, raster storage and analysis, vector storage and analysis, DTMs, visualization and cognition, scale and generalization and geographic objects with uncertain boundaries
By prying below the surface of GIS applications, the course will enable students to better understand the complexities of computing, spatial representation and the fundamentals of geographical information science.
Prerequisites: Geography 255
Assignments
The course will develop working knowledge of a raster-based spatial analysis program called IDRISI. In addition, students will develop an independent spatial analysis project, and host it on the www.
Required Texts
There are two required texts for this course:
- Lo and Yeung’s Concepts and Techniques of Geographic Information Systems
(Prentice Hall Inc., 2002)
- Schuurman, Nadine. GIS: A Short Introduction (Blackwell, 2004).
- Clark Lab’s IDRISI Tutorial Manual is available as a PDF and can be downloaded.
Evaluation
- Lab exercises (8) 30%
- Mid-term exam 20%
- Project 25%
- Final exam 25%
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Geog 356: COGNITIVE GEOVISUALIZATION
[*a.k.a. spatial cognition in contemporary Geovisualization and GIScience]
Course Description
Spatial cognition plays a significant role in many aspects of Geographic Information Science – especially when applied to map use, spatial reasoning, spatial way-finding, geographic learning and education, and real-world spatial decision-making.
In the past 10 years many new visualization techniques, technologies and practices in mapping have emerged that extend far beyond conventional cartography. This field has come to be known as geovisualization. Geovisualization includes cartography, but has developed to include other geographic visualization techniques and tools. Examples of these tools include 2D maps, GPS, 3D GIS, mobile GIS, Google Earth, VR and augmented reality.
As new geospatial interface technologies and tools (such as Google Earth, car navigation systems, augmented reality displays) emerge, we must consider how existing theories of spatial cognition apply in these new settings, and what the implications might be for geographic information science, navigation, communication, education and spatial decision-making.
This will not be a dry course about abstract cognitive theory! Instead, I will introduce some key concepts and ideas in spatial cognition, as we embark on an exploration of how they operate in everyday situations and geovisualization applications. I will illustrate these principles with real examples of navigation and wayfinding, hands-on exercises, and presentations/demonstrations of geovisualization interface technologies.
Examples of questions we might explore include: How do we build mental models of space? How do we navigate? How do we reason about unfamiliar environments? How do we learn about geographic space from maps, Google Earth, Virtual Environments, and other geovisualization interfaces? How do people reason about space during emergencies? How does distributed cognition help naval navigators to avoid crashing warships? What is Holistic Navigation?! How do you extract someone’s mental model from inside the brain?!
This course will require students to participate in readings, free-form discussions, write short papers, applied and experimental activities to explore key course principles. After completing this course, students will have a better understanding of the spatial cognitive basis of everyday spatial reasoning and geovisualization practices. They will also come out of the course with a strong sense of how emerging geovisualization technologies raise interesting and exciting new possibilities for reasoning and learning about geographic spaces.
This course is a prerequisite for GEOG 457: Geospatial Virtual Environments (offered in Spring 2008).
Assessment
- Hands-on lab activities/assignments (25%),
- a quiz (25%),
- a final exam (25%), and
- a mini-project (25%)
Prerequisites
GEOG 250, 253 or 255
Recommended Textbooks
There is no single textbook for this course.
Digital (PDF) readings and support materials will be provided at the start of Fall Semester 2007
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Geog 451: SPATIAL MODELING
Prerequisites:
GEOG 251 and one of GEOG 351, 352, 353 or 355; or permission of the instructor
Course Description:
Spatial models allow us to make the best use of our data to represent real world dynamic spatial phenomena. In this course, we will focus on why and how models are applied to mimic physical, human and environmental processes by using a variety of spatial modeling approaches within a GIS framework. Students will learn how to build spatial models and to use models as tools for representing, analyzing, and predicting dynamic geographic phenomena. The topics will cover the principles of complex systems theory, cellular automata, multi-agent systems, fuzzy sets, multi-criteria evaluation and collaborative spatial decision making. These principles will be applied to build spatio-temporal models of various spatial phenomena such as land-use/land cover changes, urban sprawl, transportation movement, climate change, disease spread, forest fire propagation, pollution, and endangered species among others. Fundamental questions about time representation in GIS, model testing and verification will also be examined.
The lectures will be an integration of instructor-led presentations on theoretical concepts and issues related to spatial modeling, student-led discussions, and short student presentations. Computer labs will support the design and implementation of the course projects. Students will form groups to undertake the laboratory component of the course and choose a dynamic spatial problem and conceptualize a modeling strategy to resolve it. GIS software will be used to implement the solutions. The final projects will be presented in class and each group will submit a final written report in the format of a scientific journal paper.
Grading:
The final grade for the course will be determined from: class participation (5%), class discussions (5%), project proposal (5%), project presentation (10%), written project report (45%), and a late midterm examination (30%). There is no final examination.
Recommended Textbook:
Maguire D., Batty M., Goodchild M., 2005. GIS, Spatial Analysis, and Modeling. ESRI Press.
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