Spring 2016 - GEOG 255 D100
Geographical Information Science I (3)
Class Number: 5151
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Jan 5 – Apr 11, 2016: Tue, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
Burnaby -
Exam Times + Location:
Apr 19, 2016
Tue, 12:00–3:00 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Paul Zandbergen
paul.a.zandbergen@gmail.com
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Prerequisites:
GEOG 100 or 111 or permission of instructor.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
A basic overview of Geographical Information Systems and Science; GIS software, hardware, data structures and models; spatial data, operations and algorithms; practical applications and limitations. Students with credit for GEOG 354 may not take this course for further credit. Quantitative.
COURSE DETAILS:
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 has revolutionized the possibilities of spatial analysis in many fields. This course aims to introduce you to what GIS and GIScience are, discuss 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.
Course organization:
There will be one 2-hour lecture per week. The lecture will introduce GIScience concepts and methods and will explore the kinds of thing we can do with GIS. All material covered in the lectures is exam material.
There will be one 2-hour lab session per week. You will work through a sequence of exercises that introduce you to ArcGIS – one of the most commonly used GIS software packages. In each lab you will: a) work through activities relating to topics identified in the lecture; b) apply principles you have learned to data sets; and c) answer a brief set of questions related to the GIS operations you have just completed.
Recommended familiarity:
Students are also expected to have basic familiarity with computer software on the Windows platform, including file management, uploading and downloading files, file extraction, and the use of word processing and spreadsheet software.
There will be a lecture but no labs in the first week of the term!
Grading
- Lab Exercises 40%
- Midterm Exam 20%
- Final Exam 20%
- Final Project 20%
NOTES:
Final Project: A key component of this course will be the execution and delivery of a GIS project. You will be given a final project guidelines document approximately half way through the course. The final project will require you to integrate and build on the skills and techniques introduced in lab activities. You need to plan ahead and be proactive in leaving yourself enough time to complete the GIS project.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Paul Bolstad. 2012. GIS Fundamentals: A First Text on Geographic Information Systems. 4th Edition. Eider Press. ISBN-13: 978-0971764736
Michael Law and Amy Collins. 2015. Getting to Know ArcGIS for Desktop. 4th Edition. Esri Press. ISBN-13: 978-1589483828
Registrar Notes:
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS