Office Hours: 3:30-4:30 Tuesday and 10:00-11:00 Thursday in Guggenheim 301B, Email: li.xu-1@colorado.edu
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Elements of GIS provides an overview of geographic information
system (GIS) technologies and the important roles these play in
today's world. GIS are proving vital to the exploration of spatial
and environmental patterns and processes across a wide range of
fields in the physical, biological and socials sciences;
engineering; business planning and marketing; urban and regional
planning; and the humanities, particularly history. Elements
of GIS is organized to give you a hands-on appreciation of
how geographic information systems can be put to use in your area
of interest. By the end of the semester, you should be able:
1) To create GIS datasets and maps for a thesis, dissertation,
or publication
1. To understand how GIS are used to represent, model and analyze
geospatial patterns and processes
2. To know the basic principals of cartographic and visual
communication and apply them to the composition of map
3. To understand the strengths and weaknesses of various methods
of statistical mapping
4. To be able to use cartographic symbology to depict spatial
relationship of location, direction, distance, and movement
2) To gather, explore, model, and analyze data using GIS
1. To be familiar with the coordinate systems used most widely
where you live and within the US as a whole
2. To understand why and how map projections effect the display of
cartographic information
3. To be familiar with methods for using maps in exploratory data
analysis
4. To understand modeling and geostatistical capabilities of GIS
5. To understand the role of error and uncertainty in GIS modeling
and how error and uncertainty can be estimated and managed
3) To master the digital skills needed to build GIS projects on
your own
1. To know the most important starting places for data in the Web
and elsewhere
2. To learn how to geocode data for use in GIS
3. To develop a working knowledge of ArcGIS
Elements of GIS is organized around five active-learning
assignments and two take-home exams. The active-learning
assignments emphasize ways that cartographers and other
researchers use maps to address real-world research issues. The
issues have been selected so that they raise a variety of
technical and methodological problems related to the theory and
practice of cartography. In this way, you will learn by experience
how cartographers gather and weigh evidence about natural and
human processes, employ maps and databases to represent and model
real-life situations, analyze spatial, temporal, and functional
relationships, and communicate findings cartographically and
graphically and in written and spoken presentations. The
assignments stress analytical reasoning and how such reasoning is
supported by the use of maps, computers, and information
technology.
Most of the course materials for Elements of GIS have been
developed in hypermedia format as an on-line "electronic" textbook
and lab manual in the Worldwide Web. The course does not assume
previous experience with geographic information systems, mapping
technologies or the Internet, though experience with Windows-based
computers is valuable. The course is built around lectures,
discussion and, of course, hands-on laboratory experience. The
active-learning assignments make use of the popular ArcMap
software from ESRI. Practice with this system will be of
value in your future academic and professional work.
Assignment 1: The 2012 Campaign Trail for President | Introduction to ArcMap I | Introduction to ArcMap II (15 percent of final grade).
Assignment 2: Mapping
Tectonic Hot Spots (10 percent of final grade)
Assignment 3: The Cost of Renting (10 percent of final grade)
Assignment 4: Boulder Noise (15 percent of final grade)
Assignment 5: Independent Project (20 percent of final grade). Rubric for final project.Take-home Exam 1: (15 percent of final grade)
The deadlines for assignments are given in the course
schedule. Please contact me as soon as possible if you will
miss a deadline owing to a health, medical, or family
emergency. Assignments handed in late lose 10% of point value
per weekday.
It is my policy in all my classes to abide by the CU Honor Code (http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/) This means that I will penalize with course failure anyone who engages in "academic dishonesty." Academic dishonesty includes, among other offenses, plagiarism of the writing of others, cheating on exams, falsification and fabrication of data, and submitting the assignments or papers of others as your own.
Attendance is required at all lab sessions.
Two books are required for this course:
Brewer, Cynthia A. 2005. Designing Better Maps: A Guide for GIS Users. Redlands, CA: ESRI Press.
Mitchell, Andy. 2005. The
ESRI Guide to GIS Analysis. Volume 2: Spatial Measurements and
Statistics.
Other study materials are
online in the Web or will be distributed by email. Ask if
you would like recommendations for other online and printed
study materials.
Books should be
available at the bookstore and can be ordered directly from the
publishers or from Web bookstores such as http://www.amazon.com/
or http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
During the course of the semester you will need to purchase about $20-60 in computer supplies for the laboratory exercises. You will need to buy at least a 2 GB USB memory stick for laboratory work. You will need additional (completely independent) storage media for your backup files--a separate memory stick, CDs, or DVDs. Please bring a memory stick to the first lab so you can save your work.
You will be making extensive use of the Geography Department's
KESDA computer lab, the internet, web, and email. Be sure that you
have a valid CU Identikey password and working email account.
For this course you can use the free software license for ArcGIS
on your home computer and you can use Geography's KESDA computer
lab on the ground floor of Guggenheim Hall (GUGG 6), as well as
the computers in GUGG 8. You should plan to spend at least 4-6
hours working with the software each week, in addition to your
time in lab. If you plan to use KESDA, please study the guidelines
for using the computer laboratory which are available online .
If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please
submit to me a letter from Disability Services to me in the first
two weeks of the class so that your needs may be addressed.
Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented
disabilities.
The College will make reasonable accommodations for persons with
documented disabilities. Students should notify the Counselor for
Students with Disabilities, Disability Services Office, located in
Willard 322 (phone 303-492-8671) and their instructors of any
special needs. If you have specific physical, psychiatric, or
learning disabilities and require accommodations, please let me
know early in the semester so that your learning needs may be
appropriately met. You will need to provide documentation of your
disability to the Disability Services Office see
www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices
This University abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973 which stipulates that no student shall be denied the benefits
of an education "solely by reason of a handicap." Disabilities
covered by law include but are not limited to learning
disabilities and hearing, sight or mobility impairments. If you
have a disability that may have some impact on your work in this
class and for which you may require accommodations, please see me
or the Coordinator of Services to students with disabilities in
the Disability Services Office, Willard 322 (phone 303-492-8671),
so that such accommodations may be arranged.
I encourage students with disabilities, including non-visible
disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head
injury and attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, psychiatric
disabilities, to discuss with me, after class or during my office
hours, appropriate accommodations.
If conflicts arise between class meetings, assignment deadlines, or examinations and holidays or celebrations observed by your religion, please notify me, Professor Foote, at least two weeks in advance of a given conflict so that suitable schedule accommodations can be made.Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. See full details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html
The Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) requests that
all faculty include this information in their syllabi for every
course: The University of Colorado Policy on Sexual Harassment
applies to all students, staff and faculty. Sexual
harassment is unwelcome sexual attention. It can involve
intimidation, threats, coercion, or promises or create an
environment that is hostile or offensive. Harassment may occur
between members of the same or opposite gender and between any
combination of members in the campus community: students, faculty,
staff, and administrators. Harassment can occur anywhere on
campus, including the classroom, the workplace, or a residence
hall. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he
has been sexually harassed should contact the Office of
Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office
of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the
ODH and the campus resources available to assist individuals who
believe they have been sexually harassed can be obtained at:
http://www.colorado.edu/odh/
All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution.Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/