Office Hours: Thursday 2-4 in KESDA Lab, Email: maclaurg@colorado.edu
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Lecture and Discussion Notes | Assignments | GEOG 5003 Homepage | Geography Homepage | CU Homepage |
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 ArcMap
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 Dynamics of the US Urban System, 1790-1990 (14 percent of final
grade).
Assignment 2: Mapping
Tectonic Hot Spots (14 percent of final grade)
Assignment 3: Boulder
County Flooding: Estimating the Population at Risk and Proposing
Evacuation Points (14 percent
of final
grade)
Assignment 4: Spatial
Analysis of Plant Distribution Patterns or GPS, Google Earth, and the Cost of Eating in Boulder County (14 percent of final grade)
Assignment 5: Independent Project (14 percent of final grade)
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.
The following are optional sources that you may wish to purchase if you
find
them useful:
1. Muehrcke, Phillip C. and Juliana O. Muehrcke. 2005. Map
Use:
Reading-Analysis-Interpretation, 5th ed. Madison, WI: JP
Publications.
2. Burke, Robert, Eileen Napoleon, Tim Ormsby. 2004. Getting
to Know ArcGIS
Desktop: The Basics of ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo Updated for
ArcGIS 9. Redlands, CA: ESRI Press.
3. Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). Getting to Know
ArcGIS. An online course offered through ESRI's Virtual Campus. Visit
the
Virtual Campus (http://campus.esri.com/ ) at ESRI for more information.
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 1 GB USB memory stick for laboratory work. You will need additional storage media for your backup files (3-4 CDs, DVDs or additional memory sticks). 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, Worldwide Web, and E-mail. Be sure that you have a valid CU Identikey password and working email account. For more information see: 1) http://www.colorado.edu/its/docs/accounts/activate.html and 2) Getting Started with Campus Technology (http://www.colorado.edu/ITS/gettingstarted/)
For this course you can use the free software license for ArcMap on your home computer and you can use Geography's KESDA computer lab on the ground floor of Guggenheim Hall (room 6). 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 . These rules will be enforced strictly during the semester and their violation will result in loss of laboratory privileges.
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 in Willard 322 (phone 303-492-8671). See also
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 orrequired 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/