GEOG 473/573: Intermediate Geographic Information Systems Department of Geography Minnesota State University, Mankato Syllabus Spring 2014 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Course Meetings: M, W 2:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Place: 212 Morris Hall Instructor: Rama Mohapatra Office: 222F Morris Hall Email: rama.mohapatra@mnsu.edu Phone: (507) 389 6223 Office Hours: M, W - 12:15 p.m. to 2 p.m.; T, R - 10:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. or by appointment Teaching Assistant: Matthew S. Lassonde Office: AH 14 Email: matthew.lassonde@mnsu.edu Phone: (507)389-5187 Office Hours: M -11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; W 4:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. Teaching Assistant: Carson Smith Office: AH 14 Email: carson.smith@mnsu.edu Phone: (507)389-5187 Office Hours: T - 1:00 p.m. to 3 p.m.; W Noon to 2 p.m.; R - 10:00 a.m. to Noon or by appointment ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Credit: 4 Prerequisite: For this course, it is important that the students fulfill the following pre requisites. Undergraduate Students: GEOG 373: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is the pre requisite for the students enrolled in GEOG 473. Graduate Students: GEOG 373: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems or GEOG 673: GIS for Professionals or instructor permission is required for the students enrolled in GEOG 573. Course Description: This course is a required course for the undergraduate and graduate GISc certificate programs. The GISc certificate programs are considered as gainful employment programs. Gainful employment programs are those "that prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation." For more information visit http://www.mnsu.edu/instres/gainfulemploy/index.html. This course is an intermediate level course that expands upon the concepts, theories and tools presented in GEOG 373: Introduction to GIS or GEOG 673: GIS for Professionals. Instruction is provided on foundational knowledge related to GIS data formats, geodatabase, data exploration, geospatial analysis, spatial modeling, spatial interpolation, network analysis, 3D analysis and temporal GIS. In this course, the intermediate level GIS theories and techniques will be introduced through a combination of lectures, hands-on exercises, and individual or team projects. In the lab classes, students will learn ArcGIS 10.1 and its extensions such as Spatial Analyst, Geostatistical Analyst, Network Analyst, 3D Analyst and Tracking Analyst through in-depth hands-on tutorials and exercises. Furthermore, students will plan, design and implement an applied GIS project of their choice using the techniques learned in the class. To finish the project students might have to use additional analytical skills and other software.
Learning Outcomes: After successfully finishing the course the students will be able to: Critically examine a wide range of geospatial issues. Perform intermediate level geospatial analysis. Join advanced level GIS courses. Plan, design and implement real world GIS projects. Work for employers seeking skilled GIS professionals to handle various geospatial needs. References: Additional materials will be provided as and when required Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, by Kang-tsung Chang, McGraw-Hill, 7 th Edition, 2014 Getting To Know ArcGIS Desktop for ArcGIS 10.1, by Michael Law and Amy Collins, ESRI Press, 3rd Edition, 2013 Mastering ArcGIS, by Maribeth Price, McGraw-Hill, 6 th Edition, 2014 Modeling Our World: The ESRI Guide to Geodatabase Concepts, by Michael Zeiler, ESRI Press, 2 nd Edition 2010 GIS Tutorial 1: Basic Workbook, by Wilpen L. Gorr and Kristen S. Kurland, ESRI Press, 4 th Edition, 2011 GIS Tutorial 2: Spatial Analysis Workbook, by David W. Allen, ESRI Press, 2nd Edition, 2011 GIS Tutorial 3: Advanced Workbook, by David W. Allen and Jeffery M. Coffey, 2011 Course evaluation: In this course, students will be evaluated both on their theoretical understanding of the GIS topics covered and their ability to analyze geospatial issues by employing ArcGIS 10.1 and its extensions. Test materials will come directly from lectures and labs, as well as from websites and other visual presentations (if) provided in class. Apart from theoretical questions, the tests could include lab related questions on ArcGIS 10.1 and its extensions. The lab related questions in the test would be time bound and needs to be finished using the lab computer and data provided by the instructor. Various evaluation components of the course and the respective percentages are outlined below. Components Percentages Midterm Exam 20% Final Exam 20% Final Project 20% Labs 30% Class Participation* 10% ** Class participation includes: Attendance, Quizzes, In-class assignments etc. Grading Scale: A fixed grading scale will be used in this course as mentioned below. A+ (97%-100%) A (94%-96%) A- (90%-93%) B+ (87%-89%) B (84%-86%) B- (80%-83%) C+ (77%-79%) C (74%-76%) C- (70%-73%) D+ (67%-69%) D (64%-66%) D- (60%-63%) F (<60%) I (Incomplete)* Incomplete grade Is reserved for special cases and means that, because of extenuating circumstances, the student failed to meet a specific need and an important requirement of the course, but in other respects has done passing work for the semester.
According to the university policy, incomplete grade is only allowed when the student has finished two thirds of the course work. The student should seek help from the instructor as soon as possible when the emergency occurs. The incomplete work must be made up in the next semester in which the student is enrolled, unless other arrangements have been made between the student and instructor who assigned the grade. In-Progress grade is not applied in this course since this course is designed to be done by the end of the term. The Final Project: For Undergraduate Students The final project will be a GIS application project defined by the instructor or student. The final project indicates that you have used your GIS skills learned in the class to investigate geospatial issues. Projects need to be done individually or as a group of two students. I will discuss more about the project in the class. The project will include: (1) A project report (around 2000 words) (2) A project presentation (8 minutes one presenter, 12 minutes 2 presenters) (3) An ArcGIS 10.1 project including your data, maps, tables etc. For Graduate Students The final project will be a GIS project designed by the student. The project work must indicate that you have used your GIS skills learned in the class to investigate and analyze geospatial problems. The project paper must include literature review and should describe the significance of the project. Projects need to be done individually. I will discuss more about the project in the class. The project will include: (1) A professional project paper (around 3000 words) (2) A project presentation (10 minutes) (3) An ArcGIS 10.1 project including your data, maps, tables etc. Student Responsibilities: Course Policies Students should hand in all assignments and labs on time. Late submission leads to 20% deduction per day. Students are expected to attend the weekly lectures and labs. Missing more than 5 weeks class leads to a fail (F) grade. In accordance with University Policy, students who engage in disruptive classroom activities will be disenrolled from the course. Checking emails, reading news over Internet, doing homework for other classes, doing old lab assignment during the lecture, or any other disruptive classroom activities will lead to 2% deduction of the final course grade each time. Students are required to take the midterm and final examinations at the scheduled time. Exceptions will be granted only in special cases (e.g., illness, family emergency) and only if documentation is provided. For absences due to religious observances or scheduled activities of official University student organizations, students must inform the instructor at the beginning of the semester.
Students are also expected to take a proactive role by seeking assistance from the instructor when problems arise. Students with Disability: Students with disability that affect their ability to participate in class or meet all course requirements are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the Instructor during the first week of class. They are also encouraged to use university disability service for professional help. Academic Misconduct: Students are expected to do their own labs, assignments and exams. Students should refer to the Student Handbook for information on definitions of academic misconduct and relevant procedures. Cheating of any kind, including plagiarism and self-plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in a fail (F) grade for the course; expulsion from the University is possible. Relevant polices are listed at following website: http://www.mnsu.edu/supersite/administration/basic-stuff/policies.html#honesty
GEOG 473/573: Intermediate Geographic Information Systems Tentative Schedule - Spring 2014 Week Dates Lecture Topics Lab Topics 1 Jan 13 & 15 Course introduction, Review of key developments in the field of GIS, GIS applications Introduction to labs and class project, getting familiar with ArcGIS 10.1, in class assignment 2 Jan 20 & 22 Jan 20: No class Lab1: Data downloading, extraction and mapping 3 Jan 27 & 29 Geospatial data types, formats and sources including U.S. Census Lab2: Data preparation and visualization 4 Feb 3 & 5 Geospatial database management Lab3: Geodatabase 5 Feb 10 & 12 Data Exploration Lab4: Data exploration 6 Feb 17 & 19 Geospatial analysis Lab5: Spatial analysis 7 Feb 24 & 26 GIS Models and Modeling, Midterm Lab 6: Model Builder exam review 8 Mar 3 & 5 Midterm Exam (Mar 3) Project proposal discussion, Project proposal due at 11 p.m. on Mar 5 9 Mar 10 & 12 Spring Break: No Class Spring Break: No Class 10 Mar 17 & 19 Spatial interpolation Lab7: Spatial interpolation 11 Mar 24 & 26 Network Analysis Lab 8: Network analysis 12 Mar 31 & Apr 2 Terrain Mapping and Analysis Lab 9: 3D analysis 13 Apr 7 & 9 Temporal GIS (AAG Meeting, April Lab 10: Temporal Analysis 8 12) 14 Apr 14 & 16 Time to work on projects Time to work on projects 15 Apr 21 & 23 Time to work on projects, Final Exam Review Project presentation and discussion 16 Apr 28 & 30 Project presentation and discussion Project presentation and discussion 17 May 7 - Wednesday Final Exam (12:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m.) Important information: I may not remain perfectly on track with the syllabus (which is a general outline for what we will cover) and I reserve the right to alter the syllabus. As we proceed through the class, any changes will be announced in class. Students are responsible for being aware of any and all changes to the syllabus, including any announcements made while the student was absent or tardy. Students agree to accept and comply with these requirements by choosing to remain enrolled after learning of these course conditions. If you have any problems in class feel free to contact me.