Course Syllabus

Schedule (Below)          Assignments          Readings

AH-16,    T-Th   10:00-11:50 

Stefan Freelan,   AH-211,   650-2949,   stefan@wwu.edu         Office Hours: T-Th 2:00-3:15
                                                   (please put "envs-321" in the subject of all emails)
TA & LA Support:  AH-16 see Lab Schedule (Links to an external site.) for TA & LA Lab Hours 
(please use scheduled Lab Hours and/or the class Discussions page first before you email the TA or Stefan...)
       TA: Lori Holmes

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In Brief:

        Assignments are due at the beginning of class
              Late assignments lose 10% / DAY
             
There are 5 Assignments (4 Labs and a Final Project
        COURSE READINGS (Links to an external site.)
               Text book REQUIRED: Designing Better Maps (Cynthia Brewer)
        Cartography and Class LINKS
        4 Quizzes (No Mid-Term, No Final Exam)


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SYLLABUS -  COURSE DETAILS

ABOUT THIS COURSE:

    The purpose of this course is to introduce students to computerized cartography and graphic design techniques & skills.  Maps are powerful communication tools for describing geographic distributions and geographic relationships and this class will cover various cartographic methods, as well as some of the limitations of graphic communication, for illustrating reports, papers, and theses. Topics covered include symbology, text (map annotation), layout and the use of color for cartography. 

    This will be primarily a lab-style class; class time will include lectures and demos, but the majority of the time will be spent creating and critiquing maps. Lectures will introduce the topics and the specific skills & techniques to be learned. Lab sessions (at least 50% of class) will be dedicated to working on the skills and lab exercises. This course assumes knowledge of a number of cartographic concepts such as map scalemap projection, and map abstraction, which are covered in ENVS-320 (Introduction to GIS). The primary software used for creating maps will be ESRI's ArcGIS. As such, ENVS-320 (or a similar introduction) is required (prior to this class, not concurrent). The Cartography course is not, however, a GIS course per se. The majority of the GIS components of the course (obtaining, processing and editing of data, creation of the basic project files, etc.) will be largely provided for you, leaving the focus on the cartographic aspects. Being a computer based course, familiarity with the basics of the Windows operating system (data management, etc.) is essential. Students new to computers are encouraged to take an introductory computer class prior to this class. In addition, the Student Tech Center (Haggard Hall 121, 650-4300) is available for assistance with general computer questions.

    Cartography is a discipline where art and science come together. This merger doesn’t just happen on it's own, however; high-quality cartography requires considerable effort and practice. Current software enables the creation of a map with little more than the push of a few buttons. The use of such 'default' cartography, while convenient (and potentially adequate), rarely leads to the most aesthetically pleasing product, nor the clearest in terms of communication. While the differences between a basic GIS-produced map and a crafted work of cartography may appear subtle, the effort required to go from one to the other is usually substantial. Cartography and graphics design are extremely time consuming endeavors. Most students will need to dedicate considerable out-of-class time for working on lab projects. Previous sections of this course have recommended the dedication of 5-10 hours per week, outside of scheduled class time, at a minimum.

 

CLASS  FORMAT:

    Lectures, announcements and/or lab updates and notes will be at the beginning of class (during the lecture period). As such, punctual attendance to class each day is expected. Given that there will be minimal lecture time in this course, every word is precious - so show up and be on time. Very little material will be presented during the Lab periods. As such, students do not need to attend/remain in class for the entire lab period, however, using the lab period to work on course assignments is strongly recommended. The scheduled class time to work on the labs provides the benefit of help from the instructor as well as collaboration with and help from fellow students. Those students choosing not to attend Lab sections do so at their own risk and are entirely responsible for anything they might miss...

    AH-16 (The Spatial Analysis Lab or "SAL") is open 24 hours a day, but students in classes have priority during scheduled class times. The outside door of AH is locked at night and on some weekends, call the SAL (650-7986, to see if someone is working who can let you in) or the University Police (and identify yourself as a ENVS-321 student) if you need to get in after hours when the building is locked.

 

TEXTS  &  MATERIALS

    There is a required textbook for this course (Designing Better Maps, SECOND EDITION, by Cynthia Brewer). Be sure to purchase the Second Edition, as there are numerous chapters that have been added. There are also assigned readings. See the COURSE READINGS for reading schedule and links to online materials. Reference books are also available for checkout from Stefan (AH-211).

 

Software

    ArcGIS 10.4 (ESRI) - Available in AH-16 (the Spatial Analysis Lab), AH-14, AH-05, and many of the main campus Windows computer labs.

    Note that ArcGIS project files (.mxd) are not backwards compatible. That is, ArcGIS 10.3, 10.2 or 9.x cannot open a project created in ArcGIS 10.4. Most computers on the WWU campus should have 10.4 installed.

    Evaluation copies of the software are available if students wish to install ArcGIS on their personal computers (the bigger, faster and the more RAM the better).  Email Stefan for a code to download the installation software. In addition, some ESRI books (such as Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop) include a 180 day evaluation copy.

 

Lecture Materials

    Various PowerPoint presentations and demo files will be made available to supplement the labs.

 

Recommended Course Materials (purchased items)

  • Recommended: Lab book for taking notes from lectures and lab assignments: Lab Books can be used during open-note quizzes.

  • Optional: Portable storage device (USB drive or other storage device). For most students, with proper data management, the U:\ drive should be adequate for the data storage needs of this class.

 

LAB ASSIGNMENTS  QUIZZES  &  FINAL  PROJECT:

    A progressive set of 5 Assignments (4 Lab assignments and a Final Project) will introduce and reinforce techniques of graphic design and cartography. Expectations in terms of cartographic concepts and techniques are cumulative. Assignments are due the beginning of class on the assigned date. Late lab assignments lose 10% PER DAY LATE. Late Final Projects will not be accepted without prior approval from the instructor.

    Using fellow students for advice, suggestions and feedback is encouraged. However, plagiarism and cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. Students caught cheating will be expelled from class or otherwise disciplined according to established University guidelines. Cheating includes any copying of other people’s computer files. Each student is expected to complete the entire assignments on their own.

 

Working at HOME or in other labs:

    Much of the material in this course can be done using the ArcGIS Student Evaluation software or in the other Windows labs on campus (many of which have ArcGIS installed). HOWEVER, this may not be true for all of the assignments. As such, the recommendation is that students schedule time in the SAL computer lab (AH-16) to complete their homework. Those who choose to work from home or in other labs should allow adequate time, in case something doesn't work, to get the assignments done in the lab if need be. "I wasn't able to finish the homework because MY version of the software didn't have the right tools..." (or 'my internet connection failed,' or 'my USB drive is corrupt,' etc.) will not be considered acceptable excuses for late assignments (actually, they are perfectly acceptable excuses - but the assignments will still lose 10% per day for being late). Those choosing to work outside of AH-16 are responsible for whatever data management (copy, transport, re-pathing of .mxd files, etc.) is required to do so.

 

Quizzes / Exams

     Quizzes are open note (anything you write down in your own handwriting or print from your own word documents can be used) but are closed book/screen. Content for the Quizzes will be drawn from the Readings and Lecture materials. Quizzes may not be taken late. Quizzes may be taken early if pre-arranged with Stefan.

 

        There will not be a Mid-Term for this course. There will not be a Final Exam for this course.

 

GRADING:

    Course grading will be based on the quizzes and scores of submitted assignments.  The majority of the grade will be based on maps from the labs and final project. Thus, neatness, accuracy, completeness, aesthetic quality, and clear communication of information will be the measures of performance.

    Final grades will be based on a percentage of points earned for the quizzes and assigned labs (roughly 91% = A-, 81% = B-, etc., with the actual percentage breakdown subject to final revision by the instructor at the end of the quarter). That's right: a score of 90% typically is a B+ not an A-...

    Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with WWU's University Academic Policies found in the Course Catalog, which will be adhered to in this course. 

  • Labs will be scored primarily on cartographic communication (clearly conveying spatial information) and demonstration of the core concepts for a particular lab. Secondarily, artistic style will also be considered.

  • Neatness counts! Printed assignments should be turned in on a crisp, clean sheet of paper

  • Lab & Quiz scores will be posted to this website as the quarter progresses. Students are expected to check their scores and promptly bring any questions or concerns they have for a particular score to the attention of the instructor.

  • Late Lab assignments lose 10% per day

  • Late final projects will not be accepted

  • Extra-credit assignments, make-up or bonus points will not be available for this course

  • Learn how to properly save and backup your work - “The computer ate my file” will not spare you the late penalty if your assignment is turned in late

 

Plagiarism

    Digital files are extremely easy to share and copy. Resist the temptation to excessively 'collaborate' with fellow students. Getting advice, feedback and help from classmates is strongly encouraged. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Please be sure to NOT leave copies of your work on the C:/ drive of lab computers where others might 'find' and 'adopt' them... (for this reason students are encouraged to work off of their U:/ drive for this class). See WWU's Academic Honesty Policy and Procedure, and Student Rights and Responsibilities Code in the Western Catalog.

 

Accommodations

   Reasonable accommodation for persons with documented disabilities should be established within the first week of class and arranged through Disability Resources for Students (360-650-3083; drs@wwu.edu; http://www.wwu.edu/depts/drs/

 

Pass / Fail

    Students taking this course purely as an elective (including graduate students) are encouraged to take this course Pass / Fail.  Note, however, that students cannot use Pass / Fail for any courses that are part of their Major, Minor or GURs (this includes use of the course as a Major elective).

 

FINAL  WORDS:

  • Please TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE

  • No food or drink in AH 16 (if you need to consume something, please leave the room)

  • Please keep AH-16 tidy, dispose of your trash in a receptacle and your old prints in the recycle bin

  • Try to avoid unnecessary printing, however, you are also encouraged to print out draft maps as you go

  • Students are encouraged to print their maps for proof-reading even for assignments that are submitted digitally

  • Use the color printer only for final prints - do test prints with the BW printers when you can 

  • When printing, be aware that sometimes it takes time (1-2 minutes or longer) for the printer to warm up and process the data, so be patient and wait for your prints rather than hitting Print again....

  • Be sure to turn in printed products on clean paper

  • Cartography takes time. Average time for completing each assignment is 10-20 hours. If you are an extreme perfectionist, either be ready to lower your standards or be prepared to dedicate much of your life to each project. If you are new to computers, allow extra time... Plan ahead. Give yourself plenty of time to complete each project. Much of the difference between A and B (or C) work boils down to simple time management. Those that underestimate the amount of time an assignment will take and end up scrambling to get projects completed at the last minute rarely do their best work. Computer cartography is time intensive.

  • That all said, have fun. Get to know your fellow cartographers and share your creative ideas and challenges with them. This course provides an opportunity for you to explore your creativity and apply it to a wide variety of tools for graphic communication of spatial concepts. 

SYLLABUS DETAILS (top of page)               ASSIGNMENTS                  READINGS                 LINKS

 

COURSE SCHEDULE

Course Summary:

Date Details Due