Course Syllabus

ENVS 422 (& EGEO 552) Advanced GIS

TEXT: 
No required text. Readings will be distributed on Canvas.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is the culmination of the year-long ENVS 420-421-422 series. Students are expected to begin the term with a fairly advanced level of GIS knowledge and skills. The course will focus primarily on the development and implementation of complex, original student research projects and professional development. Lectures will concentrate on an overview of advanced analysis and visualization techniques, GIS project management, and professional development. Techniques lectures will provide a survey of some advanced GIS techniques including brief introductions to an array of open source software and web mapping options, advanced cartographic techniques, and automation and scripting. Guest lectures will be included to introduce students to a suite of potential applications. Project management lectures will focus on all stages of project management, from data collection to communication with clients. Professional development lectures will cover topics including resume writing, portfolio development, and interviewing skills.

Assessment will be centered on the quarter-long development of an advanced original research project. Collaboration with stakeholders and other researchers is encouraged. Hands-on lab assignments will be designed to encourage students to apply advanced techniques to their own project data.

COURSE STRUCTURE:

Lectures will occur during the first hour of class. The second hour of class will be spent working on hands-on lab activities and developing original research projects. Students are expected to stay for the entire class period. Labs and project development will require additional work outside of our regularly scheduled class period. Most work will be individual assignments, but students are expected to review and critique each other’s work on a regular basis. 

Reading is moderate but expectations for class participation are high. This includes regular attendance (extremely important), active class participation in discussion (both in person and online), quick assimilation of new computer programs and the ability to work effectively with others in the lab. 

SCHEDULE

Our lecture schedule will be somewhat flexible to accommodate guest lectures.

ASSESSMENT:

Attendance and participation (10%): Attendance and participation will be graded based on attendance for both lecture and lab, participation in discussion (including asking your own questions) during lecture and lab, involvement in our online communities via regular posting of questions and interesting maps or articles, and your hard work critiquing your classmates’ maps in class. Regular attendance is crucial to your success in this class. 

Lab activities (15%): Brief hands-on lab activities will be completed each week. These should generally be short enough to be finished during our lab period. These will be designed to introduce students to a wide array of tools and techniques, including various web mapping platforms, open source analytical software, and graphic design software options. Late labs will lose 10% each day late. Most deliverables should be submitted on our S: drive.

Deliverables (15%): There will be eight deliverables over the quarter. These will be designed to encourage timely completion of each element of the final project. Each deliverable will be worth 1/8 of the total deliverables grade. Late deliverables will lose 10% each day late. Most deliverables should be submitted on our S: drive.

Portfolio (5%): Students will create a polished online portfolio showcasing their GIS skills and experience. This portfolio will include pages for multiple lab activities from this and previous GIS courses, and a more extensive section covering the final project completed in this course.

Final research paper, poster, and presentation (55%): Each student will conduct an original research project involving the collection, processing, analysis, and visualization of multiple spatial datasets. Results will be disseminated via a poster, a report, and an in-class presentation. Data, results, discussion, and plans for future research will be included in a 10-15-page (double-space, times new roman 12 point font) research report including a literature review. The paper will contain a literature review with references within the text, and bibliographic citations for at least 15 articles found in peer-reviewed journals. Each student will also give a brief (5-10 minute) presentation on their findings in class.

Final project grades will be calculated as: presentation (10%), poster (40%), paper (50%).