Through weekly lectures, guided lab sessions, independent research, and a culminating final project, students will gain a working knowledge Geographic information Systems (GIS) and cartographic strategies increasingly vital to humanitarian relief, international development and climate challenges. As contemporary GIS software constitutes a predominant mapping platform across many disciplines and industries, students will gain a foothold in the practical application of this valuable software, as well as an understanding of how GIS relates to a myriad of global development issues. Further, students will develop proven skills in cartography, spatial data manipulation and analysis.
Lecture sessions will introduce students to the history, theory and capabilities of GIS in an international development and evironmental context; corresponding weekly lab sessions will guide students towards mastery of GIS skills. Each week students will work independently to complete technical assignments which draw upon spatial concepts introduced and detailed in a lecture setting. In the latter portion of the course, students will segue towards developing their own GIS project for a particular research topic in international development, humanitarian relief or environmental studies. Through the final project, students will demonstrate their mastery and integration of course concepts through the practical and technical application of GIS technology.
In the syllabus schedule to follow, each week features a Lecture and Demonstration Lab component. A component of the Demonstration Lab will be conducted together as a class during the lecture meeting. Students are encouraged to use additional posted lab materials as supplemental materials to each week’s assignment. Typically the lab component will feature extended workflow instructions to accomplish GIS tasks related to the weekly topic. Like lecture materials, these weekly labs will be made available for access throughout the course. They can prove useful for student enrichment beyond the weekly assignments; they can also be helpful in demonstrating different approaches to spatial problems introduced each week throughout the course. Generally the weekly lab materials are optional and they are not graded.
| Weekly GIS technical assignments | 50% |
|---|---|
| Independent research, data development & project scope (Final Project) | 10% |
| Final GIS project presentation (Final Project) | 30% |
| Participation & weekly quizzes | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
Essentials of Geographic Information Systems Version 2.1