Geography 215: Introduction to GIS (Sample Syllabus)

Credit hours: 3

Instructor: Dr. Rina Ghose, Professor, Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Office: Bolton Hall, room 450

Office Hour: Tuesday 2 to 3pm by appointment.

E-mail: . E-mail is the best way to reach me quickly. I will respond to your email within 24 hours.

Lecture: Online. Lectures will expand on the materials discussed in the text. Lecture power points will be posted in the D2L according to course schedule. Quizzes and exams will be conducted through D2L as well. It is therefore important to be familiar with D2L.

Lab: Online. Read the Lab Syllabus. Labs will be completed online and turned in to the D2L Dropbox. Lab requires students use a personal computer running Microsoft Windows operating system.

Teaching Assistant in charge of labs: Mr. Yang Song(Doctoral Candidate), Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. All lab related questions should be directed at the TA.

Required text

  • Introduction to Geospatial Technologies. B.A. Shellito. Third Edition. W.H. Freeman and Company. New York. ISBN-10:1-4641-8872-6
  • You MUST useedition 3 for this course.

Course Description:

This course is a comprehensive undergraduate GIS course that emphasizes the understanding and implementation of geographic information system theories as well as their relevant applications using software. GIS is a geospatial technology that is widely used in public and private sector and in a range of disciplines. Through this course, you will learn both theories and software applications.

This is a challenging science course with new concepts, theories and software. Knowledge of theories is necessary in order to understand how to use the software properly. Theories will be covered in the lecture power points and text, and you need to study both. Also, study these several times (read key terms and definitions at the end of each chapter in the text). Power point lectureselaborate on the text, and are intended to offer information in addition to the text. Please read lecture materials and text intensively and memorize concepts in order to understand the science behind GIS.

Lab assignments will teach you how to use the GIS software for real world issues. You will need to spend sufficient time in the lab to do tutorials and lab assignments, as learning new software is not easy. Be sure to keep up with your lab assignments in time, as points will be deducted for late assignments.

Lecture Schedule (Note: Remote Sensing will not be covered in detail in this course)

Week / Lecture / Quiz / Exam
Date
Semester startsTuesday,1/25
1 / Introduction to GIS, Geospatial Concepts and Google Earth:
Lecture 1, (Shellito, Ch.1), Quiz 1 / Feb/2 rd
2 / Map Projections and Coordinate Systems: Lecture 2, (Shellito, Ch.2), Quiz 2 / Feb/9th
3 / Matching Data with Map through Reprojecting, Georeferencing, Control Points, Transformations: Lecture 3 (Shellito, Ch. 3)
4 / GIS Data Input: How to input Spatial data in GIS, finding location with GPS. Lecture 4 (Shellito, Ch. 4), Quiz 3 / Feb /23th
5 / GIS Data Models: Vector and Raster. Lecture 5 (Shellito, Ch. 5, p. 109 to 119)
6 / GIS Data Models: lecture continued, Quiz 4 / Mar/8th
7 / Spring Break – No Lab or Quiz due. Study for Midterm Exam. / Mar
13-20
8 / Attribute Data, Database Models continued: Lecture 6 (Shellito, Ch. 5, p.118-128); Queries (Shellito, Ch. 6 p.158-162); Quiz 5 / Mar/22th
9 / MIDTERM EXAM (Online) Anytime between 9 am to 9 pm;
Attribute Data, Data Management and Database Models: Lecture 6 / Mar/29th
10 / Spatial Analysis, Operations, Geoprocessing: Lecture 7 (Shellito, Ch.6 p.163-176, lecture slides 1-72) Quiz 6 / Apr/5th
11 / Map Design: Lecture 8 (Shellito, Ch.7), Quiz 7 / Apr/12th
12 / Spatial Analysis and Operations – Network Analysis, Geocoding: Lecture 7 (Shellito, Ch. 8, lecture slides 73-94)
13 / Digital Landscaping and Terrain Analysis: Lecture 8 (Shellito, Ch. 13),
14 / 3D Geovisualization and Modeling: Lecture 9 (Shellito, Ch. 14)
Quiz 8 / May/3rd
15 / Final Exam Review
16 / FINAL EXAM (Online) Anytime between 9 am to 9 pm / May/17th

*Quiz dates indicate the date quizzes will be posted on D2L, to be answered anytime from 9 am to 9pm

Exam dates indicate the date the exam will be posted on D2L, to be answered anytime from 9am to 9pm

Course Requirements (Grading):

GIS Theory: 200 points or 50% of grade. Your knowledge of theory will be tested through quizzes and exams. You must read the text and lecture powerpoint to understand the theories. There will be Eight Quizzes: 80 points and Two Exams: 120 points

Lab Assignments: 200 points or 50% of grade. Separate lab syllabus provides you the details about labs. All lab related questions should be directed to the TA.

The quizzes and two exams will be held online through D2Lfrom 9am to 9pm. You are responsible for taking the quiz or exam within this time frame, and must arrange your work schedule accordingly. Thequizzes and exams will consist of multiple choice, true/false questions, based on material from lectures and readings. You will be heavily tested on your knowledge of the theories and concepts of GIS. No questions will be asked about the software or lab assignments. Exam reviews will be provided. Please note that the quizzes and exams are hard. But you can do well if you study diligently.

Since the course grade is based 50% on theory and 50% on labs, finishing all lab assignments can significantly help your grade.

Grading Scale:

  • A = 90-100%, A- = 87-89.99%
  • B+ = 83-86.99%, B = 80-82.99%, B- = 77-79.99%
  • C+ = 73-76.99%, C = 70-72.99%, C- = 67-69.99%
  • D+ = 63-66.99%, D = 60-62.99%, D- = 57-59.99%
  • F = 0-56.99%

Make-up Exams or Quizzes: No make-ups will be allowed without emergency reasons with written proof.

I (Incomplete): See the University policy on incompletes at the following link:

If you take the class pass-fail (S/U), you must get the equivalent of at least a “C” to earn an “S” in the course.

Please don’t ask for extensions, make-up assignments, or extra credit.

Notices:

  • Grades, once given, are final except in cases of clerical error.
  • Cheating on exams, or assignments will not be tolerated. Additional information about the policies and procedures can be found at and are posted in the Geography Department main office, NWQ B, 6th floor.

Communicating with your instructor

If you have questions regarding the course, please contact me by email at , and address me as Dr.Ghose or Professor Ghose. Put Geog 215 as the subject line, and provide me with your full name. I check email regularly and will reply back within 24 hours, unless there’s an emergency at my end. You are required to use your UWM email account for any communication with us, as the university can block private email accounts, and I will not accept “I didn’t receive the email” as an excuse. Also, emails must be written in a polite and formal manner.

Disability Statement:

Students in need of additional accommodations based on the impact of a disability should provide a copy of Verified Individual Services and Accommodations (VISA) to indicate theaccommodation.

Course Impact

0 hours -- Time in the classroom (face to face instruction)
39 hours -- Time spent online reading lecture and other material
13 hours -- Time in discussions (online and/or in person)
52 hours -- Time in laboratories
2 hours -- Time taking exams
0 hours -- Time in tutorials
0 hours -- Time for class presentations
52 hours -- Time completing assignments
34 hours -- Time for preparation and study

TOTAL 192 hours

1