Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Course Name : Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Pre-requisites : None
Credits : 3 Credit hours, 15 week course
Class meets: M/W/F 50 minutes, or Twice a week for 75 minutes. To be decided
Instructor: Ranjan S. Muttiah
Office: Room 221, GIS & Remote Sensing Center, Geology
Office Hours : Monday & Wednesdays 2-3:00 pm.
Textbooks:
Ormsby T, E. Napoleon, R. Burke, C. Groessl, and L. Feaster. Getting to know ArcGIS. ESRI Press. 2004.
Zeiler M. 1999. Modeling our World, the ESRI Guide to Geodatabase Design.
Related material will be posted on the eCollege website, and handed out in class.
COURSE OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES:
A basic introduction to the way spatial data such as points, lines, polygon, and gridded data are stored in computers. How digital spatial data is manipulated by GIS computer systems. The student can be expected to generate GIS products through use of ArcGIS after having learnt the following: elements of mapping starting from data entry to map product generation, relating databases to spatial information, creating and maintaining a geo-database, editing features, and geo-processing to infer relationships between spatial features.
STUDENT ACTION STEPS TO ACCOMPLISH OBJECTIVES:
1). Students will learn all the components of a working GIS system, and how GIS systems are currently being used in a variety of different disciplines, and user community ranging from governments to private companies involved in resource exploration.
2). Students will learn the basic building blocks of spatial data; how the building blocks are stored and attributed with properties, accessed, displayed, and printed for publication.
3). With understanding of the nature of spatial data, student will be guided through the steps that can be employed to draw inferences concerning relationships between spatial data. Computer exercises and demonstrations will be extensively used throughout the course.
Graduate Student Requirement:
Graduate students taking the class will be expected to complete a class project.
GRADING
Quizzes 10%, Homeworks 15%, Three Exams each worth 25% of final grade.
A = 90-100%, B=80-90%, C=70-80%, D=60-70%, F = < 60%
POLICIES:
The class will primarily consist of hands on learning using GIS via use of ESRI-ArcGIS. Your grade will be based on homework assignments, quizzes, and exams. You may discuss the course assignments, but the work must be done by you individually. I encourage your active participation in class. If you don’t understand a topic in class, ask me during my office hours. Attendance at all classes is required. No late home works.
Quoting from the TCU student handbook:
“ Academic Misconduct (Sec. 3.4 from the Student Handbook) – Any act that violates the academic integrity of the institution is considered academic misconduct. The procedures used to resolve suspected acts of academic misconduct are available in the offices of Academic Deans and the Office of Campus Life. Specific examples include, but are not limited to:
Disabilities Statement :
Texas Christian University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with disabilities. If you require accommodations for a disability, please contact the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities in the Center for Academic Services, located in Sadler Hall 11. Further information can be obtained from the Center for Academic Services, TCU Box 297710, Fort Worth, TX 76129, or at 817-257-7486.
Adequate time must be allowed to arrange accommodations and accommodations are not retroactive; therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the academic term for which they are seeking accommodations. Each eligible student is responsible for presenting relevant, verifiable, professional documentation and/or assessment reports to the Coordinator. Guidelines for documentation may be found at http://www.acs.tcu.edu/DISABILITY.HTM.
Students with emergency medical information or needing special arrangements in case a building must be evacuated should discuss this information with their instructor/professor as soon as possible.
TCU Mission Statement
To educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community
Schedule:
For M/W/F class schedule, one class will be devoted to class room presentation, and two classes to hands-on computer work. For T/Thurs. schedule, one classroom, one computer hands-on class.
Class Room Computer Lab
Ormsby et al. book
Week –1: Mapping through the history of man Ch.1-2
Week – 2: Global Position Systems & digital data Ch. 3
Week – 3: Survey of GIS systems & applications; Ch. 4
Week –4: Representation of spatial data Ch. 5
Week –5: Annotation Ch. 6
Week – 6: Tables, objects, and attributes Ch. 8
Exam #1
Week – 7: Tables, objects, and attributes, continued Ch. 9
Week – 8: The shape of features Ch. 10
Week – 9: Spatial relationship between features Ch. 11
Week – 10: Spatial relationship, continued Ch. 12
Week – 11: Finding Location Ch. 17
Exam # 2
Week – 12: Geographic Projections Ch. 13
Week – 13: Geographic data structures Ch. 14
Week – 14: Editing features Ch. 15
Week –15: Making quality maps Ch. 18-19
Final Exam
Everything listed above is the anticipated class program. I reserve the right to change it as necessary.