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(lecture slides, lab assignments, and readings links)
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General Information | |
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Course Home Page http://astro.temple.edu/~jmennis/Courses/GUS_0262/index.htm
Purpose
of the Course
The purpose of this course is to teach the theory
and practical use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Major components of the course include computer representation of
geographic information, the construction of GIS databases, spatial
analysis with GIS, application areas of GIS, and social and management
issues that concern GIS. At
the end of the course the student is expected to have an understanding
of elementary GIS theory, working knowledge of ArcGIS, and the
ability to develop GIS-based solutions to geographic modeling and
analysis tasks.
Note that this is not 'just' a software training course! You will indeed finish the course with skills in a specific GIS software package. However, broader learning objectives for this course include general scientific literacy and graphicacy (the understanding and creation of maps and other graphic representations), as well as developing critical thinking skills.
Prerequisites There are no course prerequisites; however a working knowledge of Windows and basic file management is expected.
Attendance Attendance at each class is not mandatory. You are also free to leave at any time during the 'lab' portion of the class devoted to completing lab assignments. Keep in mind, however, that prolonged absence from class will likely affect your participation grade, inhibit your understanding of the lecture material, and prevent you from receiving help on the lab assignments.
Text The recommended text for the course is Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems, Third Edition (2005) by Michael M. DeMers, published by John Wiley and Sons, New York.
This text will be supplemented by other topic-specific readings
that will be made available through links on the Schedule course web page.
Grading
Midterm Exam 20% Final Exam 20% Lab Exercises 40% Readings Quizzes 10% Class Participation 10%
Graduate Midterm Exam 15% Final Exam 15% Lab Exercises 30% Class Participation 10% Term Paper 20%
The Final Exam will be comprehensive (covering the
entire course) and both exams will include information covered in the
lecture and lab portions of the course.
Both exams will also cover all assigned readings.
Lecture
The first 50 minutes or so of each class will be devoted to lecture. The lecture is intended, as much as possible, to be an
interactive environment. Please
feel free at any time during lecture to ask a question or make a
comment. Conversely, you
are expected to respond to discussion questions asked in class.
Lab
The remainder of each class following the lecture will be devoted to
lab.
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at 215-204-1280 in 100 Ritter Annex to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Academic Dishonesty Academic dishonesty (i.e. cheating on tests, copying another student's assignments, plagiarism, etc.) will not be tolerated.
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