Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

Geography 4120

1st Summer Session 2014

McEniry 420

Lecture: MTWR, 1:05pm – 03:00pm

Lab: Tuesday and Thursday, 3:00 pm – 5:00pm

Instructor: Wenpeng Feng

Email: wfeng5@uncc.edu

Office: McEniry 420

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 3:00pm-4:00pm, or by appointment

Course Description: Geography has developed its tool for explaining phenomena. Previously it was a map, but now it is GIS. GIS allows us not only to understand phenomena, but to solve complex spatial problems. Nowadays, GIS is used for various fields related to spatial problems. Handling spatial problems and providing solution is critical for researchers, analysts, and planners. Although the number of usable data increases rapidly, the number of people who know how to handle it is still limited. This course gives you a chance to learn the basis of GIS.

Course Objectives: The powerful and functional use of GIS is based on theories and practices. This course is aimed at providing students both theoretical concepts and practical proficiency. After finishing this course, you are able to:

• Understand the theoretical underpinnings of ArcGIS Desktop.
• Handle ArcGIS Desktop proficiently.
• Apply GIS functions to solve a variety of spatial problems.
• Conduct own GIS-related project from start to finish.

Course Materials:
Textbook (not required, but recommended): GIS Fundamentals, 4^th Edition, Paul Bolstad (http://www.paulbolstad.net/gisbook.html).

Software: ArcGIS 10.1 from ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redland, CA) is used as the primary software to illustrate the GIS concepts. The software has been installed on computers in the McEniry 420 computer lab, but is also available on other computer labs across campus. Additionally, I will provide you with an access code to download a 1-year student version of the software and installation guide for your own personal computer.
Moodle: the main place for all class activities (course materials, assignments, notification, etc.)

Labs: A series of 10 laboratory exercises (9 labs plus 1 lab challenge) will provide hands-on experience that will help you understand major GIS operations. Students can expect to become proficient in the use of ArcGIS upon completion of this course. All data for the labs are available on the course drive (S:COASGEESLABSGEOG4120-Summer; highly recommend to copy all data from this folder to your USB storage) and all lab instructions are downloadable from the course website on Moodle. The 10 labs will contain step-by-step instructions, a challenge exercise for you to apply your knowledge and a set of questions to be answered.

Labs will be assigned two times a week and each due date is included in the course schedule. Late assignments will be penalized as follows:

• Up to 1 day late (24h): -25%
• 1 day – 2 days late: -50%
• More than 2 days late: No longer accepted

Please try to plan ahead if you have a field trip or other commitment. In the case of a medical condition, please provide proof from a doctor. For other personal problems that may prevent you from turning in the lab on time, please contact me as soon as possible.

Attendance: Attendance to the labs is Mandatory. This is for everyone’s benefit – you will have complete access to me at this time to ask questions, and you will be assured that your labs are completed early before due date.

Grading System: The grading system is summarized in the following table. There will be no make-up tests, exams, or quizzes. No incompletes.

Grading Scale: A: 90-100%, B: 80-89.5%, C: 70-79.5%, D: 60-69.5%, F