Course Objectives:

1)   To build upon GIS concepts covered in NRM 338 (or similar course) in order to develop a broader understanding of the types of questions and objectives that GIS can address.
                            "What is it good for and why do I care?"

2)   To provide hands-on experience in conceiving, structuring and performing such analyses with various types of GIS data.
                            "O.K., so show me some examples of how to get it done."

Hardware/Software:

We'll be using ARC/INFO and ArcView on WindowsN/T.  While experience with ARC/INFO and ArcView is not required (though helpful), general computer literacy is required.

What the course will and won't do . . .

The fall term GIS class, NRM338, teaches students how to create base information within a GIS.  This means taking information from a variety of sources - field sampling, paper maps, GPS coordinates etc etc and putting them into a computer-based GIS.  NRM338 teaches concepts of how information about the world is translated into a GIS format, and provides hands on experience doing it.  The spring term class, NRM341, teaches students how to do things with that information once it is already in a GIS format.  While NRM341 will review concepts of data structure covered in NRM338, it will not re-teach the process of creating base data.  NRM341 will cover concepts, strategies and methods of taking base information from a variety of sources and combining and analyzing them to ask questions about the landscape and provide meaningful answers.  Since we will be working with base data that already exists, it will not be directly necessary for students of NRM341 to have taken NRM338.

Basically, learning GIS is a matter of learning the fundamental concepts up front and becoming familiar with how the data and software work.  Once that's done, you are prepared to get good at it by trial and error and experimentation over time.  It is typical for a GIS "guru" to have learned the basics by taking classes, and then learning the rest on the job.  With every new project you learn new things.  These classes are designed to get you to the point where you have learned the basics, and are ready to jump into the process of trial-and-error learning on your own.

Lectures:  Tuesday/Thursday, 9:45-11:15 Natural Sciences 165

Lab:   Tuesday 2-5PM  OR  Wednesday 6-9PM ONeill 330

Office Hours:     Anytime I'm in my office, or by e-mail appointment . . .

Grading:

Based on total points from the following:

4 quizzes 100 points

4 reading assignments 80 points

13 lab assignments 260 points

2 on-line exams 200 points
 

Total possible points 640. The final grades will be curved based on total points earned
in the course. To emphasize understanding, and not memorization, all exams will be
open book.