Course Details:
Fall semester 2007
2 credit hours (two lectures and lab per week for 10weeks)
Course Goal:
The goal of this course is to introduce the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and build foundations in its use to allow students to solve spatial problems. Specifically, the course will teach students necessary spatial and quantitative analysis methods to solve problems in many interdisciplinary applications. The course will focus on the elements and capabilities of a GIS by emphasizing acquisition, management, manipulation, and analysis of data for the solution of spatial problems. This course is designed to build confidence and familiarity in students with the use of GIS technology with timely and appropriate local applications and datasets for WV.
Prerequisites:
This course is designed for students with little or no GIS knowledge or
experience. Students are encouraged to take this class that have
a background or interest in questions that have a spatial extent.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Explain why location matters and communicate how the development of spatial data and analysis methods can be useful to solve problems that have a spatial component.
2. Acquire and process spatial data to effectively match detail and scale requirements on a project.
3. Apply GIS software to independently perform both vector and raster spatial analysis.
4. Create models that provide insights into spatial problems and present results as cartographic quality output.
To accomplish these objectives, the course will integrate lectures and a weekly structured lab session. Lectures will cover the necessary background of issues and the labs will give students the opportunity to develop GIS skills to solve spatial problems.
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