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TEACHING FALL 2008 |
GIS links and
resources |
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GIS APPLICATIONS IN SOCIAL
GEOGRAPHY
(nicknamed as GISSG)
GEOG 385.02/GTECH 785.02
T, F 11:10-12:25
1090bHN
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Marianna
Pavlovskaya
Course webpage: http://www.geo.hunter.cuny.edu/~mpavlov/Courses/GisSG/GisSGHome.html
BlackBoard login page: http://bb.hunter.cuny.edu
OFFICE HOURS: T, F 12:30-1:30 and by
appointment
mpavlovAThunter.cuny.edu
Welcome to the GIS Applications in Social Geography Home page. This site is meant to complement the GIS course by providing basic administrative information as well as data necessary for exercises and assignments. This site is always updated as the semester proceeds. Please make sure that you check this page often.
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GRADING
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ACADEMIC CALENDAR |
ABOUT THIS COURSE (BOOKS, TUTORIALS, AND SOFTWARE)
This course looks into how GIS can be used to critically analyze social power including economic, racial, gender, and cultural inequalities. It will also explore how GIS can be part of imagining social alternatives and creating new social spaces that aspire to social justice. We will examine a number of key GIS analytical techniques and how they can be applied to address the above issues. Hands-on GIS experience will be combined with readings, class discussions, and invited speakers.
BOOKS AND TUTORIALS
Most of the readings for this course are from the two
textbooks and reserve materials. One textbook and most tutorial exercises are
available only digitally.
Textbooks:
An Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
by Heywood et al., 2007 (available at Shakespeare Bookstore). Previous editions
are ok.
IDRISI
Tutorials:
Most tutorial exercises are available digitally on lab computers and course blackboard
(BB). Additional tutorials will be posted on BB and datasets will be downloaded
from \scratch directory. Information about what is assigned and when it is due
is posted on GIS SG course schedule.
SOFTWARE
Two software packages will be used in class: Idrisi Andes
(developed by Clark Labs at
Student versions of Idrisi are available from Clark Labs. They are functional for 1 year. Visit http://www.clarklabs.org/ or call Clark Labs at (508) 793-7526 for details.
STUDENT EVALUATION AND ASSIGNMENTS
Evaluation includes GIS exercises, exams, and a project. The exercises are competency exercises, mastery exercises, and other assignments. Their content and due dates will be posted in GIS SG course schedule each week. Project is an independent GIS project that involves formulation of a research problem, data collection, analysis, writing up a report, and presenting your project in the end of the semester. Graduate students will also write an essay about the social impacts of GIS technologies using journal articles and present their findings to the class. Grades will be assigned on a fixed scale following Hunter College Guidelines. In certain cases you may work in teams.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS:
|
Exercises and assignments |
35% |
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Midterm Exam |
20% |
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Final Exam |
20% |
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Project |
25% |
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Total |
100% |
GRADUATE STUDENTS:
|
Exercises and assignments |
35% |
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Essay |
10% |
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Midterm Exam |
15% |
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Final Exam |
20% |
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Project |
20% |
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Total |
100% |
In a class like this, it is very easy to fall behind. LATE ASSIGNMENTS will be marked down. They will not be accepted after the answers were handed out. NO MAKE UP EXAMS OR ASSIGNMENTS are allowed.
NO LATE ARRIVALS PLEASE. Four late arrivals or three missed classes result in one point less from your final grade.
COMPETENCY EXERCISES
Competency exercises will guide you step by step through the problem to a solution. Complementary to the lectures, these exercises will teach you the concepts of GIS as well as the software tools that you need for Mastery exercises.
MASTERY EXERCISES
Mastery exercises are designed to test your ability to use GIS analysis independently. They will build upon the concepts covered in class as well as the tools acquired through the competency exercises. Each mastery exercise consists of a data set and a problem to be solved. The steps to solving the problem will not be given but should be developed by each student.
A cartographic model, a screenshot of the final output, and a brief report detailing the procedures used to solve the problem will be required for each mastery exercise.
The content of assignments and due dates will be posted in GIS SG course schedule.
Printed assignments are due before class.
TEAM WORK OR INDIVIDUAL WORK?
In general, you will benefit most from the exercises if you do them by yourself. However, there is a great value in team work and looking for solutions together. So, here are the rules:
Competency exercises can be done either individually or in teams of 2
or 3. If you work in a team, hand in only one copy of answers with 2 or
3 names on it.
Mastery exercises must be done individually. The whole purpose of these exercises is to give you a chance to work independently and find a solution by yourself. These exercises will be a foundation of your project work. Each student has to submit answers to all mastery exercises.
Projects will be done either individually or in teams depending on a number of students in the class.
ESSAY ON SOCIAL IMPACTS OF GIS (for graduate students only)
Short essay (for graduate students) should discuss at least three articles that engage the issues of social impacts of GIS technologies. Articles can be chosen from the list of suggested readings or you can find other articles by yourself (in this case please provide a copy of the article). More on Essay.
CLASS PROJECT
Class project is a major component of the course. Its goal is to give you a chance to apply methods of analysis and techniques learned in class to your own dataset. You will formulate the research problem, find the appropriate data, import it into a GIS, analyze it, and prepare a class presentation of the results as well as a written report. More on Class project.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
PLAGIARISM will not be tolerated and
all university rules regarding its occurrences will be strictly followed.
CALENDAR FOR Fall 2008
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Fr, Aug 29 Tu, Sep 30 Tu, Oct 14 Fr, Nov 28 Fr, Dec 12 Tu, Dec 16 Final exam |
First class meeting No class Monday schedule, no class Thanksgiving break, No class Reading day, no class Last class Monday, Dec 22, 9-11, room 1022 |
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Midterm exam |
To be announced 1 week in
advance |
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please see me during my OFFICE
HOURS either in my office or 1090b HN lab.
Course home page
is: http://www.geo.hunter.cuny.edu/~mpavlov/Courses/GisSG/GisSGHome.html
Please email your questions (mpavlovAThunter.cuny.edu). Usually I would get back to you within a day or two excluding the weekends. IF EMAILING, Please indicate "GIS SG" in the subject line.
Technical help in the lab
General
info and how to get the account for using the labs http://www.geography.hunter.cuny.edu/techsupport/spars.html.
On-line technical help http://www.geography.hunter.cuny.edu/techsupport/index.html.
Other help in the lab:
With problems regarding operating systems, logins, printers,
and applications other than Idirisi and ArcGIS email to
The following IT staff is to assist you:
- Nguyen Ngoc Nguyen (nguyen04@geo.hunter.cuny.edu) is the Department's Windows systems administrator (all but GIS software).
- Amy
Jeu (amyjeu@geo.hunter.cuny.edu)
is the Department's College Laboratory Technician (
- Lab assistants for GIS support.
LAB RULES
Please
read carefully Lab Rules and regulations http://www.geography.hunter.cuny.edu/techsupport/rules.html.
Because you are enrolled into a GTECH class, your printing limit is 25 virtual dollars per semester (regular amount is $15). Please email Nguyen to make sure your limit is brought up to this level. The printing cost is 15c per page b/w and 50c per page in color. Once you spent all you virtual dollars, you have to see Amy to refill with real dollars now.
When printing, make sure to check whether the default settings are appropriate. In particular, the default setting for printing is to an image, not the paper, so you actually have to select the printer.
Also remember that you can print in color only from one machine in the lab. The default setting on this machine, however, is to print in b/w. Therefore, make sure you select color when printing, otherwise you will spend you 50 virtual cents on a b/w printout.
USER ACCOUNTS IN SPARS
To be able to access and your S:\\scratch as well as your personal space on the server on the U: drive, you need to request your user account. To do so fill out SPARS User Account Request Form. Return this form to Tom Walter in 1003HN. For more details and to download the form see General info and how to get the account for using the labs http://www.geography.hunter.cuny.edu/techsupport/spars.html.
BlackBoard (BB) logins
In order to log in on BB (to download data and check out the
grades) you must have a CUNY portal account.