GIS for Geoscientists I
Course URL: http://www.vrac.iastate.edu/~charding/Geol552_2009
Resource Type: Course Information
Special Interest: GIS
Grade Level: Graduate/Professional, College Upper (15-16)
Textbook: Mastering ArcGIS, by Maribeth H. Price
- Develop an understanding of typical GIS operations as part of GIS project management.
- Understand the architecture of ESRI's ArcGIS program, its historical development and its main data types.
- Classify and visualize vector data (points, lines, polygons), raster data and table data within different layers using colors, symbols and labels.
- Use the most common coordinate systems (geographic and projected) and understand the different distortions inherent in map projections.
- Import simple text files and manipulate non-spatial data tables, perform simple statistics and create relationships across tables (join/relate).
- Use the Structured Query Language (SQL) to find data with certain attributes and select data based on location and spatial relationships to other data.
- Create new compound data based on common spatial relations ships (spatial join)
- Use map overlay processing to locate areas fitting multiple spatial criteria and perform data clipping and buffering.
- Create maps that effectively present spatial data.
- Be able to interactively edit (digitize) the shape of vector data and manipulate its underlying attributes.
- (for graduate students) Create a compelling poster on a topic of your choice that could be presented at a conference.
How course activities and course structure help students achieve these goals:
- 3 larger, more complex exercises
- 2 quizzes (3 of 4 questions, hand written answers)
- Midterm and final exam: each have with a multiple choice text (~15 questions) and a set of exercises that have to finished within 90 minutes.
- Midterm/final and quizzes are open book
- Class project: Students prepare a map and give a 10 slide powerpoint presentation