Geographical Information Systems

Course manual 2024/2025

Course content

The primary goal of this course is to equip students with the fundamental skills needed to understand Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and perform a range of spatial analyses. Although these techniques are widely applicable in both the natural and social sciences, we will focus mostly on applications relevant to the social sciences. Examples will therefore draw on fields such as human geography, urban planning, and development studies.

The course is divided into two main parts. In the first (Labs 1-7), students learn to work with vector GIS, where geographic features are represented as discrete points, lines, and polygons—for example, cities as points, roads as lines, and lakes as polygons. In the second part (Labs 8-11), the focus shifts to raster-based GIS, in which the study area is covered by a grid, or raster image. Raster data represents spatial information as a matrix of cells or pixels, each containing a value representing information such as temperature, elevation, or land cover.

We will use ESRI’s ArcGIS Pro as the primary software. Over the span of 11 Lab sessions, students will practice essential GIS techniques with guidance from instructors, using real-world social science data. To reinforce learning, students are also expected to work independently on exercises and readings outside of scheduled contact hours. By the end of the course, students will be able to apply GIS methods confidently in a variety of social science contexts.

Study materials

Literature

• All required readings are posted on Canvas and feature key chapters from: Heywood, I., Cornelius, S., & Carver, S. (2011). An introduction to geographical information systems (4th ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson Education.

   

  The required Chapters are:

  Chapter 1: What is GIS?

  Chapter 2: Spatial data

  Chapter 3: Spatial data modelling

  Chapter 6: Data analysis

   

Syllabus

• We will also use a practical reader for all 11 Lab sessions, which can be downloaded from Canvas. It is highly recommended that students print this reader and bring it to each Lab.

   

Software

• This course uses ESRI’s ArcGIS Pro, and each student will receive a one-year license code to install on a personal laptop. Detailed setup instructions will be provided on Canvas before the course begins.

  IMPORTANT: Because all Lab sessions require a laptop, it is crucial that you have ArcGIS Pro installed and running on your device prior to the first class. Please note that Apple computers generally do not natively support ArcGIS Pro (see Canvas for additional guidance).

Objectives

• Understand the structure and possibilities offered by Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for geographical and spatial analysis.
• Demonstrate familiarity with the basic principles of cartography.
• Demonstrate familiarity with both vector-oriented and raster-oriented GIS procedures.
• Execute simple geographical and spatial analyses with the help of GIS, and interpret the results.

Teaching methods

• Computer lab session/practical training
• Self-study

This course consists of 11 computer Lab sessions, each lasting three hours. At the start of every lab, students immediately begin working on the assigned instructions and exercises. A practical reader, included with the course, offers detailed instructions and activities to guide students through each Lab session. Teaching assistants remain available throughout the Lab to answer questions about GIS concepts, software use, or the exercises.

If you cannot complete all tasks during the scheduled class time, you are expected to finish them on your own before the next session.

Learning activities

Attendance

Programme's requirements concerning attendance (OER-B):

• Participation in fieldwork is compulsory and cannot be replaced by assignments or other courses.
• In case of practical sessions, the student is obliged to attend at least of 90% of the sessions and to prepare himself adequately, unless indicated otherwise in the course manual. In case the student attends less than 90%, the practical sessions should be redone entirely.
• In case of tutorials/seminars with assignments, the student is obliged to attend at least 7 out of 8 seminars and to prepare thoroughly for these meetings, unless indicated otherwise in the course manual. If the course has more than 8 seminars, the student can miss up to 1 extra meeting for every (part of) 8 tutorials/seminars. If the students attends less than the mandatory tutorials/seminars, the course cannot be completed.

Additional requirements for this course:

Students are expected to attend and actively participate in at least 10 of the 11 Lab sessions. If you miss a session, you must complete the exercises (Lab checkpoints) on your own and have them validated at the start of the next Lab. If a student misses more than one Lab session, the course cannot be successfully completed.

Assessment

Lab Checkpoints (20% of final grade)

• Each of the 11 Lab sessions has two “checkpoints,” i.e., exercises you must complete. Students are required to have their checkpoints validated during the corresponding Lab session or, at the latest, at the start of the following session.
• If you cannot finish or attend the Lab session, you are responsible for completing the checkpoints on your own.
• For checkpoint validation, you must show your screen with ArcGIS open (not just a screenshot). Exception: For the final session only, if exercises are not completed in class, you may email your instructor a full-screen screenshot (including the system clock) within two days of the session.
• The maximum checkpoint grade is 10, equivalent to 22 points. You earn 1 point for each checkpoint completed on time. 
• You must complete at least 17 checkpoints in total to pass the course.

Take-home Assignment (30% of final grade)
You will work in pairs to solve a research problem using GIS analysis. Detailed instructions will be provided on Canvas.

• The final report is due on 18 March by 12:00 (noon) and must be submitted via Canvas.
• Strict deadline: For every day the assignment is late, 1 point (out of 10) is deducted. If it is more than three days late, it will be graded as 1.0.
• There is no possibility of a retake for this assignment.

Final Exam (50% of final grade)
A computer-based exam will be held on 25 March, from 9:00–11:00, in Tentamenzaal USC Sporthal 1 Sciencepark. Grades will be published within 15 working days from the exam date. More information will be provided on Canvas.

A re-sit is possible and is currently planned for 6 June (date and location TBC).

Assessment diagram

Your final grade is a weighted average of the following components:

• Lab checkpoints (20%)
• Take-home GIS assignment (30%)
• Final exam (50%)

To pass the course, you must:

1. Achieve a passing grade for the checkpoints,
2. Score at least 5.5 on the final exam, and
3. Attain an overall minimum grade of 5.5.

Students that were enrolled in the course in previous years

Please contact the course coordinator (r.j.vanduijne@uva.nl)

Inspection of assessed work

For both the take-home assignment and final exam, students wishing to inspect their work and/or receive additional feedback can contact the course coordinator within two weeks of receiving their grade.

Assignments

1. Checkpoints: During each lab session, students work on exercises and complete checkpoints to demonstrate their progress. While collaboration in solving the exercises is allowed, each student must individually show the completed checkpoints on their own laptop. Feedback is provided continuously throughout the sessions.
2. Take-Home Assignment: Students work in pairs to address a spatial problem using GIS. Each pair submits a short written report detailing their analysis and findings. The report is graded on a 1–10 scale, with written feedback provided.
3. Final exam: A computer-based exam will be conducted on secured computers, covering both the assigned readings and Lab sessions materials.

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Additional information

We vinden het belangrijk dat je je op de UvA en bij Future Planet Studies veilig voelt. Krijg je onverhoopt te maken met ongewenst gedrag of voel je je onveilig, dan kun je terecht bij verschillende personen. Je melding wordt altijd vertrouwelijk behandeld. Kijk op onze website voor meer informatie over waar en bij wie je terecht kunt.

It is important that everyone feels safe at the UvA and Future Planet Studies. We are committed to provide social safety and we offer various forms of support for people experiencing inappropriate or unsafe situations. Consult the UvA website or Future Planet Studies Canvas page for more information and contact info.

Last year's student feedback

In order to provide students some insight how we use the feedback of student evaluations to enhance the quality of education, we decided to include the table below in all course guides.

Contact information

Coordinator

• dr. R.J. van Duijne PhD

Staff

• Jelle Bulens MSc
• Marcel Heemskerk