6 EC
Semester 2, period 4
5264GRSE6Y
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) include a powerful set of computational techniques and methods for storing, retrieving and analysis of spatial and temporal distributed geographical data. Here, techniques will be introduced for the analysis of environmental challenges, mainly focusing on the earth sciences and ecological domains. The course modules/assignments cover introductory topics for new users of GIS and RS, but also for users with previous experience. The course is organized in such a way that you can proceed flexible, which, certainly during the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, is a possible relief. However, we encourage regular study progress, therefore we included deadlines for the mandatory quizzes. These deadlines are posted elsewhere in this manual and on Canvas in the modules section.
The Earth Science master has three tracks, Geo-ecological Dynamics, Environmental Management and Future Planet Ecosystem Science. We stimulate flexibility in your choices to select GIS/RS techniques/skills and topics that closely fit to your personal study plans. Therefore you are, to a certain extent, free to select modules from an available set and you may formulate your own GIS/RS project in the second part of the course.
In the self-tuition assignments (modules and accompanying quizzes) we offer visualization tools and analyses techniques such as weighting and ranking, suitability analyses, raster-based analysis, least-cost pathways, Web-services, model building, hydrological tools, python scripting and path-distance analysis. The remote sensing tools and techniques comprise supervised classification, change analyses, object-based image segmentation and classification, band-ratio analysis, image pre-processing and computing vegetation indices and more.
Images and datasets used are highly diverse and range from Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), LiDAR data, Landsat imagery, SPOT imagery, Sentinel imagery, Radar bands, orthophotos to soil, geomorphological, Land Use Land Cover and other data.
The techniques and skills are applied to a wide variety of landscapes and environmental situations such as flooding in Bangladesh, desertification in the Sahel zone, predictions of hummingbirds in the Andes, Land Use and Land Cover change in China, India and the Netherlands, urban areas, food production in the Mekong delta and more.
After finishing a selection of assignments there is space for an individual topic. A one page A4-sized research outline is written, which has to be agreed by both the student and the staff. The research project is documented in a technical GIS report with accompanying digital products (preferably a map package). Students are encouraged to use their own (master) research data, although there are pre-fabricated topics available as well.
Modules, tutorials and quizzes - published on Canvas
ArcGISPro, eCognition, Google Earth Engine
Other relevant information will be published on Canvas.
Lecture:
One lecture that will introduce the structure of the course and a general overview of assignments, deadlines and deliverables.
Assignments/Modules:
Students without GIS/RS experience: a collection of 17 self-tuition modules (assignments) can be selected (total 6EC) which should be finished at the end of the course. The content of the modules is described elsewhere in this document and on Canvas. If students without previous experience are interested in an individual topic after finishing 9 modules, they should contact the coordinator halfway the course.
Students with previous experience: a collection of 9 self-tuition modules (assignments) is offered (total 3EC) which should be finished before the project starts. The content of the modules and the project is described elsewhere in this document. Projects should be discussed with the coordinator in advance.
Self-study:
Scheduled study time according to the official course schedule is indicated on the DataNose, but students are free to work during other days at home, within the projected period (February - March). Due to corona measures the GIS-studio at Science Park Amsterdam is closed.
This year’s course is fully online, which has of course restrictions in visiting the UvA. However, the GIS-studio has possibilities to facilitate remote desktop access to the computers for around 10 students (in exceptional cases) during the schedules periods and upon request via Thijs de Boer. You will be updated on this as soon as the course starts.
Project:
Students with previous GIS/RS experience decide on a two weeks project (3EC), depending on their interest and in agreement with the coordinators. After confirmation on the topic, the student prepares a short project plan (max 1 page) in which the project is described, the data is described (availability / metadata / format) and a work plan is presented in which the proposed techniques and processing steps are indicated and the foreseen deliverables are outlined.
|
Activity |
Number of hours |
remark |
|
Lecture |
2 |
presence recommended |
|
Module assignments |
83 (with previous experience) or 166 (without previous experience) |
self-tuition |
|
Project |
0 or 83 |
self-study |
|
Total |
168 |
|
Requirements of the programme concerning attendance (OER-B):
Additional requirements for this course:
The course is offered online during the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that students are asked to work from home as much as possible. This will also mean that some level of discipline is needed to successfully end the course, so planning and regular working for this course is needed. That starts with a windows-based computer, that is able to run ArcGIS Pro. Other operating systems are - in our experience - difficult or even impossible to get properly working with ArcGIS Pro. Thijs de Boer will inform you before the start of the course how to install the software and provide you with a license, in case you don't have one already.
If this does not work for you: you have the opportunity during this course to use the computers in the GIS-studio, by using a Remote Desktop interface on your computer or laptop at home, via VPN. Thijs de Boer (w.m.deboer@uva.nl) is manager of the GIS-studio, and can provide you with necessary information.
Within the 8 weeks period you should be able to finish the course, perhaps earlier than the deadline. The course is now almost fully self-tuition, which means minimum contact with the coordinator/teacher, because the modules are (mostly) self-explanatory. If you need to use the eCognition software (only available in GIS-studio) then a computer there is necessary.
| Item and weight | Details |
|
Final grade |
Students without pre-knowledge of GIS and RS - quizzes: 100% final grade.
Students with pre-knowledge: Quizzes 50% and project: 50% of final grade (of which 25% datasets and 25% technical report)
Although quizzes may vary in time and complexity, no weighting is applied this year. All quizzes have one attempt and should be graded with 5.0 or higher. After the deadlines for the individual quizzes the maximum score is 7.0. The project should be graded 6.0 or higher. The final grade of the course should be 5.5 or higher to pass the course.
If students do not finalize the course within the allocated time, there is a resit possibility (see DataNose). Maximum scores for missing quizzes and / or project are then maximized to 7.0. All individual scores remain valid for a period of 1 year.
Contact the course coordinator to make an appointment for inspection.
The course is self-tuition; students are encouraged to work on their own. For help and feedback we this year organize contact moments as follows:
Zoom-based contact: links will be published on the Canvas page - consult the 'Zoom' section. Thijs De Boer and/or Harry Seijmonsbergen will be online for assistance (e.g. 1 hour at the start and 1 hour at the end of regularly scheduled periods)
Discussion board: on Canvas per assignment we will regularly answer issues raised by students. We encourage also to use this platform to exchange solutions to software/hardware and other issues raised by you. Of course no answers should be posted - this will be seen as plagiarism; we trust you as responsible master students, willing to learn a new skill.
Q & A sessions at the end of the week - at the moment of writing we think about the Fridays, during the last regular meeting of the week: Thijs and or Harry will be online available for any questions
From experience we know: that consulting the HELP from the help-functions in ArcGIS Pro, or to 'google' about any problem you are confronted with, will enormously help you finding your way through the software and to seek for solutions: you are not the only student having issues with bugs (we do as well...), so there is large quantity of useful posts, on YouTube info and other resources, that may help you to overcome challenges you are confronted with.
Graded individual assignment, with automated feedback. ESRI training module for new users. You learn the basics of ArcGISPro and end with a exam resulting in a certificate.
Introductory module. Graded individual quiz, with automated feedback.
Graded individual quiz, with automated feedback.
Graded individual quiz, with automated feedback.
Graded individual quiz, with automated feedback.
Graded individual quiz, with automated feedback.
Graded individual quiz, with automated feedback.
Graded individual quiz, with automated feedback.
Graded individual quiz, with automated feedback.
Graded individual quiz, with automated feedback.
Graded individual quiz, with automated feedback.
Graded individual quiz, with automated feedback.
Graded individual quiz, with automated feedback.
Graded individual quiz
Graded individual quiz
Graded individual quiz
Graded individual quiz
Graded individual quiz
Graded individual quiz
Graded individual quiz
Graded individual quiz
Full descriptions and explanations are elsewhere in this course manual and on Canvas
Selection of assignments
The module assignments are mostly designed by IBED staff members and (former) master students. The assignments should be finished, preferably in the order as listed below: each assignment will take you about a full day to finish, with some a bit longer or shorter. Within this course, the student will be able to progress and finish along 3 possible ‘routes’:
In routes 1 and 2: start and finish the modules in the proposed sequence!
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
| Students | Activity | Start | End | Hand in |
| Without pre-knowledge | 17 modules |
February 1 |
March 26 | Quizzes in Canvas according to their deadlines |
| With pre-knowledge | 9 modules |
February 3 |
March 1 | Quizzes in Canvas according to their deadlines |
|
With pre-knowledge |
Project |
March 1 | March 26 |
Assignment in Canvas: - datasets - technical report |
The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.
Not applicable
Getting started in the GIS-studio of IBED
Computers
The computers should NOT be turned off after your work is done (otherwise remote access in not possible anymore).
GIS accounts
To use the computers you need an account and a password. Staff, postgraduates and PhD students of IBED can use their own (UvA-) student or staff account (UvANetID). Students enrolled in a course can use their student login name or number. If you do not have a login name or number, you will receive a guest account from the manager of the GIS-studio Thijs de Boer.
Network drives
After you have logged in and have opened My Computer on your desktop you might see:
Local drives (C:\) and (D:\) are not back-up. Always store your data and files (after work is done) in a cloud environment!
On Canvas you can find the exercises, examples, tutorials and manuals that you will need. Of course you have read/write access to a personal folder (with your name) on the D-drive. You MUST first copy the module files (and sometimes unzip them) from Canvas that you need to a self-named folder (usually with your name in it) to the D drive.
A normal working scheme is as follows:
Locate the files you need from Canvas and copy them to a new self-named folder (usually with your name in it) on the local D-drive (NOT on the C-drive !).