Geographical Information Systems

Course manual 2021/2022

Course content

In the course, we will become acquainted with the fundamental skills needed to understand Geographical Information Systems and carry out a wide variety of spatial analyses that have wide applicability across both natural and social sciences. As part of the social sciences ‘gamma-track’ of the program, the applications discussed in the lab will, however, draw from examples in the social sciences, such as from the fields of human geography, urban planning, or development studies.

In the first part of the course, vector GIS will be used. In this type of GIS, the geographic features are represented by discrete objects defined by one or more coordinate pairs, specifically point, line, or area features. Using the ArcGIS software, we will create thematic maps and carry out diverse spatial analyses.  In the second part of the course, we will turn our attention to raster-oriented GIS-procedures. In a raster GIS, a raster image, or grid, is laid over the entire study area. Each raster cell contains information on the area it covers, such as the number of inhabitants or the prevalent land-use type.

Study materials

Literature

• The required readings are available on Canvas and consist of key chapters from the following book: Heywood Ian, Sarah Cornelius & Steve Carver (2011), An Introduction to Geographical Information Systems, 4th edition, Harlow (U.K), Pearson Education Ltd.

   

  The required chapters are:

  1. What is GIS?
  2. Spatial data
  3. Spatial data modelling
  4. Data analysis

Syllabus

• We will also use two practical readers – one on Vector GIS and one on Raster GIS – containing the exercises to be performed during class. The readers can be downloaded via Canvas. It is up to the student if they wish to print it or keep it on their computer. For ease of use during the lab, it is recommended that they print it out.

Software

• Throughout the course, we will use the GIS program ArcMap. Students will receive a license code (valid for one year) to install and use this software on their laptop. Information on how to set up your computer is available on Canvas

  IMPORTANT: The classes are ‘laptop classes’ and everyone must have their own computer to work with. These laptops must be capable of running the ArcGIS and you must  be prepared with the software installed and operational on your laptop before the lab sessions. 

Objectives

• Have acquired an understanding of the structure and possibilities offered by Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for geographical and spatial analysis.
• Will have become acquainted with the basic principles of cartography.
• Have acquired a familiarity with both vector-oriented and raster-oriented GIS procedure.
• Have the skills to to execute simple geographical and spatial analyses with the help of GIS, and interpret the results.

Teaching methods

• Computer lab session/practical training
• Self-study

The course consists of 11 computer labs,  each lasting three hours. As long as the Covid regulations allow it, all sessions will be in person. Sometimes, it may not be possible to complete all exercises of a session before the end of each class. But you are required to complete all tasks of a session on your own time and have them completed before the beginning of the following 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:

It is compulsory to be attend the online classes at the scheduled times and actively participate in all the lab sessions. If you miss more than one session, you will be excluded from the course and will not be able to complete it.

If you are unable to come to the campus for reasons that are beyond your control (for example, because your are self-isolating or in quarantine), then you can attend the computer labs remotely. You will be able to ask for help via Zoom. To avoid being counted as absent, you will need to:

• Email the instructor (if possible, 24 hours before the start of the class), explaining why you cannot attend
• During the session, let the instructor verify your results via Zoom (see section on Assessment below)
  

Assessment

Lab Checkpoints

Each of the 11 sessions includes two 'checkpoints', i.e. exercises for which you need to show the results to the lecturer.

• If you are not able to complete the exercises within the scheduled session, or if you are absent, you have to complete them on your own time and show the checkpoints to the lecturer, at the beginning of the following session at the latest.
• If you are following the labs remotely, you have to show your checkpoints via Zoom.
• For checkpoint validation, you must show your screen with ArcMap open (not a screenshot). Only for the last session, if not completed during lab, its completed checkpoints can be emailed to your session’s instructor within two days following the session with a screenshot (Make sure you include a full screenshot of the computer screen so we can see the program open with the result and the computer time visible.)
• The maximum grade in this section is 10. AMENDED (22/02): For each checkpoint not completed, 1 point will be subtracted from this grade. For each checkpoint handed in late, 0.5 point will be subtracted (Note: vector checkpoints cannot be handed in once the raster section of the course has started).
• You need a passing grade for the checkpoints to pass the course. AMENDED (22/02): This is equivalent to 18 checkpoints.
• This section counts for 15% of the final grade.

Take-home Assignment

The assignment will require you to work in pairs, and solve a research problem through a GIS analysis. Further details will be provided via Canvas.

• The assignment is due on the 21st March, by 16:00, and should be submitted via Canvas.
• The deadline is strict. For every day of delay 1-point (out of 10) will be deducted from the grade. If the assignment is more than three-days late, its contents will not be taken into account and it will be graded as 1.0.
• There is no possibility of a retake of the assignment.

Final Exam

The exact date, location and format of the exam are still to be confirmed. It is envisioned that the exam will include some multiple/choice questions and some practical exercises to be carried out in ArcMap. Further details will be given during the lab sessions and via Canvas. 

• The tentative data for the exam is Tuesday, 28th March, from 9.00-11.00, in the Leeuwenburg tentamenzaal A10.20. Make sure you are there in plenty of time.
• The exam will take place in a computer room with secured, non-internet-connected computers. No documents are permitted during the exam.
• The grade of the exam will be made public within 15 working days after the exam.
• There is a possibility of a re-sit the exam on the Friday, the 9th June (date TBC).
• In the case that you participate in the re-sit, the grade of the re-sit counts for the final grade, even if that new grade is lower than the old one.

Assessment diagram

The final grade of the course is a weighted average of the lab checkpoints (15%), take-home assignment (35%) and final exam (50%). You have passed the course if your grade is a 5.5 or higher.

Inspection of assessed work

For the take-home assignment, grades and written feedback will be given via Canvas within two weeks from submission. Students can contact the course coordinator Valentina Carraro (v.carraro2@uva.nl) for further information within two weeks after they have received their assignment.

Assignments

(see details above under assessment)

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

Timetable

The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.

Last year's course evaluation

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. V. Carraro

Staff

• Emma Polman