The course is delivered via a one hour lecture and two hour workshop each week for 12 weeks

At the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1	Understand the nature, components and applications of GIS
2	Develop skills in sourcing, manipulating and interpreting spatial data
3	Critically discuss the applications of GIS in a variety of fields
4	Develop an awareness of the underlying theory of spatial information science
5	Perform spatial analysis tasks and generate outputs using GIS software

Book Title: An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (4th Edition)
Author: Ian Heywood, Sarah Cornelius, Steve Carver
Year: 2011
Publisher: Prentice-Hall
ISBN-13: 978 0 273 72259 5


Two online copies of this book are available from the Adelaide University Library as single use eBooks (i.e. only one person at a time can access each one).
The Barr Smith Library also holds 7 print copies, with two of these in the High Use Collection available for short term loan. 

It is highly recommended that you purchase your own copy of this book.
Make sure you order the book by Heywood - there are other books with the same title by other authors!. 
It is available from Dymocks:

• eBook for $45.49
• hardcopy for $108.99

Readings are set for all lectures and some workshops, and are expected to be completed BEFORE the lecture or workshop

Optional/Alternative Textbook

Book Title: Geographical Information Systems (2^nd Edition). 
Author: Julie Delaney and Kimberley Van Niel
Year: 2007
Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN-13: 978-0-195-55607-0 

There are 3 copies of this book at the Barr Smith Library (1 reserve and 2 for general borrowing) and 1 copy at Waite Campus Library. 
This book is a useful secondary resource since it is written by Australian authors and provides Australian examples of GIS applications.

Other Recommended Resources
Supplementary reading in additional GIS texts is highly recommended to improve understanding of the concepts and procedures behind the theory and practical to which students are exposed each week. I particularly recommend:

Book Title: Geographic Information Science & Systems (4^th Edition)
Author: Paul A. Longley, Michael F. Goodchild, David J. Maguire, David W. Rhind.
Year: 2015 
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN: 978-1-119-03130-7

There are currently three copies in the Barr Smith Library.

Any similar basic GIS text would also be appropriate


The Barr Smith Library maintains a Resource Guide for GIS/Spatial Information Systems at:
libguides.adelaide.edu.au/geography/gis
This list includes a number of general and specialist texts from which students can choose to support and extend the weekly readings and prepare for the examination.

MyUni

All lectures will be recorded and available through MyUni.
All lecture slides, workshop instructions and workshop data will also be available through MyUni.

Online Textbooks

There are a variety of online texts available, some of which are extremely comprehensive:

• Geospatial Analysis - A comprehensive guide - 6th edition, 2018 – An extremely comprehensive text by Michael De Smith, Paul Longley and Mike Goodchild;
• The Nature of Geographic Information – An open geospatial textbook edited by David DiBiase, hosted by Penn State University;
• GIS Commons: An Introductory Textbook on Geographic Information Systems - by Michael Schmandt, Sacramento State University; and
• ERSI E-books - excellent source of free E-books on a wide variety of GIS topics. Covers the application of GIS in a wide range of industry sectors.

Websites

There are many websites with information about GIS, the industry, and using GIS, including:

• www.gis.com - a good overview of GIS and geographic thinking. Includes glossary and career links;
• www.gislounge.com - GIS Lounge is an information portal, providing links to numerous news items, tips, and resources including introductory texts on all things GIS. This site is run by Caitlin Dempsey who has authored numerous articles about GIS and the spatial industry; and
• www.sssi.org.au – peak body for the surveying and spatial sciences in Australia. This site provides information about education/careers, and links to local events in South Australia and other States/Territories such as Spatial Information Day (spatialinformationday.org.au). The Free Student Program offers membership and various benefits to students with an interest in GIS, including access to discounted events held in Adelaide.

Software

The GIS commercial software that will be used in this course is ESRI ArcGIS Desktop 10.5.1. 

This software is available in limited teaching labs across the University from 8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday. 

You should find that ArcGIS is installed in the following locations:
Although ArcGIS is not available for standalone installation on your personal computers, it can be accessed anytime through the University’s ADAPT platform (Any Device, Any Place and Time). Please review the setup guides and instructions for using ADAPT. Please contact Technology Services or the course coordinator if you are having problems accessing this.

Please take into account any access restrictions when planning your assignment work.

Hardware

It is strongly recommended that you do all coursework on your U drive as this can be accessed from any university computer, or from your home computer through ADAPT, and is regularly backed up.

Contact hours for this course include one lecture and one two-hour workshop per week. Small group discovery experiences are built into the program with opportunities during both lecture and workshop times for students to work together towards answering a question or solving a problem.

Lectures will be held each Monday at 1.10 pm in Lower Napier LG28 Lecture Theatre.   Lectures cover the fundamental concepts underpinning spatial analysis and mapping. Readings are assigned to extend your knowledge of the topics covered throughout the course and set readings are expected to be completed before each lecture and workshop.

There are three workshop sessions scheduled:

• Monday:       2:10 pm - 4:00 pm
• Tuesday:      9:10 am - 11:00 am
• Wednesday: 2:10 pm - 4:00 pm

 Students must attend the workshop time in which they have enrolled
. 
All workshops will be held in the Napier 107 Computer Suite which is located on the first floor of the Napier Building.  Workshops will give students practical experience using ESRI ArcGIS for Desktop 10.3.1 to input, manipulate and output spatial and attribute data.  Most workshops will include an assessment task, which must be submitted by 10am on the Monday of the following week.  Workshops are conducted in a way that enables students to work at their own pace by following a detailed set of instructions to complete the weekly tasks with the instructor available for support.  The instructor will generally give an introduction to the topic and offer demonstrations to the class as required.

Attendance at both lectures and workshops is expected and will be necessary to pass this course. 

• Structured learning/contact time (lectures and workshops): 3 hours per week
• Reading and preparation: 3 hours per week
• Preparation of assignments: 4 hours per week   
• Exam preparation: 2 hours per week

Please complete the assigned readings before coming to the lecture.

Week 1: 
Course Overview/Introduction to GIS                                                                        

What is GIS? Have you used GIS before?  This lecture introduces and defines GIS, describes its role as an integrating technology and provides an overview of the functionality. Lecture includes an overview of the course lectures and workshops, including assessment components.
Reading: Heywood et al., 2011. p3-28      


Week 2: 
Spatial Data, Projections and Coordinate Systems                                                 

Defines spatial data and explores the ways in which it can be collected or sourced, particularly in a local context.  Discusses coordinate systems and the representation of a round earth on a flat surface.
Overview of how spatial data is stored and managed within the computer using Database Management Systems.
Reading: Heywood et al., 2011. p32-53 & p110-120


Week 3:
Cartography, Communication and Spatial Data Visualisation                              
    
Maps are a form of communication.  This lecture explores the ways in which the design of a map can contribute towards effective communication.  Includes an overview of map layout and scale, and the appropriate use of symbols and colour.
Reading: 
1) Heywood et al., 2011. p258-269    
2) Gruver & Dutton (2014). Cartography and Visualization, Lesson 1, Part 1-11. Department of Geography, PennState University www.e-education.psu.edu/geog486/node/1848


Week 4:
Spatial Data Models                                                                                                  

When we work in a GIS, we are dealing with a representation of reality.  This lecture provides an overview of two of the most common GIS data models used to represent reality – raster and vector.
Reading:  Heywood et al., 2011. p74-88 (ignore Box 3.3)


Week 5: 
Concepts of Vector GIS                                                                                             

A look at the basic components of the vector GIS model – how are points, lines and polygons actually encoded in the database
and how does the GIS recognise spatial relationships between them.  Introduces the notion of topology and topological relationships.
Reading:  No readings this week   


Week 6: 
Spatial Analysis with Vector GIS                                                                               

In this lecture, some of the most common map overlay and geoprocessing functions and introduced – buffering, clip, union and
intersect.  We will also cover the theory behind these operations with reference to the structure and topology of vector data models.
Reading:  Heywood et al., 2011. p175-193  


Week 7:
To be advised
                                                  
The contects of this lecture will be changed. It is my intention to provide a lecture on the applications of GIS in:

• Criminology
• Environmental Management

Reading: To be advised.    


Week 8: 
Allied Technologies – GPS                                                                                      

How do Global Positioning Systems work?  An overview of the history and current context of our GPS service.  Describes the system components, how they work together to provide a position in space and time, and the potential sources of error. Smart phone mapping and mobile GPS will also be discussed.
Reading:
1)  Heywood et al., 2011. p57-67.      
2)  Smart Phone Mapping Instructions – to be provided.


Week 9: 
No Lecture or Workshop – Public Holiday


Week 10:
Precision, Accuracy & Error in GIS/Report Writing                                                  

Like any discipline that works with data, you need to develop an understanding of data quality issues. This lecture looks at the
concepts of precision, accuracy and error as they apply to GIS. Precision is defined. We’ll also look at how precision and accuracy differ, along with potential sources of error. This lecture will also discuss report writing styles.
Reading: Heywood et al., 2011. p310-329


Week 11: 
Social Applications of GIS                                                                                        

Guest lecture from GIS specialist Jarrod Lange. Although GIS technology was initially applied to environmental applications, there is now a significant amount of work performed in social applications such as population studies, accessability and health (to name a few).  This lecture will discuss the use of GIS for social research and analysis and show examples of GIS applications in various fields.
Readings: To be advised.


Week 12: 
Course Summary and Exam Preparation                                                         

This lecture will include a review of the course, including information about the exam and ‘where to next’ if you would like to continue studying GIS. 

This course assumes a basic level of computer literacy and familiarity with Microsoft Windows, Word and Excel.

Workshops are designed to create small group discovery
Students will be working together in the computer lab and are encouraged to discuss analysis ideas and processes for every practical component of the course. This implies group work and discussions for processes.

The practicals in week 9 and 10 requires students to collect data in the Campus and then load it and create a web map. Data collection will be done in groups of 3 or 4. ATTENDANCE IS COMPULSORY FOR WEEK 9.

Workshop Assessments: 50% Due by 2pm on Tuesday each week, unless otherwise advised
Exam (2 hours):               50% Check exam time and venue on Access Adelaide later in the semester

(There may be the possibility of doing a Major Practical Assignment instead of the exam if you are intending on using GIS in the future. This would be due on the Monday of swot week).

Students will need access to GIS labs/computer rooms and relevant software. This will be provided by the University

Workshop Assessment Tasks - 50%
Most weekly workshops will include an assessment task which allows students to demonstrate both the successful completion of the workshop tasks, and their understanding and application of the skills and techniques which they are learning each week. Full details of the Workshop Assessments will be provided at the start of each workshop.

Workshop Assessments can be completed within the 2-hour workshop session, but are otherwise due at the beginning of the next lecture if you require more time - i.e. by Tuesday before the lecture (2pm). All Workshop Assessment tasks must be submitted in order to pass this course.

It is a requirement of the course that students submit all assessment components by the due date. Extensions will be granted for medical or compassionate grounds only and requests should be accompanied by documentation (medical certificate or similar).

Workshop Assessments must be submitted on time or will receive a mark of 0. They must be lodged electronically using MyUni. 

Formal Examination - 50%
There will be a 2 hour examination held during the formal exam period. The exam will consist of two sections: (1) an essay section where students will write one compulsory essay and a second essay on one topic from a given selection of five topics; and (2) a series of short answer questions and multiple choice type questions which cover all aspects of the course, without any choice.

The exam structure and general content areas will be discussed in detail during the last lecture, and examples of questions will be made available on MyUni. Due to the large numbers expected to enrol in the course this year (approximately 350 students), it is hoped that the exam can be computer based to be marked automatically, apart from the essay question.

Students must check Access Adelaide for the time, date and venue of the examination. It is anticipated that the exam will be conducted in various computer labs around the university, which may include those at the Waite campus. 

(There MAY be the potential for students who are planning to continue with GIS in the future to conduct a major practical assignment instead of the formal exam.

Practical Assignment - 50%
The practical assignment requires students to apply the knowledge and techniques they have learnt to conduct a GIS analysis on a given theme, via a set of related questions, using data they have not previously used. This assignment tests students’ ability to work independently in using basic GIS skills and techniques, and through presentation of the results of the analysis in a formal report (approximately 2000 words and including 4 or 5 high quality maps), to demonstrate an understanding of spatial relationships and data issues.  

Full details would be provided separately, with all documents and data made available on MyUni).