Course is delivered via lectures and two hour workshops 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: Heywood, Cornelius & Carver
Year: 2011
Publisher: Prentice-Hall
ISBN: 9780273722595

This book is available to purchase from The Co-Op Bookshop (Union House). The Barr Smith Library also holds one reserve copy, with five additional copies available for general borrowing.  Readings are set for most lectures and some workshops, and are expected to be completed before each lecture.

Optional/Alternative Textbook

Book Title: Geographical Information Systems
Author: Julie Delaney and Kimberley Van Niel
Year: 2007
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780195556070

Copies of this book are also available to purchase from The Co-Op Bookshop (Union House). 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 Systems & Science (3rd Edition)
Author: Paul A. Longley et.al
Year: 2010     
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN: 9780470721445

Online Textbooks
There are a variety of online texts available, including:   

• www.spatialanalysisonline.com – extremely comprehensive text by Michael De Smith, Paul Longley and Mike Goodchild;
• natureofgeoinfo.org  – open geospatial textbook edited by David DiBiase, hosted by Penn State University;
• giscommons.org - introductory textbook on GIS by Michael Schmandt, Sacramento State University; and
• www.esri.com/industries/ebooks - 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
ESRI ArcGIS for Desktop 10.3.1 is the GIS commercial software that will be used in this course. This software is available in limited teaching labs across the University from 8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday. 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 take into account any access restrictions when planning your assignment work.

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 10.10am in Napier 209, on the second floor of the Napier Building.   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 two workshop sessions scheduled each Monday. 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 – Collection, Storage and Management                                                  

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:
Using GIS Technology in the Wine Industry                                                     

Guest Lecture from GIS Specialist Dave Gerner. Dave will demonstrate and discuss how Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates are using
smart mapping technology to analyse environmental changes and inform harvesting strategies.  Their use of GIS technology (from the vineyard to the bottle shop) generated a lot of interest at a recent ESRI Directions LIVE user conference, held in Adelaide earlier this year.
Reading: No readings this week   


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                                                                                        

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, crime 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

Exam (2 hours):                 40% Check exam time and venue on Access Adelaide later in the semester
Workshop Assessments:   30% Due by 10am on Monday each week, unless otherwise advised
Practical Assignment:        30% Due by 5pm, Tuesday 1 November

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

It is a requirement of the course that students submit all assessment components by the due date. The penalty for late submission of the assignment is 5% per day.  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 can be handed in before leaving workshops
or at the commencement of the next week’s lecture.  The Practical Assignment and any Workshop Assessments not handed up in person must be submitted using the Assignment Box for GEOG courses outside the School of Social Sciences office on the Ground Floor of the Napier Building. Any assessment items submitted this way must have a signed coversheet. In addition, the Practical Assignment (and some workshop assessments) must be lodged electronically using MyUni.

To pass the course you must complete and submit for assessment all of the components (including all individual Workshop Assessment tasks) described in this course profile. If you fail to complete all components, you may receive a Fail grade regardless of your achievement in the completed assessment components.

Formal Examination - 40%
There will be a 2 hour examination held during the formal exam period and conducted at Wayville showgrounds.  The exam will
consist of two sections: (1) an essay question where students write on one topic from a given selection; and (2) a series of short answer questions which cover aspects of the course.

The exam structure and general content areas will be discussed in detail during the last lecture, and examples of previous exam questions will be made available on MyUni.

Students must check Access Adelaide for the time, date and venue of the examination.

Workshop Assessment Tasks - 30%
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 the following Monday before the Lecture. All Workshop Assessment tasks must be submitted in order to pass this course.

Practical Assignment - 30%
The practical assignment requires students to apply the knowledge and techniques they have learnt to conduct a GIS analysis of the impacts of a new road construction project in Adelaide. 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, to demonstrate an understanding of spatial relationships and data issues. 

Full details will be provided separately – all documents and data will be available on MyUni.