SPATIAL 7007WT - GIS for Environmental Management
Waite Campus - Summer - 2018
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code SPATIAL 7007WT Course GIS for Environmental Management Coordinating Unit School of Biological Sciences Term Summer Level Postgraduate Coursework Location/s Waite Campus Units 3 Contact 15 days durign the Summer vacation Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Incompatible SPATIAL 3020WT; SPATIAL 3007WT; SPATIAL 7030WT Assessment Practical exercises, case study, written exam Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr Bertram Ostendorf
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
A successful student in this course should be able to:
1 Understand GIS concepts in an interdisciplinary setting 2 Identify and source data for use in evidence-based decision making in environmental management; 3 Apply ArcGIS for spatial data preparation, analysis and visualisation with in-depth skills of vector and raster processing; 4 Use airborne and space-borne imagery to characterise the biophysical environment at landscape and regional scales; 5 Demontrate proficiency in integrating GIS data analysis with simple statistical analysis; 6 Demonstrate ability to conduct a GIS research project in the area of environmental management. University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Deep discipline knowledge
- informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
- acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
- accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
1-6 Critical thinking and problem solving
- steeped in research methods and rigor
- based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
- demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
3,6 Teamwork and communication skills
- developed from, with, and via the SGDE
- honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
- encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
6 Career and leadership readiness
- technology savvy
- professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
- forward thinking and well informed
- tested and validated by work based experiences
1-6 Intercultural and ethical competency
- adept at operating in other cultures
- comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
- able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
- demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
6 Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
- open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
- able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
Texts - Online through Adelaide University Library:
Encyclopedia of GIS http://www.springerlink.com/content/978-0-387-30858-6
Book series: Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography
http://www.springerlink.com/content/1863-2246/ -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
This course consists of 2 weeks intensive lecture/practical sessions followed by independent research work.
Workload
No information currently available.
Learning Activities Summary
Schedule Lecture Lecture/Practical Day 1 Intoduction to GIS
Introduction to practicalsGetting Started with ArcGIS
Challenge: Examine spatial data on the computer and create first map without detailed instructionsDay 2 Creating Map Symbology
Referencing Data to Real Locations
Challenge: Align different sources of environmental baseline informationDay 3 Organizing Geographic Data Creating and Editing Data
Challenge (to be continued on day 4): Download a recent MODIS satellite imagery and create an up-to-date land-use map of the North Para Catchment
Day 4 Getting Started with GIS AnalysisDay 4 Getting Started with GIS Analysis
Working with Geo-processing and Modelling Tools
Designing Maps with ArcGISDay 5 Using GIS in Environmental Management Review and mid-term exam Day 6 Introduction to Rasters and the Spatial Analyst Getting Started with ArcGIS Spatial Analyst
Working with Rasters / Displaying Rasters in ArcMap
Working with Rasters / Managing Raster Data
Challenge (to be continued on day 7) Create a new rainfall map from a photocopy of a book – geo-register this map and calculate rainfall/runoff statistics for North ParaDay 7 Topographic Analysis Analysing Surfaces
Map AlgebraDay 8 Interpolation
GPSInterpolating Raster Surfaces
Challenge: Using Topography and raster analysis to characterise biophysical environmental propertiesDay 9 Spatial Statistics Mapping Distance and Density
Using Cell, Neighbourhood, and Zonal Statistics
Challenge: Using own data - estimate joint distributions of rainfall and land-use in the North Para CatchmentDay 10 Introduction to projects Review and final exam -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
No information currently available.
Assessment Detail
Practicals: 33% of total grades
There is the requirement for daily submission of practical reports. The results will be discussed in class the next morning.
Exams: 33% of total grades
Mid-term exam on day 5, online, open book, internet usage permitted (8% of final grade)
Final exam on day 10, online, open book, internet usage permitted (25% of final grade)
Project: 34% of total grades
Students will conduct an independent research project to apply and deepen the GIS skills. Several research topics will be provided but students are encouraged to define their own topics of interest and start to liaise with industry and government. Research projects will be supported individually during the semester.
Submission
Late Submission
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
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- YouX Student Care - Advocacy, confidential counselling, welfare support and advice
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
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- Intellectual Property Policy
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- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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