Professional Documents
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Spring 2015
Syllabus
Course Description: This course follows GIS 510 (NR 531), Introduction to Geographic
Information Science, with a focus on applied geospatial analytics. Students will further
enhance their geospatial analyses skills and their understanding of the analysis
capabilities of geospatial technology and learn to effectively communicate the results to
guide decision making. This is accomplished through weekly themes and assignments
in which students learn to integrate data from various formats, analyze data, and display
results for decision making processes. This course is designed as an internet-based
course. As with GIS 510, all course materials are delivered through the internet and
student activity can be accomplished from student owned computers.
Note: During Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2010 terms this course was offered as GIS
595 Special Topics course. If you have taken that course please let us know
immediately.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, students will be able to:
assignments, a gradebook, quizzing, and more. Most of the Moodle tools are
asynchronous, meaning that students do not have to be online at the same time as
students classmates or instructor.
The block in Moodle titled Course Overview includes the course syllabus (this
document), grading course assignments, accessing online help sessions, tips for AcGIS
10.2 and other relevant information about the course. Students should be responsible
for being familiar with all the material posted in the Course Overview block in
Moodle.
Course material is organized by Theme Blocks in Moodle. For each theme, all related
required readings, supplemental readings, lecture presentations, homework
assignments, and any additional information will be posted in the related Theme Block.
We suggest that the Theme Block is the starting point to access the assignment
material, since any material referenced within the assignment will be available from the
theme block. Students are responsible for all material posted for each theme
within the Theme Block.
Required Readings: There is no text book for this course. Readings for the course will
come from various sources (such as ArcGIS Help Resources, Books, Tutorials etc.) as
assigned in the class schedule and will be available on-line. In most instances additional
lecture audio-video recordings will be also available.
Required Materials: You will need a copy of or access to ArcGIS Desktop 10.2.2
(with all the extensions). If you are using a home computer or laptop, it is highly
recommended that you use either Windows XP or Windows 7 operating system.
Students using Vista have experienced problems completing some of the assignments.
Please ensure you have administrative rights to your computer.
ESRI software, including ArcGIS Desktop 10.2.2, may be downloaded by NCSU
students at http://software.ncsu.edu/vendor/esri/package/arcgis-desktop. Students are
responsible to ensure that they have access to ArcGIS Desktop for timely completion of
the assignments.
If for any reason, during any time throughout the semester, if you will not be able to use
your own computer, you can also have access to ArcGIS Desktop 10.2.2 through the
Virtual Computing Lab (VCL): http://vcl.ncsu.edu/
Note: If you are having trouble with the ArcGIS Desktop download, install or
licensing, please contact the Help Desk at 919-515-HELP or help@ncsu.edu. For
licensing issues only, you could also contact, Bill Coker, Software Licensing Manager
OIT, at 919-515-5419 or bill_coker@ncsu.edu.
ESRI online courses: The completion of the following two ESRI Virtual Campus
courses will be required:
2
providing a valid excuse is acceptable. An excuse will be granted ONLY for any of the
following conditions:
1. Severe illness documented by a verifiable physician (documentation required)
2. Verifiable personal or family emergency (documentation required)
3. Official NCSU excuse (documentation required)
It is the students explicit responsibility to ensure course assignments are submitted on
time. With exception of an instructor's excuse due to above mentioned conditions (see
University policy on excused absences) technical issues do not constitute adequate
grounds for receiving an extension.
Grades on approved late submission will be reduced 20% and NO credit will be
given for unapproved late assignments.
Class Forum: We will maintain a Class Forum and a forum for each assignment
accessible at the course site. The forum is a good way to communicate as questions
you have will likely be shared by other students. Check out the appropriate forum first if
questions occur. If that does not help, simply post a question and we or another student
will reply. We will try to respond within 24 48 hours to the posted questions (excluding
the weekends and holidays). Students should be aware that questions posted the day of
the assignment due date, may not be responded until the next day. Since we
emphasize independent learning, we strongly encourage you to reply to
questions posted by another student in the class.
Grading: The inevitably painful process of evaluation will be handled as follows:
Homework Total 75%
Portfolio 25%
Note that some assignments will carry multiple credits - be sure to view the grading
process page linked on course introduction section: Grading Course Assignments.
Letter Grade
A+
>= 97.00
96.99 - 93.00
A-
92.99 90.00
B+
89.99 - 87.00
86.99 - 83.00
B-
82.99 80.00
C+
79.99 - 77.00
76.99 - 73.00
4
C-
72.99 - 70.00
D+
69.99 - 67.00
66.99 - 63.00
D-
62.99 - 60.00
<= 59.99
Please make sure you fully understand this agreement (i.e., syllabus) as you will be
held to the entire policy as stated above.
Have a great semester!