Syllabus of GEO242 (Geographic Information Systems II)

Spring 0910 DePaul University
Meet Monday/Wednesday11:20-12:50 PM at Schmitt Academic Center 224 (GIS Lab)

Instructor

Julie Hwang: ,office hour: T/Th 2:30-4 PM and by appointment, Her office is located at the 4th floor of 990 W Fullerton Building Room# 4513, phone: 773-325-8668

Course overview

Students will further develop proficiency in GIS built from GEO241. Students as a group will conduct a GIS project on demand by community-based organization in Chicago (see community GIS project section below for current projects). The course will be organized around the process of planning and implementing GIS project. It ranges from assessing users' requirement, translating it into systems requirement, to acquiring and analyzing data. Students will learn to apply GIS techniquesin the context of addressing community issues as part of service-learning. Topics include GIS project management, database design, data input & manipulation, data quality, and spatial analysis. Compared to GEO241, GEO242 involves more doing than thinking, more applying than memorizing, and more reflection on the use of knowledgeincommunitycontextsthan knowledge itself.

Learning goals

Discipline-specific knowledge and skills

Learn terms related to GIS at the intermediate level – e.g., information product, relational database schema, coordinate transformation, metadata, suitabaility analysis
Learn concepts and methodsrelated to GISat the intermediate level – e.g., GIS project management, data modeling, data manipulation, data quality, spatial data infrastructure, data classification methods
Develop intermediate-level skills to become a competent GIS user – e.g., GPS data import, spatial database design, heads-up digitizing, spatial adjustment, metadata documentation
Develop a self-aware understanding of the interplay between technology (GIS) and society (community-based organization community)

Liberal arts and academic values

Cultivate a sense of social responsibility by developing informed concern of community issues and serving community

Higher-order thinking skills

Develop ability to apply GIS knowledge and skills to addressing community issues
Develop analytic skills for planning and implementing GIS project

Work and career preparation

Develop ability to work productivelywith others
Develop management skills by applying principles and techniques of project management to GIS project

Text: There is no text to buy. Required readingsare posted as pdf files on the blackboard

Summary of topics

Week / Topic / Lab
1-3 / Planning GIS project

Overview of the process of GIS project
Project management and expectation management
Needs assessment for GIS
Database design for GIS

/ Entity-relationship diagram
3-7 / Implmenting GIS project

Data input – primary
Data input – secondary
Data manipulation
Data acquisition – data quality
Data acquisition – spatial data infrastructure
Thematic mapping – data classification
Spatial analysis – vector overlay
Spatial analysis – raster overlay

/ GPS data import
Heads-up digitizing
Spatial adjustments
Metadata
Prism mapping
Aggregate mapping
Suitability analysis
7-10 / Doing your group GIS project

Evaluation

Exam25%written + practical test during a final week
Lab 20%eight labs in varying scale and difficulty
Project40%six milestones (see tentative schedules for due dates)
Participation 15%attendance + class participation
Peer evaluation-0+your peer’s rating on your contribution to project

Project milestones

P0: proposal – form a group, choose a project, and describe problems
P1: needs assessment – state goal, objectives, and describe information products
P2: systems requirement – specify users’ needs in terms of data and operations for GIS
P3: data acquisition – gather data suited to problems, and assess data quality
P4: data analysis – lay out plan for visualizing and analyzing data
P5: presentation – present results to clients
P6: final report – it should include introduction, needs assessment (P1), systems requirement (P2), data acquisition (P3), data analysis (P4), results, and conclusions

Fill in peer evaluation form at the end of the quarter. The peer evaluation form will be used to make adjustment to the final grade of individuals.

No late work will be accepted unless excused. An instructor reserves the right to determine whether the late work can be accepted based on information provided. A makeup exam can be arranged only when credible dire and documented medical or family situations arise and these circumstances are communicated in a timely fashion. The same rule (underlined above) applies to granting an Incomplete (IN) grade.

Tentative schedules

Here I describe what you should do before the class on the left, and what we will do in the class on the right for each day of the class. I also comment on readings mainly to help you focus and read actively rather than passively.

Part 1. Planning GIS project
[1W] March 31 The process of GIS project

Before the class / In the class
Read Bernhardsen (2005). The goal is to get an idea of what the overall process of implementing GIS looks like. At this point, it is not necessary to memorize terms yet since we will get to some of them later. Focus on GIS in organizational contexts. Whenever possible, relate your reading to your GIS project. For instance, how would you go about identifying users' requirement in your project? /

Talk on the process of GIS project and GIS in organization
Q/A about any confusing terms from the reading and group project
Group meeting for P0 (proposal)

[2M] April 5 Project management and expectation management

Read Verzuh (2008). Three topics are covered in this reading. (a) what are project success factors? (b) what are project management functions? (c) why is expectation management so important to successful project, and how can we go about managing expectation? In particular, make sure you understand terms like purpose, scope, objectives, and deliverables in chapter 4. This will get you ready for the next project milestone. Finish up P0. /

Turn in P0
Talk on project management with focus on questions on the left, and some useful techniques of project management
P1 (Needs Assessment) handed out
Group meeting for P1

[2W] April 7 Needs assessment for GIS

Read Huxhold (1992). If Verzuh (2008) is about how to define project and identify needs generically, Huxhold (1992) is about how to assess needs specific to GIS. I understand this reading is outdated (given that how fast GIS is changing!), and the scope and context described in this reading (mainlyfor enterprise GIS in local government) doesn't appear to be applicable to your fairly small GIS project. However, there is gem in this reading, that is how identifying functions in organizations (what clients do) is a good starting point of defining all others needs (like data, operations, software, hardware, and staff). Again relate it to your project. /

Talk on the functional approach to assessing GIS needs
Group meeting for P1

[3M] April 12 Database design for GIS

Read Shekhar and Chawla (2003). The reading is about how to design spatial database. You will learn about entity-relationship modeling (ERM) as conceptual modeling techniques, how to translate ERM to relational database schema as logical modeling techniques, and how to extend relational database schema to spatial data. Note that database design constitutes a part of the next project milestone (P2). /

P2 (Systems Requirement) handed out
Talk on spatial database design
Lab exercise on drawing entity-relation diagram in Visio
Group meeting for P1 and P2

Part 2. Implementing GIS project
[3W] April 14 Data input - primary method

Now we move from the phase of planning GIS (e.g., assessing needs, and specifying systems requirement) to implementing GIS (e.g., acquiring data, processing data, making maps and doing analysis). No reading is assigned for this class although it will be good to skim through GIS I materials on sources of GIS data and how GIS data is entered. Work on P1 - the dealing is fast approaching. /

Talk on GIS data collection
Lab exercise on GPS data import
Group meeting for P1 and P2

[4M] April 19 Data input - secondary method

Finish up P1 (Needs Assessment).
No reading. /

Turn in P1 (Needs assessment)
Lab exercise on heads-up digitizing
Group meeting for P2

[4W] April 21 Data manipulation

Read Chrisman (2001). Data input deals with techniques employed when there is no data available (so you create data from scratch). Data manipulation deals with techniques employed when there is data available, but data needs to be processed to get usable. There are many techniques for processing data for GIS, but we will focus on generalization, coordinate transformation, and data transfer. /

Talk on data manipulation
ArcGIS demo on data manipulation techniques
Lab exercise on spatial adjustment (rubber-sheeting)
Group meeting for P2

[5M] April 26 Data acquisition - data quality

Read Veregin (2005). GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out). There is no good result without good GIS data. It won't be hard to imagine how important data quality is. Make sure you understand the components of spatial data quality (accuracy, logical consistency, and logical consistency) which will get you ready for the next project milestone P3. /

P3 (Data Acquisition) handed out
Talk on data quality
Group meeting for P2 and P3

[5W] April 28 Data acquisition - spatial data infrastructure

Read Moeller (2010). The more you think about the success of GIS project, the more you will be convinced of the importance of getting the right data, perhaps even worse just getting any data. The idea behind spatial data infrastructure (SDI) is that in order to land in spatially-enabled informational society successfully, it is necessary to build organizational infrastructure that streamlines the process of acquiring and sharing spatial data. I want you to reflect on this issue (“should we care about SDI?”) in preparation for in-class discussion.Work on P2 (Systems requirement). /

Lecture on SDI
Share your thought on SDI
Lab exercise on creating metadata
Group meeting for P2 and P3

[6M] May 3 Thematic mapping - data classification

Finish up P2. Read Slocum et al (2005). You may have noticed that the whole range of data values are not displayed in thematic maps, but rather they are grouped into several classes. The reading describes different methods of grouping data values into classes (that is data classification methods). Be sure to understand how equal interval, natural break, quantile, and standard deviation methods work, respectively. /

Turn in P2 (Systems requirement)
Talk on data classification methods
Lab exercise on prism mapping
Group meeting for P3

[6W] May 5 Spatial analysis – vector overlay

Work together with your group members on P3 (Data acquisition) /

P4 (Data Analysis) handed out
Lab exercise on vector spatial analysis and process diagram
Group meeting for P3 and P4

[7M] May 10 Spatial analysis – raster overlay

Work together with your group members on P3 (Data acquisition) /

Lab exercise on raster spatial analysis and process diagram
Group meeting for P3 and P4

Part 3. Conducting a group GIS project
[7W] May 12
[8M] May 17 P3 (Data acquisition) due
[8W] May 19
[9M] May 24P4 (Data analysis) due
[9W] May 26 Map contest– submit the best map to the competition. We will vote for the best map after collaborative discussion.
[10M] May 31
[10W] June 2 P5 (Presentation) & P6 (Final report) due
[11W] June 9Final exam11:45-2:00

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Where and when can I use GIS software?

Name / Location / Hour / GIS-related software / # Computers
GIS Lab / SAC 224 / See QRC website / ArcGIS, MiniTab, GeoDa / 27
QRC / SAC 268 / See QRC website / ArcGIS, MiniTab / 27
DB search room / Richardson / See Library website / ArcGIS, MiniTab / 2

Here are the OPEN times for GIS lab during this quarter.

Monday / Wednesday: 8am – 9:30am, 6:00pm – 9:15pm

Tuesday / Thursday: 8am – 9:30am, 1pm – 2:30pm, 4:20pm – 5:50pm

(Thursday ONLY: 6pm – 9:15pm)

Friday: 8am – 5pm

Saturday/Sunday: 12pm – 4pm

2) I want to access ESRI data set other than the location X drive. Where can I get them?

StreetMap05 data is copied to C:\ArcGIS\StreetMap05 in GIS Lab, DB search room, and Geo Lab (geography department lab).

3) Can I use ArcGIS in my personal computer?

Order 60-day evaluation copy at

4) I lost my USB drive. Is there anywhere to look for my USB drive like lost & found?

Yes. It’s most likely that your flash drive is at QRC (SAC268) unless it’s already stolen. Contact a QRC lab manager, Jennifer Galka by phone (773) 325-4663 or by e-mail .

To help her identify who a lost flash drive belongs to, I suggest that you put a word document called “Open if Lost” in the main directory of your flash drive. In the document, you can put your name and an e-mail address so that you can be contacted in case the flash drive is found.

5) What is a grading scale?

Points earnedLetter grade

-93-100 pointsA

-90-92.99 pointsA-

-87-89.99 pointsB+

-83-86.99 pointsB

-80-82.99 pointsB-

-77-79.99 pointsC+

-73-76.99 pointsC

-70-72.99 pointsC-

-50-69.99 pointsD

-< 50F

6) Do you curve?

It depends. Decision to curve will be contingent upon the overall performance of students.

Community GIS project

So far two GIS projects have been collected from community-based organizationsaffiliated with DePaul's service-learning center, the Steans Center. Our coordinator is Rebecca Martinez. Contact her by if you have any problem with dealing with clients (meaning persons from community-based organizations).

Enlace Chicago is interested in mapping public transportation and bike routes in Little Village. This project is part of large-scale efforts to examine the culture of transportation in the community; this will provide the baseline to make recommendations for policy promoting sustainable transportation. By looking at demographic characteristics (e.g., population density, income, employment) and travel behavior (e.g., mode choice, commute time), as well as mapping transportation facilities, it would be possible to identify areas where bike routes and public transportation are lacking. You could turn this project to suitability analysis such as where to build bike routes. This project could be conducted in collaboration with the anthropology course(Prof. Rotenberg) where students collect data on pedestrian flow and busy bus stops. For further inquiry, contact Alejandro Guzman by .

Puerto Rican Cultural Center is interested in mapping health or wellness-related assets in Humboldt Park. Project outcomes (maps of health assets) will help the organization assess the current status of community health assets. For instance, by looking at maps it would be possible to answer where HIV clinic programsand physical acitivities programs (e.g., gym) are located, and how active those programs have been. This will further help them make recommendations for policy fostering health in the community. Health asset data will be provided from the School for New Learning. For further inquiry, contact Raul Echevarria by .

Important dates

P0 (proposal)2MApril 5

P1 (needs assement)4M April 19

P2 (systems requirement)6MMay 3

P3 (data acquisition)8M May 17

P4 (data analysis)9MMay 24

P5 (presentation)10W June2

P6 (final report)10W June 2

Exam11W June 9

References

Bernhardsen (2005) Geographical Information Systems: Principles, Techniques, Management and Applications Chapter 41 (Choosing a GIS) p. 589-600

Verzuh (2008) The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management p. 6-9, p. 21-23, p. 55-68

Huxhold (1992) Multipurpose land information systems Chapter 16 (Needs assesment) p. 16-1 ~ 16-38

Shekhar and Chawla (2003) Spatial Database: A Tour Chapter 5 (Spatial concepts and data models) p.34-41

Chrisman (2001) Exploring Geographical Information Systems Chapter 3 p. 85-97 (conversion of existing documents)

Veregin (2005) Geographical Information Systems: Principles, Techniques, Management and Applications Chapter 12 (Data quality parameters) p. 177-189

Moeller (2010) Directions Magazine February 2010 SDI – Why Should We Care About Them?

Slocum et al (2005) Thematic Cartography and Geographic Visualization Chapter 5 p. 74-89