Department of Geography and GeoInformation Science
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
GGS 311-002 - Spring 2014
Instructor: Maction Komwa, Ph.D.
Class Meets: Wednesday, 1:30 pm – 4:10pm, Innovation Hall – 223
CRN: 12658
To Contact Instructor
Office:
Exploratory Hall – Room 2210
Mailbox:
Exploratory – Room 260
Office hours: Monday, 11:00 – 12:30 am or by appointment
Telephone:
703-993-5646 - (GMU office, during office hours only)
E-Mail:
[email protected]
Course description
Fundamental concepts and theories for appropriate use of geographic information systems (GIS). Discusses basic GIS
functionality and applications in various fields. This course also serves as the foundation course for other advanced
courses in GIS.
Course objectives:
This course will focus on the following themes: modern spatial data processing, development, implementation, and
functions of geographic information systems; relations between GIS and remote sensing; and applications of
geographic information systems to a variety of environmental issues among many other things. By the end of this
course you should be able to:
a. Define key concepts related to spatial data, basic analysis, and spatial data representation, , including GPS
data collection, vector and raster data entry and editing.
b. Comfortably demonstrate these key concepts using GIS software applications.
c. Use the foundation you acquire in this course to prepare you for the other courses at GMU, for internships,
and for basic work‐related GIS projects.
Required textbook:
Paul Bolstad. 2012. GIS Fundamentals: A First on Geographic Information Systems. 4th Edition, Eider Press,
Minnesota.
• Readings from this book are required. Supplementary readings will be posted on class Blackboard from time
to time.
• You are encouraged to do the readings before class meets; part of your final grade will come from short
quizzes so we will have a quiz at the beginning of class, which will cover the week’s reading assignment.
Focus of instruction:
This course is divided into two important main parts: lectures, which will introduce the theory of geographic
information systems (GIS), and lab assignments, which will help you to familiarize yourself with many aspects of the
software. We will discuss the GIS concepts, data, tools, and GIS applications through case studies during our
lecturers. The laboratory sessions will introduce the geospatial data and software tools that you will require in
order to finish your lab exercises. You don’t need to be a computer “guru” to complete your lab assignments but all
lab exercises will require a very basic level of computers and Windows operating system. GMU is resourceful
enough for students to get these computer skills. We (Instructor & TA) will require your motivation energy in
order to have a successful semester.
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Activities
A. Exams
There will be three exams that will be administered during this semester. See details below: The exam will be
consist of MCQ and short answers based on the readings and lecturers. The Exam is NOT open book or any
other open notes.
Grading
Letter grades of A, B, C, D, and F will be assigned for completion of this course based on the cumulative score of
all evaluated work.
A+ = 100-98
A= 97-93
A-=92-90
Lab assignment
Attendance/Quizzes
Exam 1
Exam 2
Final Exam
Total Points
B+=89-86
B=85-83
B-=82-80
50%
10%
10%
10%
20%
100
C+=79-76
C=75-71
C-= 70-69
D=68-60
F=below 60
200 points (20 points each)
40 points
40 points
40 points
80 points
400 points
Discussion of work among students is encouraged. Collaboration and active participation in group discussions is
important, but final work should reflect your own thinking and should be in your own words. I reserve the right to
use GMU-sanctioned tools for detecting and documenting plagiarism. If you have questions about what constitutes
plagiarism and when the contributions of others to your work must be acknowledged and appropriate ways to cite
those contributions, please talk to me as soon as possible!
B: Labs Exercises:
Lab exercises will be available on Blackboard in PDF format. I recommend downloading and printing the exercises
prior to class. You should read the lab in advance, and review/note new procedures or activities. Labs will typically
require more than the time allotted per class period to complete. The computer labs on the top floor of Innovation
Hall, those in Exploratory Hall (e.g. 2102), and several in the Johnson Center are open for extended hours, and are
equipped with ArcGIS 10.1. Registered students will receive a one-year copy of ArcGIS for use at home. We offer
this software as a convenience, but do not provide tech support. For that you must contact ESRI Support at 1-888377-4575.
All labs assignments are to be submitted via Blackboard. Submit by clicking on the appropriate assignment link to
open the answer submission window. Written answers may be typed in, and attachments may be added there. Click
“Submit” when complete. You may submit answers as many times as you would like up to the date/time due, though
only the final submission will be graded. Labs will typically be due the Monday (11.59 p.m.) of the week after your
scheduled Lab session, unless otherwise noted. Late labs are docked by 10% per day, and labs won't be accepted if
they are more than 5 days late. Makeup labs are possible if the instructor has advance notice, so please anticipate
conflicts, and contact the instructor. Labs are only accepted through the Blackboard course site - NOT Email! Labs
are to be submitted as *.jpg, MS Word, typed text, or *.pdf.
Please do not send, submit, or attach *.mdx or shapefiles.
There will be a total of 11 labs. Each lab will gain 5% worth a total of 50% of the grade. (Based on this calculation, your
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lowest lab grade will be dropped). Each lab is due as indicated on the syllabus. Late labs, including those submitted after
11:59pm on the due date, will be penalized 10% each day for the first 5 days. Labs submitted later than 5 days will
not be accepted. Incomplete grades and time extension will not be accepted unless otherwise stated. All students
are requested to keep up with the work and meet deadlines for assignments.
Posting of Grades:
All grades will be posted through the Blackboard. It is your responsibility to check the blackboard for any class
announcements or grades. In the event of grade mistakes posted through the Blackboard please don’t hesitate to
Late Work Policy
All students are asked to pay close attention to deadlines. No make-up assignments or quizzes, or late work
accepted without a compelling reason and instructor/TA approval.
Class Format:
This is a weekly course, scheduled for 2 hours and 45 minutes. The typical class period will be broken into three
“sessions”, as follows:
• Session 1: Lecture, 50 minutes
• Session 2: Lecture, 45 minutes
• Session 3: Lab, 50 minutes
There will be 5 to 10 minute breaks between sessions; however lab and lecturer quizzes will be given
promptly at the beginning of the third session, so make sure you come back, and on time!!!
Student Requirements:
To successfully complete this course, students must complete all assigned readings as well as attend class;
neither the text book nor lecture notes alone will suffice. Please take note that this course will challenge you
intellectually and that missing 60% or more of the classes will result in a grade of S/A.
Student responsibilities:
For this class I will provide direction and an environment that is conducive to learning. However, as required by the
University and the department students are expected at least to spend nearly 2 hours in preparation for each class.
Additionally, as a Lecturer for this class I will expect all students to:

Attend lectures as required by the syllabus

Read material as may be assigned by the Lecturer

Ask questions, answer questions and take part in group discussions and other class activities

Complete and submit any assigned work on time through the Blackboard
Class Participation:
A sign-in sheet will be circulated at every class. It is your responsibility to sign it. Any absence unless it is a major
emergency must have prior approval by the faculty. Note, missing 60% or more of the classes will result in a grade
of S/A. At the end of the semester, to meet the presentation requirement of Synthesis, students will present
concisely their paper or projects in the form of a poster. The presentation should be highly organized and up to the
point. It should include description of the issue or problem, previous work on the topic, description of the student's
analysis, and the findings. The posters will be independently assessed by the instructor and two other faculty
members when possible.
Academic Honesty: George Mason University operates under an honor system, which is published in the
University Catalog and deals specifically with cheating, attempted cheating, plagiarism, lying, and stealing. Please
familiarize yourself with the honor code, especially the statement on plagiarism
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(http://www.gmu.edu/org/honorcouncil/guidelines.htm).
If you have questions about when the contributions of others to your work must be acknowledged and appropriate
ways to cite those contributions, please talk with the professor.
Note: Plagiarism will result in a failing grade.
Students with Disabilities: If you require accommodations for a disability, please let me know as soon as
possible. Disability Services is available to assist you, and more details can be accessed through the Office of
Disability Services (ODC) website: http://ods.gmu.edu/] / Student Union Building I (SUB), Room 2500. Telephone:
(703) 993-2474.
Blackboard
If you are enrolled in this course you will have access to the Blackboard site - available at: courses.gmu.edu. You will
need to log on using your GMU user name and password. Blackboard will be used to post assignments, key
concepts, and supplemental materials. It is the responsibility of the student to take notes in class; lecture notes will
also be posted to Blackboard.
Most of the case studies and readings will be posted through the blackboard. [https://courses.gmu.edu/]
Communication:


You should only use GMU email to communicate with your instructor. Any email besides the one given by
GMU will not be acknowledged.
We will use the blackboard to discuss topics related to this course.
Links to the University Catalog and the University Policies
University Catalog: http://catalog.gmu.edu/ | University Policies: http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/
Student Support Resources
George Mason University has a number of academic support and other resources to facilitate your success. Some of
these resources are presented below:
Counseling and Psychological Services, Learning Services, University Career Services, the Writing Center, etc.).
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WEEK
TOPIC DESCRIPTION
LAB EXERCISE
Week 1: Jan. 22
Course Introduction/ Intro to GIS Chapter1
Lab Introduction
Week 2: Jan. 29
Chapter 2: Data Models
Lab 1: Introduction to ArcGIS
Feb 3
Week 3: Feb. 5
Chapter 3: Geodesy, Datums, Map Projections, and Coordinate
Systems (pp. 71-91; 101-123)
Lab 2: Projections
Feb 10
Week 4: Feb. 12
Chapter 4: Maps, Data Entry and Editing (pp. 131-152)
Lab 3: Digitizing
Feb 17
Week 5: Feb. 19
Chapter 4: Maps, Data Entry and Editing (pp. 153-175)
Lab 4: Geocoding
Feb 24
Week 6: Feb 26
EXAM 1 (Chapters 1-4)
Lab 6: Digital Data and Tables
March 3
Lab 7: Tables 1
March 17
Week 7: March 5
Chapter 7: Digital Data | Chapter 8: Attribute Data and Tables
LAB DUE DATE
Week 8: Mar. 12
SPRING BREAK
Week 9: Mar. 19
Chapter 9: Basic Spatial Analysis (pp. 347-376)
Lab 8: Spatial Selection, etc.
March 24
Week 10: March 26
Chapter 9: Basic Spatial Analysis (pp. 377-398)
Lab 9: Buffering and Overlay
March 31
Week 11: April 2
Exam 2 (Chapters 7-9)
Lab 10: Raster Analyses
April 7
Week 12: Apr. 9
Chapter 10: Topics in Raster Analysis
Lab 11: Terrain Analyses
April 14
Week 13: Apr. 16
Chapter 11: Terrain Analysis
Lab 12: Interpolation
April 21
Week 14: Apr. 23
Chapter 12: Spatial Estimation
Open Lab - Catch up
Week 15: April 30
Chapter 14: Data Standards and Quality |Review
Week 16: May 7
FINAL EXAMS
[1:30 -4:15 p]
Any changes to this schedule will be announced in class and posted to the course Blackboard page (http://courses.gmu.edu).
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