Geographic Information Systems

Enrique Gomezdelcampo

Bowling Green State University
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University with graduate programs, primarily masters programs

Summary

Course covers concepts, management, and presentation of digital data for spatial analysis, with particular emphases on environmental geology and resource management. Provides hands-on experience with GIS software.

Course URL:
Course Size:

15-30

Course Context:

This is an upper-division/graduate introductory GIS course. It is required for all undergraduate majors in geology and environmental studies. Typically, half the students are graduate students and the other half undergraduates. The course includes a 2-hour computer lab.

Course Goals:

Students should be able to evaluate the uses, limitations, and potential of Geographic Information Systems with respect to applications to environmental geology and resource management.
Students should be able to design and perform basic Geographic Information Systems operations for own studies or work.
Students should be able to produce data for use in Geographic Information Systems.

How course activities and course structure help students achieve these goals:

The course is set up as a lecture and lab course. The lecture part provides the tools to evaluate GIS as well as some information on how to produce data for GIS use. The laboratory part of the course provides the skills to design and perform basic GIS operations as the students work through a series of problem-based exercises.

Skills Goals

Further development of computer skills.
Improved ability to write clearly.

How course activities and course structure help students achieve these goals:

Though the use of problem-based GIS exercises the students increase their computer skills. The exercises include a list of questions at the end that the student has to answer to get a grade on the exercise. The questions are essay-type and not only numerical answers.