Initial Publication Date: November 30, 2007

Teaching with GIS: An introduction to spatial reasoning and analytical skills

Workshop Objectives and Schedules

December 3—5, 2007
CMC 109, Carleton College

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Day 1

Learning Objectives

Knowledge and understanding of GIS concepts

  1. Explain how real-world objects and phenomena are represented in a GIS
  2. Explain the difference between a coordinate system and a map projection
  3. List spatial properties distorted from applying different map projections
  4. Understand scale, resolution, and accuracy
  5. Explain the importance of metadata
  6. Explain the difference between attribute and location queries
  7. Describe how visual variables can be used to represent spatial data on maps
  8. Know the analytical operations for a single data layer

Application skills in using ArcGIS Desktop

  1. List the three different licenses of ArcGIS Desktop and know how to switch between them
  2. Describe the structure and management of data in ArcGIS Desktop
  3. Determine and change data source of a layer in ArcMap
  4. Define and change map projection for a data layer
  5. Change the map projection for a data frame in ArcMap
  6. Determine data scale, resolution, and accuracy
  7. Create and edit metadata in ArcCatalog
  8. Create and modify selected features using attribute and location queries.
  9. Create maps of categorical and quantitative data with appropriate visual variables
  10. Perform a variety of analysis on a single vector or raster layer (summary statistics, feature geometry, measurement, proximity, transformations)

Day 1 Agenda

9:00 AM—10:15 AM - Introduction to the workshop
 What is GIS and isn't

Concepts: Representing geographic data in computers

  • Vector and raster data models
  • Coordinate systems and projection
  • Scale, resolution, errors

10:30 AM—12:00 PM - Implementation: the case of ArcGIS Desktop

  • Components of ArcGIS desktop
  • ArcGIS file structures and management
  • Coordinate systems and projections in ArcGIS
  • Metadata in ArcGIS

1:00 PM—2:15 PM - Implementation: the case of ArcGIS Desktop

  • Visualizing and querying spatial data

2:30 PM—4:00 PM - Concepts: Single layer analysis

Implementation: the case of ArcGIS Desktop
Perform single layer analysis

  • Summarizing attributes
  • Measurement
  • Proximity
  • Transformations

DAY 2

Learning objectives: Knowledge and understanding of GIS concepts
  1. Explain levels of measurement and its importance in determining appropriate spatial analysis
  2. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of vector and raster data models
  3. Know the problems involved in converting between vector and raster
  4. Understand the nature of surfaces and how information may be extracted from them
  5. Explain the basic analytical structure underlying map analysis and modeling
  6. List the fundamental classes of map analysis operations and know how to combine them to develop a model

Application skills in using ArcGIS Desktop

  1. Reclassify vector and raster data
  2. Convert data from a vector format to a raster format, and know how to ensure cell boundaries in the output rasters align with each other
  3. Apply map algebra to raster datasets
  4. Apply overlay operations to vector datasets
  5. Develop and implement map analysis operations with vector and raster data

Day 2 Agenda

9:00 AM—10:15 AM - Project discussion: Identify variables for Hurricane risk analysis

Working with ArcGIS: Creating risk level score for each variable

10:30 AM—12:00 PM - Concepts: Multi layer analysis

  • Overlay
  • Proximity functions and buffering
  • Reclassification
  • Raster neighborhood analysis

1:00 PM—2:15 PM - Working with ArcGIS: Implementing a hurricane risk analysis model

2:30 PM—4:00 PM - Working with ArcGIS: Implementing a hurricane risk analysis model

Discussion: Advantages and Disadvantages of the approaches used in the analysis

DAY 3

Learning objectives: Knowledge and understanding of GIS Concepts

  1. Explain how change detection with raster data is conducted
  2. Know the nature of point pattern analysis
  3. Understand the basic concepts of spatial interpolation
  4. Know how to aggregate data by geographic units and conduct standard statistical analysis with the data
  5. Know how to acquire, create, and preprocess GIS data for a project

Application skills in using ArcGIS Desktop

  1. Conduct change detection process with raster data
  2. Using the Hot Spot Analysis tool to identify spatial clusters
  3. Implement different interpolation techniques and assess the results using geostatistics tools
  4. Summarize data by geographic units
  5. Georeference raster data
  6. Perform heads-up digitizing
  7. Join tables to vector data (shapefiles)
  8. Add X,Y data to ArcMap

Day 3 Agenda

9:00 AM—12:00 PM - Working with ArcGIS on one of the following projects:

  • Analyzing changes in Louisiana coastal area
  • Identify clusters in Katrina property damage and reconstruction permits in New Orleans
  • Determine post-Katrina soil lead concentration at neighborhoods in New Orleans
  • Explore relationship between median housing price and Katrina property damage in New Orleans

12:00 PM—1:30 PM - Teaching and researching with GIS—Faculty experience

1:30 PM—2:15 PM - Creating and integrating data for your projects

  • Data need assessment
  • Data integration
  • Preliminary data analysis

Working with ArcGIS Desktop

  • Georeferencing raster data
  • Heads-up digitizing
  • Joining tables
  • Adding X,Y data

2:30 PM—4:00 PM - Working with GIS at Carleton
What's next? Developing your project


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