Spring 2024
Brightspace Access of Course Material Online (for students enrolled in the course)
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Walid H. Shayya |
Instructor's Contact Information
|
GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION:
ATR 213 involves a basic introduction to geospatial technology, focusing on the practical applications of geographic information and global positioning systems in mapping natural and renewable resources. The basic principles of geospatial technology and geographic information systems (GIS) are discussed, emphasizing computer-assisted mapping. The focus will be on learning QGIS, an open-source GIS software, and its application in several assigned class projects. Students are also expected to understand how to create thematic maps and use GPS measurements and digital orthoimages to generate geographically-referenced spatial data, which forms the basis for geospatial analysis.
Course Format: Lecture (Hybrid), Laboratory (Face-to-Face)
Meeting Times/Locations: Lecture (Tue. @ 8:00-9:15 AM in Marshall 101), Laboratory (Fri. @ 9:00-10:50 AM for 01L, and Thurs. @ 2:00-3:50 PM for 04L, in Bicknell 208)
Semester Start Date: January 22, 2024
Semester End Date: April 5, 2024Prerequisite: NATR 113 or permission of instructor
2 credits (1.5 lecture hours, 2 laboratory hours), spring semester, first ten weeks
EXPECTED COURSE OUTCOMES:
Upon the successful completion of NATR 213, the student is expected to have:
Developed the skill for utilizing the QGIS software to create, maintain, and utilize geospatial data.
Applied the global positioning system to collect data on natural and man-made geographically referenced features.
Utilized digital orthoimagery to construct features within the framework of geospatial databases.
Understood how various geospatial technology tools are utilized in multiple contexts, including generating different thematic maps.
Understood the basic principles of geographic information systems (GIS).
STUDENT HOURS:
The instructor has the following designated student hours per week during the spring semester:
Mondays: 11:00 to 11:50 AM
Tuesdays: 11:00 to 11:50 AM
Wednesdays: 11:00 to 11:50 AM
Thursdays: 11:00 to 11:50 AM
Fridays: 8:00 to 8:50 AM
If necessary, students are also encouraged to make appointments to meet the instructor at other times.
CONTACT HOURS AND CLASS SCHEDULE:
NATR 213 is a two-credit hour course that runs during the first ten weeks of the spring semester. It includes three-and-a-half contact hours per week of lecture and laboratory (one section of the lecture and two laboratory sections are offered during the 2024 Spring semester). The lecture meets from 8:00 to 9:15 AM on Tuesdays in Room 101, Marshall Hall. The two laboratory sections meet in 208 Bicknell Hall, with section 01L meeting from 9:00 to 10:50 AM on Friday and section 04L meeting from 2:00 to 3:50 PM on Thursday). The course runs from Tuesday - 23 January 2024 (the 1st week of the spring semester) to Friday - 5 April 2024 (the 10th week of the spring semester). An in-person, one-hour comprehensive final examination is scheduled during the laboratory in Week#11.
TEXTBOOK(S):
Two manuals to be used in NATR 213 are available from the campus bookstore. The specifics of the course manuals are as follows:
Shayya, W.H. 2024. Basics of Geospatial Technology: Course Manual (2nd Edition). XanEdu Publishing Inc. (ISBN: 979-8-82277-934-1 ).
Shayya, W.H. 2023. Introductory Exercises Using QGIS Desktop (10th Edition). XanEdu Publishing Inc. (ISBN: 979-8-82279-198-5).
The QGIS Desktop manual will be used during eight laboratory exercises in NATR 213. The course manual includes the instructor's PowerPoint presentations (printed in handout format) and pertinent reading material to be used in NATR 213. Numerous resources are available online on geographic information systems (GIS.COM, USGS) and global positioning systems (Trimble). Students are encouraged to be actively involved in acquiring some pertinent knowledge from these sources.
CLASS POLICIES:
Attendance: First and foremost, students must always plan to be in class on time. Given the nature of the course, all students are urged to attend all classes. Attendance will be taken during each class session, and appropriate actions will be taken when students have more than one unexcused absence during the semester. A student with a few or no class absences during the semester will receive favorable consideration during the grading process if the student is close to receiving the next higher letter grade.
Student Behavior: As students in a technical program are preparing for a professional career, all students are expected to conduct themselves as professionals (in both manner and dress).
Eating, drinking, or consuming any tobacco products is prohibited in all in-person classroom settings (classroom, laboratory, or field). Doing so may result in the student's dismissal from that class period and count as an unexcused absence.
Cell phones and pagers must be turned off during instruction time. The use of these devices may result in the student's dismissal from the class period, and the student’s absence will be marked as unexcused.
Assignments: This course will include several laboratory assignments and six class projects involving the use of QGIS. Class assignments and projects will account for 60% of the final grade. Therefore, students complete their assignments accurately, neatly, and on time. Late assignments received past the due date will be devalued 5% for each day the item is late. No late student's class assignment will be graded (for credit) once the assignment is corrected and returned to the class.
Examinations/Quizzes: The class includes one comprehensive final examination administered during the laboratory in week#11. The final examination will cover class material, laboratory assignments, projects, and assigned readings. Starting from week#1, please note that there will be a weekly online quiz on the material covered during the weekly lecture. The weekly quiz must be completed under Brightspace between 5:00 PM and midnight on Thursdays. A student missing a weekly quiz will receive a grade of zero. At the end of the semester, however, the quiz with the lowest grade for each student will be dropped.
Honesty Policy and Discipline (Due Process): Honesty and integrity are significant elements in professional behavior and are expected of each student. Any assignment (including those in electronic media) submitted by a student must be of the student's original authorship. Representation of another's work as the student’s own shall constitute plagiarism. In any form, cheating is unacceptable in all college courses. Students having academic problems should consult their academic advisor or a college counselor. Cheating will be dealt with according to SUNY Morrisville policy. The standards of academic honesty and due process procedures for SUNY Morrisville are in the Rules, Regulations, and Expectations section of the Student Handbook.
GRADING/EVALUATION OF THE STUDENT:
Evaluation is a shared responsibility between the teacher and the student. The evaluation aims to demonstrate how well the professor has taught and the student has learned specific course materials, the principles, concepts, and terms relevant to the covered topics. Evaluation is also intended to assess the student's ability to utilize the acquired knowledge in problem-solving.
The breakdown of grading in this course will be as follows:
The distribution of grades in this course will be based on the A-F College grading scheme. The letter grades correspond to the following percentage scale: A (90-100%), A- (87-89.9%), B+ (83-86.9%), B (80-82.9%), B- (77-79.9%), C+ (73-76.9%), C (70-72.9%), C- (67-69.9%), D+ (63-66.9%), D (60-62.9%), and F (<60%).
STARFISH EARLY ALERT SYSTEM:
This course participates in the Starfish Early Alert System, an early intervention system designed to enable academic success, student persistence, and graduation. When an instructor observes student behaviors or concerns that may impede academic success, the instructor may raise an alert flag that notifies the student of the matter, requests an individual contact to discuss the issue, and (in most cases) refer the student to the academic advisor. If you receive an email notification of an early alert, you must contact the instructor as soon as possible to discuss the issue. The purpose of the contact is to determine the severity of the issue, accurately assess its potential impact on your academic success, and plan actions to prevent negative consequences and enable academic success. For more information about the Early Alert system, contact your academic advisor.
OUTLINE OF TOPICS:
Week: Date |
Lecture Topic* |
1: 23 January |
-
Introduction to NATR 213 - Introduction to Geospatial Technology (review from NATR 113) - An Overview of GIS (review from NATR 113) |
2: 30 January |
-
Map Scale - Introduction to QGIS |
3: 6 February |
- Geospatial Data - GIS Queries |
4: 13 February | - Graphic Design Principles |
5: 20 February | - Introduction to Maps |
6: 27 February | - Topographic Maps |
7: 5 March |
-
An Overview of the Global Positioning System (GPS) (review from NATR 113) - GPS Operation (review from NATR 113) - An Overview of DGPS (review from NATR 113) |
Week 8: Spring Break (No classes) | |
9: 19 March | - Spatial Analysis |
10: 26 March |
-
Remote Sensing and Digital Orthoimagery |
11: 2 April |
-
Raster Data and Digital
Orthoimagery Available from the NYS GIS Clearinghouse - Final Exam Study Guide (the Final Examination in NATR 213 is comprehensive, to be held during the laboratory in Bicknell 208) |
Week: Date |
Laboratory Topic* |
1: 26 January | Introduction to Computers and Windows |
2: 2 February |
QGIS Exercise 1: Getting
Vector Data into QGIS
(QGIS Tutorial) - Overview of QGIS - Exercise Overview - Working with Vector Layers - Working with Vector Data Attributes - Concluding Remarks |
3: 9 February |
QGIS Exercise 2: Querying and
Symbolizing Vector Data
(QGIS Tutorial) - Overview of QGIS - Exercise Overview - Querying Vector Layers - Symbolizing Vector Layers - Concluding Remarks |
4: 16 February |
QGIS Exercise 3: Labeling and
Classifying Vector Data
(QGIS Tutorial) - Overview of QGIS - Exercise Overview - Labeling Vector Layers - Classifying Vector Data - Concluding Remarks |
5: 23 February |
QGIS Exercise 4: Creating
Maps
(QGIS Tutorial) - Overview of QGIS - Exercise Overview - Getting Started - Using QGIS Layout Manager - Concluding Remarks |
6: 1 March |
QGIS Exercise 5: Map
Projections and Inventory Operations
(QGIS Tutorial) - Overview of QGIS - Exercise Overview - Getting Started - Changing the Map Projection - Measuring Distances - Measuring Areas - Managing Scale - Concluding Remarks |
7: 8 March |
QGIS Exercise 6: Creating
Vector Data
(QGIS Tutorial) - Overview of QGIS - Exercise Overview - Getting Started - Creating a Line Vector Layer - Creating a Polygon Vector Layer - Creating a Point Vector Layer - Performing a Table Join - Concluding Remarks |
Week 8: Spring Break (No classes) | |
9: 22 April |
QGIS Exercise 7: Geospatial
Analysis
(QGIS Tutorial) - Overview of QGIS - Exercise Overview - Getting Started - Vector Analysis - Terrain Analysis - Concluding Remarks |
10: 29 April |
QGIS Exercise 8: Preparing Data for Grid Sampling
(QGIS Tutorial) - Overview of QGIS - Exercise Overview - Getting Started - Creating a Square Grid - Creating a Grid for Grid Cell Sampling - Creating a Grid for Grid Center Sampling - Concluding Remarks |
11: 5 May | Final Examination (comprehensive, to be held in person in Bicknell 208 at the start of the laboratory) |
*The topics and corresponding dates listed in the table above are tentative and may be subject to change during the semester.
COLLEGE-WIDE POLICIES:
To view the College-wide policies page, please click on this link.