School of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Course Outline for NATR 213

COMPUTER ASSISTED AND PHOTOGRAMMETRIC MAPPING

Spring 2009

WebCT Access of Course Material On-line (for students enrolled in the course)

INSTRUCTOR:

GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION:

NATR 213 involves the practical applications of geographic information and global positioning systems in mapping of natural resources.  The principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are discussed with emphasis on computer assisted topographic mapping.  Aerial photographs are studied for interpretation and map construction.  Students are expected to complete a class project(s) involving the use of information systems and conduct boundary and contour surveys using both standard and real-time differential GPS as well as generate thematic maps.

EXPECTED COURSE OUTCOMES:

At the successful completion of NATR 213, the student is expected to have:

1. Developed an understanding of using ArcView GIS software to generate a variety of maps, including thematic and topographic maps.

2. Used the global positioning systems (GPS) technology to survey natural and man-made features.

3. Understood how the software tools studied in the class could work together to generate maps.

4. Used digital orthophotographs and rectified geospatial images to locate features and create their representations in a geospatial database.

OFFICE HOURS:

The instructor has the following designated office hours per week:

• Mondays: 1:00 to 1:50 p.m.

• Tuesdays: 9:00 to 9:50 a.m.

• Wednesdays: 10:00 to 10:50 a.m.

• Thursdays: 10:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

If necessary, students are also encouraged to make appointments to see the instructor at other times. Students with disabilities who require accommodations to fully-participate in the course activities are requested to contact the instructor within the first two weeks of the semester.

CONTACT HOURS AND CLASS SCHEDULE:

This is a one-credit hour course.  It includes three contact hours per week of lecture and laboratory.  One section of NATR 213 is offered this semester (running for 7.5 weeks).  The class meets on Fridays (9:00 to 11:50 a.m.) in Room 208, Bicknell Hall from January 25 (the 1^st week of the spring semester) to Friday - the 6^th of March (the 7^th week of the spring semester).

TEXTBOOK(S):

A course manual is available from the campus bookstore.  It includes the instructors PowerPoint presentations (printed in handout format), pertinent reading material, and several class exercises.  Other material is available on-line and may be accessible either through the course's web page or using the listed URLs in the course manual.  Numerous resources are available on-line 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 and other on-line resources available on the web.  The following publications may serve as references:

Hurn, J. 1989. GPS: A Guide to the Next Utility. Trimble Navigation, Sunnyvale, California.

Shayya, W.H. 2004. An Introduction to ArcView GIS (web tutorial). 

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 2 unexcused absences during the semester. Very few or no absences will be considered during the grading process when 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 the consumption of any tobacco products is prohibited in the classroom situation (lecture hall, classroom, laboratory, or field). Doing so may result in the student's dismissal from that class period and will count as an unexcused absence.

  • Cell phones and pagers must be turned off during instruction time. Use of or disruption of class by these devices will result in the student's dismissal from that class period and will count as an unexcused absence.

• Assignments: This course will include several assignments and two term projects.  Class assignments and projects will account for 55% of the final grade.  Therefore, it is important that students complete their assignments accurately, neatly, and on time.  Assignments received past the due date will be devalued 5% for each day that the item is late.  No class assignment of any student will be graded (for credit) once the same assignment is corrected and returned to the class.  

• Examinations: The class includes only one final comprehensive examination to be administered during the first hour of the scheduled class meeting time on Friday - March 14.  The final examination will cover class material, laboratory assignments, class project(s), and assigned readings.

• Honesty Policy and Discipline (Due Process): Honesty and integrity are major 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. Cheating, in any form, is an unacceptable behavior within all College courses. Students having academic problems should consult with their academic advisor or a college counselor. Instances of cheating will be dealt with in accordance to College policy. Standards of academic honesty and due process procedures for Morrisville State College are located in the Rules, Regulations, and Expectations section of the Student Handbook. 

• Safety Guidelines: Certain class assignments may require the student to be absent from the professor's immediate supervision. Whether the student is under immediate supervision or not, safe conduct and safe use of equipment shall be the ultimate rule. Failure to comply with prudent safety practice and/or willful disregard for class participants and/or equipment may be cause for immediate dismissal from that particular class session by the professor(s). Subsequent similar activity may be cause for dismissal from the course by the Dean.

GRADING/EVALUATION OF STUDENT:

Evaluation is a shared responsibility between the teacher and the student. The purpose of the evaluation is 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, and to determine the students' ability to apply that knowledge to specific situations.

The breakdown of grading in this course will be as follows:

• Class Participation, Attendance, and Work Ethic ==> 5% of the final grade
• Class Exercises ==> 25% of final grade
• Class Project(s) ==> 30% of final grade
• Final Comprehensive Exam ==> 40% of final grade

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%).

OUTLINE OF TOPICS:

*The topics and corresponding dates listed in the table above are tentative and may be subject to change during the semester.