PREREQUISITE: This course is an advanced course using ArcGIS from ESRI. GIS510 OR GY307 OR equivalent prior experience with ArcGIS is absolutely required.

23089 Section 001 (undergraduate) OR 23199 002 (graduate) WWW Blackboard http://jsu.blackboard.com 3 semester hours

Professor: Dr. Miriam Helen Hill
Office: 205 Martin Hall
Office Hours: Wednesdays 9 a.m-1 p.m OR by appointment and through Blackboard IM, Blackboard Virtual Office Hours, or AOL IM
E-mail addresses: mhill@jsu.edu that will go to hillmir@aol.com
Telephone: 256-782-8063 (please, contact me by e-mail)

Course Description: Spatial Data Collection and Management (3). Methods of capturing data, acquiring and importing existing spatial data into geographic information systems, deriving spatial information from remotely sensed data, and storing spatial data.

Purpose of the Course: This course is to designed to reinforce basic GIS fundamentals and to build skills in GIS data acquisition including finding, making, and importing spatial data and attributes and evaluating their quality, preproccessing GIS data to make them usable, and GIS data management in both local and enterprise spatial database systems. This class has a strong laboratory component using ArcGIS from ESRI.

Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to:

1. Discuss the fundamentals of Geographic Information Science
2. Perform spatial and non-spatial data acquisition
3. Identify important data sources and import spatial and non-spatial data
4. Create spatial and non-spatial data for use in a spatial database system
5. Analyze and evaluate data quality using metadata and GIS
6. Perform spatial and non-spatial data preprocessing
7. Prepare datasets from multiple sources for entry into a geodatabase or spatial database system
8. Perform data transformations
9. Perform data management functions for spatial databases
10. Discuss the contents, construction, and use of a data dictionary
11. Perform spatial and non-spatial data analysis using public source data
12. Prepare reports containing layouts, charts, graphs, tables, and conclusions to communicate results of GIS data analysis
13. Expand knowledge, skills, and ability to solve spatial problems using ArcGIS 10.x

Texts: John R. Jensen and Ryan R. Jensen, Introductory Geographic Information Systems Boston: Prentice Hall (2012) 978-0136147763

Joseph J. Kerski and Jill Clark, The GIS Guide to Public Domain Data Redland, CA: Esri Press, 2012 978-1589482449

Software required ArcGIS 10.x from Esri (student license is available from the professor), MS Office 2007 (or 2010) is required. Computer capable of running ESRI software (www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcgis-for-desktop/system-requirements), 2 G USB Key possibly needed for data transfer, computer headset (earphones and microphone) is required.

Class Homepage: The class homepage is at http://www.jsu.edu/depart/geography/mhill/SDCAM/index.html and is linked to Dr. Hill's webpage at http://www.jsu.edu/depart/geography/mhill/index.html. This site is mirrored at http://www.aegis.jsu.edu/mhill/index.html. The syllabus is, also, linked to the class homepage.

Grading: Class activities will include chapter vocabulary quizzes and lesson reviews, laboratory activities, lab projects, and a final examination. The evaluations will constitute half of the grade with 12 vocabulary quizzes as 10%, lesson reviews as 20%, and the final examination as 20%. Laboratory work will constitute the second half of the grade with laboratory activities as 25% and lab projects as 25%. Bonus points may be awarded for exceptional work and extra credit activities. Graduate students are required to complete the graduate assignments to pass the course and are expected to conform to higher academic standards. Guaranteed percentage grades will be: above 90% A; 80-90% B; 70-80% C; (undergraduates only) 60-70% D; below 70% (graduates) or 60% (undergraduates) F. All work MUST be submitted before the DUE date. No late work will be accepted. All work must be submitted through Blackboard. Invalid data submissions will receive no credit.

Reading Assignments: Use the attached schedule to read the chapters in the texts and complete the work BEFORE the due dates as indicated. Complete the assignments in Blackboard.

Chapter Vocabulary Quizzes: Each chapter of Jensen and Jensen has a multiple choice vocabulary quiz that can be taken three times (set for four attempts). The score will be the highest retained by the system and calculated as a percentage for each quiz. Time overruns and crashes will count as zero, and only official scores count. Check the gradebook under Tools to see official scores.

Lesson Reviews: Each lesson (or weekly assignment) will contain a set of review questions to be completed. These must be satisfactorily completed before the due date. They will involve a combination of question formats including essay, short answer, fill-in, multiple choicem and matching. The purpose is to provide a thorough review of the material and to build question answering skills. These will be timed.

Final Examination: The final examination will have multiple parts and include a variety of question types. All course materials may be content material.

Laboratory Activities: Laboratory assignments are provided in Blackboard. Carefully follow the instructions and submit the work in Blackboard BEFORE the deadlines. Late work will NOT be accepted. Pay close attention to deadlines and work ahead of the schedule.

Lab Projects: Lab Projects are assigned and will be evaluated through selected question submission, summary statements, and graphics submitted in Blackboard. These must be completed before their deadlines.

Additional Graduate Student Requirement: Graduate credit requires the completion of the designated courses on the ESRI Virtual Campus. Course access codes will be provided to enable enrollment in the course without payment to ESRI. Although passing the courses without completing the work is possible, as a graduate student, you are expected to complete the exercises to gain the experience and to add the results to your portfolio. Submission of your ESRI transcript will be required to document course completion. Work through the courses at your own pace, but complete them before the deadline.

Class Membership: Class members are expected to answer and ask questions, be involved in activities, and to facilitate an educational academic atmosphere. Proper attitude and behavior are expected. At all times presence should facilitate a smooth flow of intellectual ideas, knowledge, and intelligent discussion. Failure to contribute or promote this important goal demonstrates poor professional development.

Graduate Comprehensive Examination: For those graduate students who will be taking comprehensive examinations in order to complete their degree programs, sample comprehensive examination questions are posted in Blackboard. You are advised to archive all course materials, including these questions and the discussion boards in order to enable yourself to prepare as your "comps" approach. The Blackboard course may no longer be available. The time to begin your preparation is as you start each course.

Portfolio: Your work from this course should be retained in your professional portfolio.

Note: All materials presented in this class are done so with educational goals in mind and are not intended to cause distress of any nature. Please be aware that controversial materials, theories, exhibits, etc. will be presented in this class. If you are unwilling or unable to view these presentations in the educational light in which they are presented, then you need to reconsider your enrollment in this class.

Answers and grading will usually be succinct and to the point. No value judgment of you, your personality, character, or your intelligence is intended. Feedback is provided so that you can learn from your mistakes and improve the work that you are doing. The focus will center on what you can improve, and it is up to you not to lose sight of the accomplishments and progress that you are making. Do not get discouraged, but you must strive continually to improve your work. GIS is complex and multifaceted, and your work will contain far more things done correctly than the few things highlighted for improvement.

Citation of Sources: All sources must be properly credited. Work containing copyright violation or plagiarism will be rejected. Use Turabian format AS DEFINED by Microsoft Word 2007 (2010) for the documentation format. Entering the requested information correctly into the software with the Turabian setting will automatically generate the correctly formated information.

Timely Completion of Assignments: This is an intensive course and requires diligence to both reading assignments and laboratory work. Although set up on a weekly schedule, the progression of work should not be restrained by this schedule provided. Work at your own pace AHEAD of this schedule. Due dates should not play a major role in your work. Most if not all work is posted at the start of class, so that work can proceed and be completed in advance of the schedule provided.

Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty is defined to include any form of cheating or plagiarism. A discussion of the topic is set forth in the student handbook. Working and studying with classmates are beneficial and to be encouraged. Copying work is not to be confused with comparing work and discussing similarities and differences. You are responsible for both understanding answers submitted and the completion of the materials. The material in this course is important not just for your grade but, also, for your future profession. All of the work is open book. SafeAssign will be used to check for plagiarism. Thoroughly document your references and citations!

Notice: This syllabus is in no way binding. All information is subject to change. Any changes made by the instructor will be announced to the class through emails or posting to the Announcements area of Blackboard.

Questions or problems: Please contact the professor. Asking questions is an extremely important part of the learning process. Be specific. Incomplete information and vague questions only expand the time it will take for you to get an adequate response. Expect that I will ask you questions to ascertain what you understand so I can begin the answer from that point.

Making Contact: When e-mailing the professor, provide detailed information. Identify yourself, the course, the level, and the specific assignment. This will facilitate a more rapid and accurate response. We will use Blackboard IM to facilitate communication. If GEM (JSU e-mail system) is not your primary e-mail, place a forward on that account, and test it to be sure that it is functional. Blackboard uses GEM for e-mail contacts.

Disabilities: According to Public Law 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Jacksonville State University will provide reasonable access and appropriate accommodations for otherwise qualified disabled students. If you need such access or accommodations, please consult with Disability Support Services and your professor immediately. Where extended testing sessions are allocated, Blackboard continues to function after the original time settings are reached, and the scores and actual times used are reported. By clicking on the ! or grade, both student and faculty can view these reports and verify completion within the appropriate time limits.

Class Schedule: Use the outline provided to complete the assigned readings and assignments BEFORE the designated dates.

GY 459 and 459G Spatial Data Collection and Management Syllabus* S13

*Any major changes to this schedule will be announced. All grades are final at 11:55 p.m., Monday, April 15, 2013.