GIS Course Overview

Teaching Team

• Rochika Nand is the Course Coordinator and can be reached at [email protected], office in room 4, Geography building, lower campus.
• Makereta Veitata is a Teaching Assistant and can be contacted at [email protected], located in the GIS Research Lab in the Catalina lab.
• Shirignil Ram is a Lab Demonstrator and can be reached at [email protected].
• Salote Covilati is a Lab Demonstrator and can be contacted at [email protected].
• Seru Lagilagi is a Lab Demonstrator and can be contacted at [email protected].

What's Happening This Week

• There will be an overview and administration, including a GIS overview.
• Make sure to be properly registered.
• Ensure familiarity with the course outline.
• Sign up for a lab class via "choose a lab' on Moodle.

Lectures and Consulation Hours

• There are two lectures per week: Monday 11 AM - 12 PM and Thursday 8 AM - 9 AM.
• Lectures are held in Lecture Theatre 136-001.
• All lecture recordings and presentations will be available on Moodle.
• Consultation hours are on Tuesdays from 10-11 AM.

Laboratory Classes

• Located in the GIS Lab, lower campus.
• Log in to Moodle to sign up for a lab class ("Choose a Lab") by March 7th.
• After selecting a lab class, attendance is expected for the remainder of the semester.
• Enrollment is limited to a maximum of 21 students per class.

Course Overview

• The course will cover objectives, the learning environment, resources, assessment, and keeping up with the schedule.

Course Objectives

• Aim to achieve three main things: concepts, skills, applications and understanding.
• Concepts include the science, technology, and theory behind GIS.
• Skills include the practical application of concepts.
• Applications and understanding pertains to how concepts and skills combine to solve problems.

Outcomes

• Aim to understand, know, and do specific things by the end of the course.
• Check off each outcome as the semester progresses.
• Ask for help if any outcome is not achieved.
• Understand and describe GIS concepts.
• Understand and describe location.
• Understand and describe the differences between vector and raster data.
• Understand and describe methods of spatial and attribute data creation, editing, query, and analysis.
• Understand and describe the principles of cartographic design and map creation.
• Understand and describe mapping datums, projections, and coordinate systems.

Learning Environment

• Learning by doing approach.
• Lectures introduce and illustrate concepts.
• Labs allow exploration of GIS concepts and skill development.
• Reading enhances the ability to solve problems.

Learning Resources

• Everything is available on Moodle, specifically elearn.usp.ac.fj.
• Log in and ensure GS201 is on the list of courses.
• Moodle provides readings, the course outline, lecture materials, announcements, and discussion forums.

Assessment

• Two in-semester tests: 15% each, totaling 30%.
• Eight labs: Each marked out of 5 marks, totaling 30%.
• One written exam: 40%, totaling 100%.
• To pass, student must achieve all of the following:
  • Final exam score above 16 out of 40.
  • Total score above 50 out of 100.
  • Attend at least 8 lab classes.

Test Schedule and Structure

• Week 7: Test 1 (covering units 1-6)
• Week 12: Test 2 (covering units 9-11)
• In-semester tests are online, closed book format, concept review.
• Time given will be 30 minutes, 25 MCQs.

Keeping on Top of Work

• It is important to keep up with coursework.
• Weeks are cumulative.

Other Information

• It's possible to work independently.
• All material is on Moodle.
• Maintain communication with the course coordinator.
• Choose one lab session in Moodle.

Lab Classes

• Instruction is combination demonstration, administration, exercise, and one-on-one Q&A.
• Do the lab exercise before class, and bring questions.
• Lab classes starts in week 3.

Guidelines for the Course

• Be organised.
• Take responsibility and be proactive.
• Learn by doing.

Next Lecture

• Be interested in the subject.
• GIS and geography.
• What is GIS, understand the spatial arrangement of objects.
• Why GIS.
• Geographic tools, maps and analysis tools.

GIS Data

• Using layers of information for problem solving.