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Geography (GEOG)

GEOG 468 Geographic Information Systems Design and Evaluation (3) Design and evaluation of Geographic Information Systems and other forms of integrated spatial data systems.

GEOG 468

GEOG 468 Geographic Information Systems Design and Evaluation (3)

(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements.

This course teaches GIS design, project management and communication skills and an appreciation of the ethical, legal and social issues surrounding maps, GIS and geographical data. It also introduces some of the newer information-technology aspects of handling geographic information, such as location-based services and sensor webs, that affect how GIS data are accessed and used. The bulk of practical component of the course is taken up with a large group project (four to six persons per group). The project gives students the opportunity to engage in an exercise that spans the entire range of GIS design and implementation: from problem inception to solution testing.

Outcomes revolve around the experienced gained by conducting a GIS project from inception to solution, including specification, design, implementation and evaluation, and specifically:
1. Practical experience with technical writing relating to GIS systems lifecycle, including interviewing, fact finding, description of the contents of the various project deliverables and their importance.
2 An appreciation of legal and ethical issues surrounding GIS, maps and geographic including copyright, responsibility and liability and computing law.
3. An understanding of newer technological innovations that will impact the access and use of geographic information, including: data sharing (interoperability), digital libraries and information portals, web services and grid computing.
4. A portfolio of practical systems development work, that documents all stages in the lifecycle of a GIS project.

General Education: None
Diversity: None
Bachelor of Arts: Social and Behavioral Science
Effective: Spring 2007
Prerequisite: GEOG 363

Note : Class size, frequency of offering, and evaluation methods will vary by location and instructor. For these details check the specific course syllabus.

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