GEOG 7007 - Applied Spatial Analysis

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2020

This course challenges students with existing skills in data manipulation and analysis using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to expand their knowledge of spatial information science and GIS procedures. Students will develop and apply advanced data analysis techniques to propose, construct and carry out a major research project in an area of interest. The theoretical foundation of the principles behind GIS analysis are covered in some depth, while practical sessions guide students in the development of increasingly sophisticated spatial analysis capabilities.

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Course Details

Course Code	GEOG 7007
Course	Applied Spatial Analysis
Coordinating Unit	Geography, Environment and Population
Term	Semester 1
Level	Postgraduate Coursework
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	6
Contact	Up to 6 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Incompatible	GEST 5007, GEOG 5007
Assumed Knowledge	GEOG 3027 or equivalent experience with GIS
Assessment	1000 word research proposal seminar (20%), 2000 word theoretical essay (20%), 6000 word major practical project (60%)

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Dorothy Turner

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

The course is run in tandem with the Introductory GIS course (GEOG 2129). There will be:

A one hour lecture every week for 12 weeks (in person) (GEOG 2129 material)
A one hour lecture every week for 12 weeks (online) (GEOG 7007 material)
A two hour workshop every week for 12 weeks (in person) (GEOG 2129 material)
A two hour tutorial/workshop every week for 12 weeks (in person) (GEOG 7007 material)

The Lecture and Workshop coursework incorporates both theory and practice in an integrated and flexible schedule which allows practical experience to align very closely with theoretical learning.

Depending on your GIS background you may be required to attend all lectures and workshops.
Regardless of your GIS experience, attending the lectures and workshops is good revision.

Please ENROL in the Lecture, Workshop and Tutorial sessions regardless of your GIS background.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Understand GIS concepts and spatial analysis techniques in an interdisciplinary setting;
2. Identify and source data for use in evidence-based decision making;
3. Apply ArcGIS for spatial data preparation, analysis and visualisation with sophisticated skills of vector and raster processing;
4. Demonstrate proficiency in integrating GIS data analysis with simple statistical analysis;
5. Demonstrate ability to conduct a GIS research project in the area of their choice.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1,2,3,4,5
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	2,3,4,5
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	2,3,4,5
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1,2,3,4,5
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	2,3,4,5
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	5

Learning Resources
Required Resources
Book Title: An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (4th Edition)
Author: Ian Heywood, Sarah Cornelius, Steve Carver
Year: 2011
Publisher: Pearson Education Limited
ISBN-13: 978 0 273 72259 5

Two online copies of this book are available from the Adelaide University Library as single use eBooks (i.e. only one person at a time can access each one).
The Barr Smith Library also holds 7 print copies, with two of these in the High Use Collection available for short term loan.

It is highly recommended that you purchase your own copy of this book.
Make sure you order the book by Heywood - there are other books with the same title by other authors!
It is available from Dymocks:
- eBook for $47.71
- hardcopy for $108.99
Readings are set for all lectures and some workshops, and are expected to be completed BEFORE the lecture or workshop
Recommended Resources

Supplementary reading in additional GIS texts is highly recommended to improve understanding of the concepts and procedures behind the theory and practical to which students are exposed each week.

The following book is a useful secondary resource since it is written by Australian authors and provides Australian examples of GIS applications.

Book Title: Geographical Information Systems (2^nd Edition).
Author: Julie Delaney and Kimberley Van Niel
Year: 2007
Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN-13: 978-0-195-55607-0
There are 3 copies of this book at the Barr Smith Library (1 reserve and 2 for general borrowing) and 1 copy at Waite Campus Library.

In addition, I particularly recommend:

Book Title: Geographic Information Science & Systems (4^th Edition)
Author: Paul A. Longley, Michael F. Goodchild, David J. Maguire, David W. Rhind.
Year: 2015
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN: 978-1-119-03130-7
There are currently three copies in the Barr Smith Library.

Book Title: Principles of Geographical Information Systems (3^rd Edition)
Author: Peter A. Burrough, Rachael McDonnell, and Christopher D. Lloyd.
Year: 2015
Publisher: Oxford UP
ISBN: 9780198742845 (paperback); 0198742843 (paperback)
There is currently 3 copies available at the Barr Smith Library, one of these in the High Use Collection (available for 3 hour loan).

Book Title: Geographic Information Analysis (2nd edition)
Author: David O'Sullivan and David J. Unwin.
Year: 2010
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN-13: 978-0-470-28857-3
This book is available online from the Adelaide University Library for unlimited simultaneous users. There are currently also two copies in the Barr Smith Library.

Any similar basic GIS text would also be appropriate

Online Learning
MyUni
All lectures will be recorded and available through MyUni.
All lecture slides, workshop instructions and workshop data will also be available through MyUni.

Online Textbooks
There are a variety of online texts available, some of which are extremely comprehensive:
- Geospatial Analysis - A comprehensive guide - 6th edition, 2018 – An extremely comprehensive text by Michael De Smith, Paul Longley and Mike Goodchild;
- The Nature of Geographic Information – An open geospatial textbook edited by David DiBiase, hosted by Penn State University;
- GIS Commons: An Introductory Textbook on Geographic Information Systems - by Michael Schmandt, Sacramento State University; and
- ERSI E-books - excellent source of free E-books on a wide variety of GIS topics. Covers the application of GIS in a wide range of industry sectors.
Websites
There are many websites with information about GIS, the industry, and using GIS, including:
- www.gis.com - a good overview of GIS and geographic thinking. Includes glossary and career links;
- www.gislounge.com - GIS Lounge is an information portal, providing links to numerous news items, tips, and resources including introductory texts on all things GIS. This site is run by Caitlin Dempsey who has authored numerous articles about GIS and the spatial industry; and
- www.sssi.org.au – peak body for the surveying and spatial sciences in Australia. This site provides information about education/careers, and links to local events in South Australia and other States/Territories such as Spatial Information Day (spatialinformationday.org.au). The Free Student Program offers membership and various benefits to students with an interest in GIS, including access to discounted events held in Adelaide.
Software
The GIS commercial software that will be used in this course is ESRI ArcGIS Desktop 10.6.1.

This software is available in limited teaching labs across the University from 8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday.

You should find that ArcGIS is installed in the following locations:
- Science Students: Any of the science faculty computer suites
- Humanities Students: Napier 106, Napier 107 and Napier 202
- Waite Campus Computer Labs in Charles Hawker Building
- Some computers on level 3 and 4 in the Hub.
  (The short access (quicks) and the training room don’t have ArcGIS, but the longer term use PC's on level 3 should)
Although ArcGIS is not available for standalone installation on your personal computers, it can be accessed anytime through the University’s ADAPT platform (Any Device, Any Place and Time) from any computer connected to the internet. Please review the setup guides and instructions for using ADAPT. Please contact Technology Services or the course coordinator if you are having problems accessing this. Unfortunately, ADAPT is not a very stable environment when using ArcGIS!

Please take into account any access restrictions when planning your assignment work.

Hardware
It is strongly recommended that you do all coursework on your U drive as this can be accessed from any university computer, or from your home computer through ADAPT, and is regularly backed up.

Learning & Teaching Modes

The course is run in tandem with the Introductory GIS course (GEOG 2129). There will be:

A one hour lecture every week for 12 weeks (in person) (GEOG 2129 material)
A one hour lecture every week for 12 weeks (online) (GEOG 7007 material)
A two hour workshop every week for 12 weeks (in person) (GEOG 2129 material)
A two hour tutorial/workshop every week for 12 weeks (in person) (GEOG 7007 material)

The Lecture and Workshop coursework incorporates both theory and practice in an integrated and flexible schedule which allows practical experience to align very closely with theoretical learning.

Because of the integrated and interactive nature of these classes it is important that students commit to attending all sessions.

Independent Research:

An independent research project will be negotiated for each student with the course coordinator.

Students will have the opportunity to discuss their individual projects at the tutorials and work through issues.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

You will need to allocate appropriate time for your study (contact and non-contact time). University policies suggest that for a 6-unit course that there should be 20-24 hours of learning activities per week:

Structured learning/contact time (lectures/workshops/Tutorials)	5 hours per week
Research project: Reading	6 hours per week
Research project: GIS analysis	8 hours per week
Research project: Report writing	2-4 hours per week

Learning Activities Summary

This course challenges students with existing skills in data manipulation and analysis using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to expand their knowledge of spatial information science and GIS procedures. Students will develop and apply advanced data analysis techniques to propose, construct and carry out a research project in an area of interest. The theoretical foundation of the principles behind GIS analysis are covered in some depth, while practical sessions guide students in the development of increasingly sophisticated spatial analysis capabilities. Tutorials will be utilised to direct each student's individual research project.

Specific Course Requirements

Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent.

It will be assumed students have proficiency at research and written skills.

A good working knowledge of ArcGIS would be an advantage.

Introductory GIS (GEOG 2129) coursework will be undertaken as part of this course for those without a pre-existing GIS background.

Small Group Discovery Experience

Students will undertake small group discovery activities via the workshops.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

GEOG 2129 Weekly Workshop Assignments or Essay (20%)

GEOG 7007 Workshop Portfolio or Research Proposal (20%)

Practical Research Reports (60%)

Assessment Related Requirements

The course coordinator will determine which assignments you will do based on your previous qualifications/experience with ArcGIS.

Assessment Detail

GEOG 2129 Weekly Workshop Assignments or Essay (20%)

EITHER the weekly GEOG 2129 workshop assessments
OR a 2000 word theoretical essay
Choice to be determined by the course coordinator

GEOG 7007 Workshop Portfolio or Research Proposal (20%)

EITHER a portfolio of exercises based on the extra GEOG 7007 workshops
OR a 1,000 word research proposal
Choice to be determined by the course coordinator

Practical Research Reports (60%)

EITHER two pre-defined GIS analysis reports
- Vector based (25%)
- Raster based (35%)
- Each 2,000 - 2,500 words
OR a 4,000 – 5,000 word practical report, from independent research and GIS analysis on a topic of your choice
Choice to be determined by the course coordinator

Submission

There will be penalties for late submission so make sure extensions are negotiated with the course coordinator.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator