Study Guide – GPY 306: Locational
Analysis
Olayiwola, A. M. Ph. D.
1. Course Information
General Information:

Students in this course should read this study guide carefully at the start of
semester. It contains important information about the course. If anything in it
is unclear, please consult one of the teaching staff on the course.

Learners are expected to register for this course within the time frame specified
on the student’s information board. available on _________.
 Course Code & Course Name: GPY 306: Locational Analysis
Credit points: 3 units
Year: 300 level
Semester: 2nd/Rain
About the Course

This course introduces students to the development of theories of spatial
structure and processes.
Prerequisites

GPY 305: Philosophy and Methodology in Geography
Lecturer Information:

Course Lecturer: A. M. Olayiwola

Email: olaadewale@yahoo.com

Consultation: This will be through, SMS messages, email, or by blogging.
2. Introduction to the Course

You are welcomed to GPY 306. This is an online course
that runs in the distance learning mode. It is a compulsory
course opened to all students in the Department of
Geography. It is a 3-credit course that will require 45 hours
of interaction among teachers and learners for the period
of the course.

Location of socio-economic activities has become an
integral part of economic geography, regional science, and
spatial economics. Locational analysis addresses the
questions of what economic activities are located where
and why.
This course will help you gain insight into location
behaviour of socio-economic services

AIM
The aim of this course is to introduce learners to
the location behaviour of socio-economic
activities
3.Learning Objectives





At the end of this course learners will be able to,
1. explain the meaning of location
2. identify and explain the theoretical foundation of
settlements’ distribution
3. assess the relevance of theories of industrial
location to the distribution and spatial structure
of Nigerian manufacturing activities
4. discuss the major factors influencing the location
of socio-economic activities.
4. Symbols and Acronyms

There are no symbols and acronyms in this course
5. Taking the Course










There will be 15 lecture units arranged into 5 modules. The course will be taught
using the asynchronous method. On weekly basis for 15 weeks.
A lecture unit will be uploaded on the course blog for the learners to access.
Support CDs will be made available to on registration
Pretest will be administered preceding each lecture to assess basic knowledge in
the subject matter. Performance of learners in pretests will not count in the final
examination grades
Practice tests will be administered at the end of each lecture unit for learner’s self
assessment and revision.
5 tutor-marked assignments (multiple choice) will be provided for each module
At a particular period in each week, learners will be expected to participate in a
chat or a discussion forum
The schedule for a chat/discussion forum will be communicated to learners.
List of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and answers will be made available to
learners.
List of suggested readings will be made available to learners
Additional instructions to facilitate learning may be provided by teachers as
deem necessary
Learners must participate in
75% of the chat/forum to
qualify
for the exam to qualify

for the final examination
Taking the practice test
improves your chances
of success in the course
Tutor-marked assignment
accounts for ____% of the
final grade for the course,
so submit promptly!
6. How to prepare for the final examination for this
course




This study guide provides an in-depth knowledge needed by
learners to successfully take the final examination. Learners
are encouraged to read and understand the entire content to
ensure good performance in this course.
Learners should make use of the supplemental CDs provided
as this will expand the knowledge of the learner.
Learners should note that the sample questions and practice
tests provided at the end of each lecture will help learners to
assess self and promote revision before taking the final
examination.
Suggested readings will enhance learner’s performance in the
final examination.
7. Prerequisites for Examination
 For any learner to be eligible to sit for the final
examination in this course, he/she must fulfill the
following requirements

Participated in at least 75% of all online interactions
8. Preparatory Questions
 In which of the following ways is the ‘Least Cost’
approach useful to industrial location?





(a) managerial capability
(b) optimum location
(c) specialization of labour
(d) expansion of local market
A major weakness of the core-periphery interaction
model is




(a) rigidity
(b) narrow scope
(c) incoherence
(d) impracticability
After each question, the answer should immediately follow
along with an explanation on why that answer is the correct
answer.

Distribution and spacing of Nigerian urban
centres can be likened to Walter Christaller’s
Central Place Theory – True or False _______
9. Assessment

Assessment in this course will be done considering active participation of
learners in all interactive sessions, quality of written assignments, records
of materials used as references in all assignments, regular feedback from
teachers and learners and performance in examinations. Details of
assessment strategies are as follow:

Part A
1.
Continuous Assessment:
a. Assignment: individual term papers, group reports: (20%).
b.
2.
Tutored marked assignment (20%)
End of course examination:
a. This comprises 120 multiple choice objective questions. (60%)
9b. Feedback and advice:

Feedback will be from teachers to learners (you) and learners (you) to teachers.
 The Course has a feedback blackboard available on _________ (show the
hyperlink).
 All assignments have information about deadlines for submission after
which submissions by students will be automatically rejected.
 Results of all assignments (scores) will be released within 72 hours of the
deadlines.
 Summary of records of learners’ participation in all online sessions will be
presented on the feedback blackboard for the course
 Learners can also share information with peers on the feedback blackboard
 Students are required to submit their proposed topics for term papers on
the assignment
 All student have a course adviser that can be contacted through their e-mail
address for information, clarifications and support
Exam arrangements

All examinations shall be conducted physically.

Continuous assessment





a. Assignments: individual term papers, group reports: List of assignments
for each topic is available on the content area of the course
End of course test will be one hour and students will be informed a
fortnight before it takes place.
End of topic short tests comes with seven days of completing the topic.
End of course test takes one hour and students will be informed of when to
log on to do the test. Questions are withdrawn at the end of one hour after
the questions would have been presented online.
The results are released automatically
End of course examination:


This comprises 160 multiple choice questions covering all topics
covered in the course (40%)
Time allotted for this examination is 1 hour 30 minutes and it follows
the same format as done with the end of topic tests.
Verification of Integrity of Submitted Assignments and
Guidelines for Written Assignments
A.
The integrity of submitted written assignments would be
determined by the following
A.
B.
C.
D.


Compliance with standards of writing considering English (grammar and tenses,
construction), Appropriate formatting, Adoption of appropriate referencing
format, Adequate referencing and documentation of all materials used in doing
the assignment).
Copying of each others work by students automatically imply zero scores for the
students involved .
Avoidance of Plagiarism: Plagiarism involves using the work of another person
and presenting it as one's own.’
Plagiarism is a serious breach of the ODL’s rules and carries
significant penalties. Penalties in this course would result to
failure in the course, and/or
referral to the Open Distance Learning Disciplinary Committee.
10. Glossary

In this section, list (in alphabetical order) all the definitions to all
terms, jargon, unusual wording and expressions found within the
text.
11. Index / Tagging

Here, list (in alphabetical order), important terms, names, places,
events, and topics along with the page numbers where they are
mentioned.