Produce Site Maps (PSM)
Student Assessment Guide (SAG)
This subject is assessed directly from the following unit;
Unit Code
MSS025005A
Unit Title
Produce site maps
This unit requires the following pre-requisites for successful completion;
Unit Code
MSS024005A
Unit Title
Collect spatial & discrete environmental data
www.cffet.net/env
Produce Site Maps (PSM)
SAG
Subject purpose
This unit of competency covers the ability to map the environmental features of a site using
sketch maps, computer rendered graphics or geographic information systems (GIS)
software. Personnel identify sources of existing environmental data and assess its
availability/suitability, collect field data as necessary, assess data quality and format, and
present data and incorporate it onto maps.
Producing maps to display environmental data requires knowledge of environmental
management processes, relevant legislative and regulatory requirements, mapping
principles, and the use of mapping software and hardware. Personnel will require additional
units of competency to manage spatial data sets or undertake complex modelling, data
manipulation and analysis using GIS.
Assessment
Assessment for this subject will consist of assessment tasks that cover the following aspects
of the production of site maps;
•
General theory associated with GIS applications
•
Sourcing & assessing spatial data
•
Collecting field data and ‘ground truthing’
•
Preparing, manipulating and transforming data sets
•
Producing site maps for physical and electronic distribution
There is substantial assignment and practical work required for this unit.
Assessment Task
Study module 1 – What is GIS?
Study module 2 – Vector & raster data
Study module 3 – Data attributes
Study module 4 – Data capture & transformation
Study module 5 – Map production
Practical exercise 1 – Intro to internet GIS
Practical exercise 2 – Intro to desktop GIS
Practical exercise 3 – Creating a raster
Practical exercise 4 – Creating vectors
Practical exercise 5 – Working with layers
Major Assessment 1 – Producing a site map
Major assessment 2 – Publishing site maps
TOTAL
Weighting
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
25
25
100%
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Produce Site Maps (PSM)
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Subject content
This subject deals with a wide variety of topics including the following aspects;
◗
Producing maps such as topographic, land use and land title maps, vegetation, soils and
regional, ecosystem maps, air photos, satellite imagery and thematic maps produced
using GIS software.
◗
Environmental features of sites such as, hills, waterways, vegetation and fauna, soil and
rock, types, buildings, roads, utility services, property boundaries and mining leases
◗
Site information such as site or project history as well as hazards and safety risks.
◗
External sources of data from, government departments and, land title office and
Valuer, General, Geoscience Australia and companies providing environmental services.
◗
Data sets such as:, textual, graphical, spatial and temporal in hard/soft copy, satellite
imagery, and remote sensing data, geophysical, , ecological data and land use data.
◗
Field techniques may include:, hand mapping, comparing site features with existing site,
information, collection of samples and field measurements.
◗
Field equipment and supplies such as, GPS, tapes and pegs, compass, clinometer,
portable, computer, palm pilot or data logger and communication equipment
◗
Standard map elements such as, latitude and longitude, grid reference systems (old and
new and, their relation to one another), north point, elevation, scale and legend
◗
Integrity of data may include accuracy, currency and completeness, scale and
resolution, confidence limits for data and quality.
◗
Disparities between data sets such as, datum and projection and currency
Grading
The assessment for this unit/ module is recorded as a Class Mark. All assessment events
used to determine your result will be locally set and locally marked.
Your results will be reported as DISTINCTION, CREDIT, PASS (AC) or FAIL (NYC). To receive a
particular grade you must get at least the mark shown below:
Grade
Class mark
DISTINCTION
>=83
CREDIT
>=70
PASS (ACHIEVED COMPETENCY)
>=50
FAIL (NOT YET COMPETENT)
<50
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Produce Site Maps (PSM)
SAG
Delivery strategy
This subject is assessed directly against the unit’s performance criteria.
Unit
MSS025006A
Elements
Performance
Criteria
Subject
Weighting
Unit
Weighting
All
All
100
100
NOTE: The subject weighting MUST add up to 100 for the subject, but the Unit Weighting MAY NOT add up to
100 as each unit is weighted differently in each subject it is used in. Refer to cffet.net/env/assessment for
further explanation.
What you will need
To complete this subject successfully you will need;
◗
The course notes
◗
A USB flash or thumb drive.
◗
Access to a computer with internet, email and general office programs
◗
Administrator rights to download and install free software (if required)
◗
General computer skills
Where to get help
Contact your teacher [www.cffet.net/env/contacts] if you run into any trouble this unit. You
would be surprised how flexible we are at accommodating your needs, but communication
is key. If you don’t let us know you are having trouble, we may have trouble trying to help
you.
Resources and references
References
Note that you are not required to purchase, download or read these references (unless
specifically directed to by your teacher). Some of these resources might be available from
your teacher or library for free.
Brimicombe, A. (2010). GIS, Environmental Modelling & Engineering. 2nd Ed. Boca Raton:
CRC press.
DIPNR. (2004). Guideline for the preparation of Environmental Management Plans. Sydney:
DIPNR.
Ferrier, R. C. (2010). Handbook of Catchment Management. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Newton, A. (2007). Forest Ecology and Conservation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Schneider, R. R. (2011). MapWindow: Quick Start Tutorial. MapWindow 4.8.6. Edmonton:
Free Software Foundation.
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Produce Site Maps (PSM)
SAG
Sutherland, W. (2006). Ecological Census Techniques. 2nd Ed. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Sutton, T. E. (2009). A Gentle Introduction to GIS. Eastern Cape, South Africa: Chief
Directorate: Spatial Planning & Information, Department of Land Affairs, Eastern
Cape.
Resources
◗
http://www.mapwindow.org/
◗
http://www.qgis.org/en/site/
◗
https://esriaustralia.com.au/about-gis
◗
https://learn.arcgis.com/
◗
www.gislounge.com/learn-gis-for-free/
◗
www.esri.com/training/main
Assessment Submission
Students are to submit all assessments by the due date to the subject teacher by email using
the filename format outlined in the assessment document.
Visit www.cffet.net/env/assessment for more information on submitting assessments, file
names and available file extensions that you can use.
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