St. Cloud State University
General Education Goal Area 11
Information Literacy and Technology
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
1.
Prepared by: Jeffrey Torguson
Phone: 8-0961
Proposal Number:
Email: jstorguson@stcloudstate.edu
2.
Requesting Unit: Geography
3.
Department, Course Number, Title: GEOG 216. Principles of Geographic Information Science
4.
New Course
5.
Will this course be flagged as a diversity course?
Already Designated as Diversity
6.
Will this course also satisfy another General Education Goal Area?
If “Yes” specify which goal area.
Existing Course
No
Diversity Proposal Accompanying This Form
No
Yes
7.
Course bulletin description, including credits and semesters to be offered:
Basic principles, concepts and technology that are universal to all parts of Geographic Information
Science and geographic information systems software. Integrated Lab. The department offers an examination for
credit option for this course. 3 Cr. F, S, SUM.
8.
Indicate the clientele for whom this course is designed. Is the course for general education only, or
does it fulfill general education and other program needs for this or another department? Obtain
signatures from any affected departments.
Undergraduate students in any major or minor that are interested in GIScience may take this course. It is
a requirement in the Geography Major and Minor, the Land Surveying Major, and the Geography Department's
GIScience Minor. It is an elective in the Travel and Toursim Major, and the Community Development Major. It
is a prerequisite for Geog 316, which is an elective in many of the physical science programs.
9.
Indicate any changes that must be made in offerings or resources in your department or other
departments by offering this course.
None
10.
For new courses or courses not yet approved for General Education, indicate any other SCSU departments
or units offering instruction that relates to the content of the proposed course.
This course has been approved before.
12/11/2009
11.
Courses designated as General Education are included in the assessment plan for the Goal Area(s)
for which they are approved. Courses for which assessment is not included in the annual GE
assessment report for two years will be removed from the General Education Program.
The Requesting Unit understands and recognizes the above conditions.
12/11/2009
12.
Provide a concise explanation of how the following goal is a “significant focus” of the proposed course.
Goal Area 11: Information Literacy and Technology
To locate, evaluate critically, and use information to meet an identified information need and develop
appropriate information technology skills.
In this course we use maps, data and software to explore the underpninings behind the various GIScience
areas, including geographic information systems (GIS), Global Position Sytems (GPS), Remotely Sensed
Imagery, Web maps, and other related technologies.
13. In order for a course to be designated as fulfilling Goal Area 11, it must address 4 of the 4 student learning outcomes
(SLOs) below. Check the SLOs below that are focused on in the proposed general education course.
1. Identify and analyze an information need effectively and efficiently.
2. Access information using an effective search strategy and appropriate resources.
3. Critically evaluate information and its sources in order to determine information reliability and accuracy, and
discern its point of view, bias, and authority.
4. Access and use information ethically and legally.
14.
Discuss how each Student Learning Outcome checked above is achieved in this course. (Note: Although
descriptions of typical assignments or types of assignments may be part of this discussion, it is not
appropriate to submit copies of actual assignments.)
1. Identify and analyze an information need effectively and efficiently.
Students use GPS to identify various sites on campus. Students use topographic maps to identify and analysze
local and regional features. Students use various sources of GIS information to create maps. Students go online
to find maps in their areas of interest.
2. Access information using an effective search strategy and appropriate resources.
For GPS, GIS, and the final Web map project, students must be able to find data and/or obatin their own data.
3. Critically evaluate information and its sources in order to determine information reliability and accuracy, and
discern its point of view, bias, and authority.
All map types used and discussed in the class are analyzed for these issues. In the final project, students write a
paper critically evaluating an online map and the map sources.
4.Access and use information ethically and legally.
Ethical use of data and communication of spatial information is addressed when we critique maps, discuss
acquistion of GPS data, and do the final project evaluations.
15.
List or attach the Course Outline (adequately described and including percentage of time to be allocated
to each topic). Curriculum Committees may request additional information. Topics larger than 20% need
to be broken down further. Indicate in your course outline where the Student Learning Outcomes
checked above are being met.
12/11/2009
Student Learning Outcomes are applied in each of the sub sections described in the course outline.
Geography, GIScience Overview, Types of Maps ……………………………………………………..….10%
Core principles: the geographic grid, scale, map projections, basic map components…………………….15%
Topographic maps…...................................................................................................................................... 5%
Location and Partitioning Systems (e.g., USPLSS, UTM, State Plane, etc.) …………….……………… 15%
Measuring and Relief Information ………………………………………………………………………. 10%
Focus on GIS Theory and ArcGIS Introduction…………………….…………………………..……….. 10%
GIS and GPS practical experience ………………………………………………………………………. 20%
Analyzing Web Maps ……………………………………………………………………………………. 15%
12/11/2009
St. Cloud State University
General Education Transmittal Form
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
Proposal Number
Department: Geography
Course or Course(s): GEOG 216: Principles of Geographic Information Science
Department or Unit Chair Signature
Date
Department forward to Academic Affairs for publication and electronically to Chair of General Education Committee, Chair
of College Curriculum Committee, College Dean
Recommendation of General Education Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of University Curriculum Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of Faculty Association:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
FA Senate
Signature
Date
Action of Academic Vice President:
Approve
Disapprove
Signature
Entered in Curriculum Data File
12/11/2009
Remarks:
Date