Graduate School of Public Health
San Diego State University
Friday 10:00am to 11:40am
Class location: Hardy Tower - 22
Fall 2013
Class day/time: Monday 7:00pm-8:40pm Instructor: Paula Stigler, PhD Candidate, MSPH
Lab times: Monday 9:00pm -10:50pm or Office location: HT-189
Instructor office hours: 30 minutes before class
Lab location: Hardy Tower - 189
Schedule number: 22331 (Monday) 31047 (Friday)
Instructor contact information: stiglerGIS@gmail.com
Course Description: Theoretical concepts of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and applications of
GIS in public health will be taught. ArcGIS 10 software will be used to illustrate the capabilities and uses
of GIS in both academic research and regulatory decision-making.
This class will be part lecture and part lab. The lecture portion of the class will be from 7:00pm –
8:40pm and the lab/exercise portion will be from 9:00pm – 10:50pm on Mondays or 10am-11:40 am on Fridays. After a brief introduction to the exercises, students will be able to work at their own pace on exercises during the lab portion of the class and can leave when finished. Please try to be on time as the door will be closed after 7:15pm on Mondays and it automatically locks. You may switch lab times with other students, as long as there is enough space for those scheduled on that day.
Course Goal and Learning Objectives:
GIS are computer-based systems for integrating and analyzing spatial data. The goal of this course is to provide a broad introduction to the use of GIS in analyzing and addressing health problems. This course is designed to help students become conversant with some fundamental concepts in how GIS can be used to:
 map and analyze the geographical distributions of populations at risk, health outcomes, and risk factors;
 explore associations between risk factors and health outcomes; and
 address health problems.
Learning Objectives include:
 understanding GIS and geographical knowledge in the context of health;
 using public health applications of GIS;
 learning how to map health information; and
 analyzing spatial clustering of health events.
By the end of this course, students should:
 be able to critically evaluate contemporary developments in health from a spatial analysis perspective;
 understand the role of GIS-based analyses of health;
 understand the issues involved in representing people, their health and potential explanatory factors as spatial objects in GIS;
4/14/2020 1


 be able to critically evaluate the evidence for and against causal relationships between health outcomes and environmental factors; and know how to use GIS tools to identify spatial patterns in health.
Prerequisites: Public Health 601 and 602
Required texts
1) GIS Tutorial for Health: Fourth Edition by Kristen S. Kurland, Wilpen L.Gorr. 2012. The ESRI
Press. Redlands, CA
Textbooks are available online or check with the SDSU bookstore for availability.
Blackboard
Readings from the required text as well as supplementary materials will be assigned in class and posted on Blackboard after class. Students are expected to check Blackboard regularly for announcements, lecture materials, additional articles, assignments, and updates. Students are also encouraged to download and review lecture materials before class.
The website for this course is http://blackboard.sdsu.edu/ . You must be able to access this web site and to log in. If you have problems, select the help button and follow directions. NEW FEATURE: you may also download the Blackboard app for your smartphone or IPad.
Blackboard does not list any email addresses in the roster unless a student chooses to do so. To make email addresses visible to the rest of the class, you must go into the Personal Information area from either the Student Tools area of the course, or from the Tool box on the My SDSU page and click on Privacy
Options. You can then choose what information to share with the rest of the class.
**THIS CLASS REQUIRES YOU TO CHECK BLACKBOARD EVERY WEEK BEFORE
CLASS**
Classroom etiquette:
PLEASE DO NOT text, take calls or check email on your phone during lecture. If you must send a text, take a call or check email during the lecture portion of the class, please step outside the classroom.
Remember to turn off or put your phone on vibrate during class.
Computer laboratory (HT-189):
Lectures will take place in HT-22. The labs will take place in HT-189. An electronic lock restricts access to the lab outside of class hours. There is an additional computer lab on the 2 nd floor in Hardy Tower
(HT-222) that is available for students to use and it is equipped with ArcView 10 software. It is the student’s responsibility to check the availability and operation hours of the lab. I encourage you to bring
USB memory sticks to each class session to save your files. Do not save any files on the desktop, you may use the documents folder to save files if needed.
Please NO FOOD OR DRINK is allowed inside the computer lab (closed water bottles are the only exception), you can leave items outside in the hallway. This rule will be strictly enforced.
4/14/2020 2

Course evaluation and grading:
Students will be graded on the basis of lab exercises (40%), project (25%), individual paper (25%) and class participation/attendance (10%).
Lab Exercises
Every week students will be assigned the chapter lab exercises, which may be completed in lab time and due the following week. Lab exercises handed in late will be assessed a penalty of 5 points for each day past the due date. One lab exercise assignment can be dropped/missed or if all exercises are submitted, one exercise will be counted as extra credit.
Project
Students are encouraged to do their final project on their thesis/area of interest if possible. You may work in either groups of 2-3 students max or as an individual if preferred. Each group/individual will present a final project in a powerpoint presentation during the last two weeks of class. Presentations are expected to be approximately 15-20 minutes per group/individual. Topics must be approved. A short project proposal will be submitted after topics are finalized. Further instructions will be posted on Blackboard.
Final Paper
The paper should be at least 10 pages (double spaced, size 12 font and including maps and references).
Papers may be on the same topics as the project or may be on a different topic of interest. Topics must be approved. A short outline must be submitted after topics are finalized. Final paper must be uploaded to
Blackboard by 11:59pm (before midnight) on the last day of class for full credit. Please also print 1 hard copy for submission at the beginning of the last day of class . Further instructions will be posted on
Blackboard.
All students are expected to turn in assignments by specified deadlines. There will be no exams/quizzes in this class.
Grading Scale:
A = 95% B+ = 87% B- = 80% C = 75% D+ = 67% D- = 60%
A- = 90% B = 85% C+ = 77% C- = 70% D = 65% F = <59%
Course Schedule (SUBJECT TO CHANGE):
Every effort will be made to follow the syllabus content and schedule; however, if circumstances dictate there may be modifications necessary during the semester. If such is the case I will make every effort to notify students in a timely manner.
Course Calendar
Date
8/26/13
Week 1 – Course Introduction and GIS Public Health
Examples
Lecture Reading
No reading
Lab -
Assignments
Lab Practice
Exercise
9/2/13 Week 2 - NO CLASS
4/14/2020 3

TBD
9/9/13
Week 3 - Introduction to GIS: The Theory
9/16/13
Week 4 – Spatial Geography

Getting started with the basics – scale, coordinates, projection, etc.

Understanding metadata

Mapping elements
TBD
9/23/13
Week 5 – Geographical data and other information for mapping

Databases

Census data
TBD
9/30/13
Week 6 – ArcGIS tools and health mapping

Using ArcGIS to map health data

Available tools in ArcGIS
Project topic submission deadline (post to discussion board). Group selection deadline.
TBD
TBD
10/7/13
Week 7 – Spatial Analysis

Clustering

Analysis methods
TBD
10/14/13 Week 8 - Guest Lecture TBD
10/21/13
10/28/13
Week 9 – Environmental Hazards and Disease Risk

Source locations

Exposure Models

Understanding and forecasting risks and outbreaks
Project proposal due
Week 10 – Access to health care

Mapping locations
TBD
TBD
Assignment 1-2
(pg 54) and 1-3
(pg 55)
Assignment 2-1
(pg 107) and 2-
2 (pg 109)
*Assignments
1-2 and 1-3 due
Assignment 3-1
(pg 150) and 3-
2 (pg 152) **3-
3 is for extra credit
*Assignments
2-1 and 2-2 due
Assignment 4-1
(pg 205), 4-2
(pg 207) and 4-
3 (pg 209)
*Assignments
3-1 and 3-2 due
(3-3 for extra credit)
Assignment 5-1
(pg 248) and 5-
2 (pg 251)
*Assignments
4-1, 4-2 and 4-
3 due
Assignment 6-1
(pg 286) and 6-
2 (pg 288)
*Assignments
5-1 and 5-2 due
Assignment 7-1
(pg 328) and 7-
2 (pg 330)
*Assignments
6-1 and 6-2 due
Assignment 8-1
(pg 370) and 8-
4/14/2020 4

11/4/13

Analyzing access

Disaster preparedness
Individual paper outline due
Week 11 – Guest Lecture
TBD
2 (pg 372)
*Assignments
7-1 and7-2 due
Assignment 9-1
(pg 411) and 9-
2 (pg 413)
*Assignments
8-1 and 8-2 due
11/1/13
11/18/13
Week 12 - NO CLASS (Veteran’s Day)
Week 13 – Health disparities and community health

Environmental justice

Community participation

Maps as empowerment tools
TBD Assignment Ch
10 case study
(NOT optional to drop)
*Assignments
9-1 and 9-2 due
Week 14 –Project Presentations
Week 15 –Project Presentations/Final Papers Due, Last class
Finals Week – no class
*Ch 10 case study due
Course policies:

Missing class. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor to discuss alternatives to any lecture or exercise you miss, and to obtain lecture notes, handouts, other
 materials or instructions from the course Blackboard site or a classmate.
Religious holidays By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the instructors of affected courses of planned absences for religious observances.


Extenuating circumstances. If severe difficulties (e.g., illness, injury, death of a family member) prevent you from completing an assignment on time or attending class, please contact the instructor to discuss alternative arrangements.
Academic misconduct by a student shall include, but not be limited to: disrupting classes; giving or receiving unauthorized aid on examinations, reports or other assignments; knowingly misrepresenting the source of any academic work; falsifying research results; plagiarizing another’s work; violating regulations or ethical codes for the treatment of human subjects; or otherwise acting dishonestly. If an instance of academic misconduct is suspected, the student will be informed of the infraction and the penalty to be imposed. If appropriate, the matter will be referred to the Department Chair and Dean of the College for mediation. Potential sanctions include a warning, an admonition, censure, reduction of grade (including a grade of F for the course), disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion.

Group projects (if applicable). Students will be expected to work in teams to develop one of the course assignments. Your grade for this assignment will take into account evidence of active and equal participation by each member of the team in addition to teamwork and cooperation.
4/14/2020 5


Computers. Every student must have access to the internet and a computer in order to obtain communications from the instructor, download reading material and conduct document searches of on-line publications.

Safety. Students are encouraged to consult with SDSU public safety regarding parking and other safety issues. Since this class is held at night, students are encouraged to walk together to parking structures after class or to call for a campus police escort when needed.

Assignments.
Assignments are expected to be submitted by the due date. Late assignments will be accepted but with a penalty.

Class cancellation.
If a class must be cancelled without prior notification, it will be posted on
Blackboard, the day of the class, no later than Noon.
San Diego State University is dedicated to a safe, supportive and nondiscriminatory environment . It is the responsibility of all students to familiarize themselves with University policies regarding nondiscrimination, misconduct and academic honesty.
Statement on Nondiscrimination Policy
San Diego State University complies with the requirements of Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, as well as other applicable federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination. No person shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination in any program of the California State University
SDSU does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities. Students should direct inquiries concerning San Diego State
University’s compliance with all relevant disability laws to the Director of Student Disability Services
(SDS), Calpulli Center, Room 3101, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92128 or call 619-594-
6473 (TDD: 619-594-2929).
SDSU does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, or sexual orientation in the educational programs or activities it conducts. More detail on SDSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy can be found in the SDSU
General Catalog, University Policies.
Student Conduct and Grievances
SDSU is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy living and learning environment for students, faculty and staff. Sections 41301, Standards for Student Conduct, and Sections 41302-41304 of the
University Policies regarding student conduct should be reviewed.
If a student believes that a professor’s treatment is grossly unfair or that a professor’s behavior is clearly unprofessional, the student may bring the complaint to the proper university authorities and official reviewing bodies. See University policies on Student Grievances.
Statement on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty that are intended to gain unfair academic advantage. See section 41301 of the University policies. Plagiarism is an important element of this policy. Plagiarism is defined as ‘formal work publicly misrepresented as original; it is any activity wherein one person knowingly, directly and for lucre, status, recognition, or any public gain resorts to the published or unpublished work of another in order to represent it as one’s own’.
Any work, in whole or in part, taken from the Internet or other computer-based source without referencing the source is considered plagiarism.
4/14/2020 6

Turnitin.com
Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. You may submit your papers in such a way that no identifying information about you is included. Another option is that you may request, in writing, that your papers not be submitted to
Turnitin.com. However, if you choose this option you will be required to provide documentation to substantiate that the papers are your original work and do not include any plagiarized material.
4/14/2020 7