Syllabus of GEO242 (Geographic Information Systems II)
Spring 0910 DePaul University
Meet Monday/Wednesday 11:20-12:50 PM at Schmitt Academic Center 224 (GIS Lab)
Instructor
Julie Hwang: shwang9@depaul.edu, office hour: T/Th 2:30-4 PM and by appointment, Her
office is located at the 4th floor of 990 W Fullerton Building Room# 4513, phone: 773-325-8668
Course overview
Students will further develop proficiency in GIS built from GEO241. Students as a group will
conduct a GIS project on demand by community-based organization in Chicago (see community
GIS project section below for current projects). The course will be organized around the process
of planning and implementing GIS project. It ranges from assessing users' requirement,
translating it into systems requirement, to acquiring and analyzing data. Students will learn to
apply GIS techniques in the context of addressing community issues as part of service-learning.
Topics include GIS project management, database design, data input & manipulation, data
quality, and spatial analysis. Compared to GEO241, GEO242 involves more doing than thinking,
more applying than memorizing, and more reflection on the use of knowledge in community
contexts than knowledge itself.
Learning goals
Discipline-specific knowledge and skills
 Learn terms related to GIS at the intermediate level – e.g., information product, relational
database schema, coordinate transformation, metadata, suitabaility analysis
 Learn concepts and methods related to GIS at the intermediate level – e.g., GIS project
management, data modeling, data manipulation, data quality, spatial data infrastructure,
data classification methods
 Develop intermediate-level skills to become a competent GIS user – e.g., GPS data import,
spatial database design, heads-up digitizing, spatial adjustment, metadata documentation
 Develop a self-aware understanding of the interplay between technology (GIS) and
society (community-based organization & community)
Liberal arts and academic values
 Cultivate a sense of social responsibility by developing informed concern of community
issues and serving community
Higher-order thinking skills
 Develop ability to apply GIS knowledge and skills to addressing community issues
 Develop analytic skills for planning and implementing GIS project
Work and career preparation
 Develop ability to work productively with others
 Develop management skills by applying principles and techniques of project management
to GIS project
Text: There is no text to buy. Required readings are posted as pdf files on the blackboard
1
Summary of topics
Week
1-3
3-7
7-10
Topic
Planning GIS project
 Overview of the process of GIS project
 Project management and expectation management
 Needs assessment for GIS
 Database design for GIS
Implmenting GIS project
 Data input – primary
 Data input – secondary
 Data manipulation
 Data acquisition – data quality
 Data acquisition – spatial data infrastructure
 Thematic mapping – data classification
 Spatial analysis – vector overlay
 Spatial analysis – raster overlay
Doing your group GIS project
Lab
Entity-relationship diagram
GPS data import
Heads-up digitizing
Spatial adjustments
Metadata
Prism mapping
Aggregate mapping
Suitability analysis
Evaluation





Exam
Lab
Project
Participation
Peer evaluation
25%
20%
40%
15%
-0+
written + practical test during a final week
eight labs in varying scale and difficulty
six milestones (see tentative schedules for due dates)
attendance + class participation
your peer’s rating on your contribution to project
Project milestones
 P0: proposal – form a group, choose a project, and describe problems
 P1: needs assessment – state goal, objectives, and describe information products
 P2: systems requirement – specify users’ needs in terms of data and operations for GIS
 P3: data acquisition – gather data suited to problems, and assess data quality
 P4: data analysis – lay out plan for visualizing and analyzing data
 P5: presentation – present results to clients
 P6: final report – it should include introduction, needs assessment (P1), systems
requirement (P2), data acquisition (P3), data analysis (P4), results, and conclusions
Fill in peer evaluation form at the end of the quarter. The peer evaluation form will be used to
make adjustment to the final grade of individuals.
No late work will be accepted unless excused. An instructor reserves the right to determine
whether the late work can be accepted based on information provided. A makeup exam can be
arranged only when credible dire and documented medical or family situations arise and these
circumstances are communicated in a timely fashion. The same rule (underlined above) applies
to granting an Incomplete (IN) grade.
2
Tentative schedules
Here I describe what you should do before the class on the left, and what we will do in the class
on the right for each day of the class. I also comment on readings mainly to help you focus and
read actively rather than passively.
Part 1. Planning GIS project
[1W] March 31 The process of GIS project
Before the class
In the class
Read Bernhardsen (2005). The goal is to get an idea of
what the overall process of implementing GIS looks
like. At this point, it is not necessary to memorize terms
yet since we will get to some of them later. Focus on
GIS in organizational contexts. Whenever possible,
relate your reading to your GIS project. For instance,
how would you go about identifying users' requirement
in your project?



Talk on the process of GIS
project and GIS in organization
Q/A about any confusing terms
from the reading and group
project
Group meeting for P0
(proposal)
[2M] April 5 Project management and expectation management
Read Verzuh (2008). Three topics are covered in this
reading. (a) what are project success factors? (b) what are
project management functions? (c) why is expectation
management so important to successful project, and how
can we go about managing expectation? In particular, make
sure you understand terms like purpose, scope, objectives,
and deliverables in chapter 4. This will get you ready for the
next project milestone. Finish up P0.




Turn in P0
Talk on project management
with focus on questions on
the left, and some useful
techniques of project
management
P1 (Needs Assessment)
handed out
Group meeting for P1
[2W] April 7 Needs assessment for GIS
Read Huxhold (1992). If Verzuh (2008) is about how to define project
and identify needs generically, Huxhold (1992) is about how to assess
needs specific to GIS. I understand this reading is outdated (given that
how fast GIS is changing!), and the scope and context described in this
reading (mainly for enterprise GIS in local government) doesn't appear to
be applicable to your fairly small GIS project. However, there is gem in
this reading, that is how identifying functions in organizations (what
clients do) is a good starting point of defining all others needs (like data,
operations, software, hardware, and staff). Again relate it to your project.


Talk on the
functional
approach to
assessing GIS
needs
Group
meeting for
P1
3
[3M] April 12 Database design for GIS

Read Shekhar and Chawla (2003). The reading is about
how to design spatial database. You will learn about
entity-relationship modeling (ERM) as conceptual
modeling techniques, how to translate ERM to relational
database schema as logical modeling techniques, and how
to extend relational database schema to spatial data. Note
that database design constitutes a part of the next project
milestone (P2).
P2 (Systems Requirement)
handed out
Talk on spatial database
design
Lab exercise on drawing
entity-relation diagram in
Visio
Group meeting for P1 and P2



Part 2. Implementing GIS project
[3W] April 14 Data input - primary method

Now we move from the phase of planning GIS (e.g.,
assessing needs, and specifying systems requirement) to
implementing GIS (e.g., acquiring data, processing data,
making maps and doing analysis). No reading is assigned for
this class although it will be good to skim through GIS I
materials on sources of GIS data and how GIS data is entered.
Work on P1 - the dealing is fast approaching.


Talk on GIS data
collection
Lab exercise on GPS data
import
Group meeting for P1 and
P2
[4M] April 19 Data input - secondary method
Finish up P1 (Needs Assessment).
No reading.



Turn in P1 (Needs assessment)
Lab exercise on heads-up digitizing
Group meeting for P2
[4W] April 21 Data manipulation
Read Chrisman (2001). Data input deals with techniques
employed when there is no data available (so you create
data from scratch). Data manipulation deals with
techniques employed when there is data available, but data
needs to be processed to get usable. There are many
techniques for processing data for GIS, but we will focus
on generalization, coordinate transformation, and data
transfer.




Talk on data manipulation
ArcGIS demo on data
manipulation techniques
Lab exercise on spatial
adjustment (rubber-sheeting)
Group meeting for P2
[5M] April 26 Data acquisition - data quality
Read Veregin (2005). GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out).
There is no good result without good GIS data. It won't be
hard to imagine how important data quality is. Make sure you
understand the components of spatial data quality (accuracy,



P3 (Data Acquisition)
handed out
Talk on data quality
Group meeting for P2
4
logical consistency, and logical consistency) which will get
you ready for the next project milestone P3.
and P3
[5W] April 28 Data acquisition - spatial data infrastructure
Read Moeller (2010). The more you think about the success of
GIS project, the more you will be convinced of the importance of
getting the right data, perhaps even worse just getting any data.
The idea behind spatial data infrastructure (SDI) is that in order
to land in spatially-enabled informational society successfully, it
is necessary to build organizational infrastructure that streamlines
the process of acquiring and sharing spatial data. I want you to
reflect on this issue (“should we care about SDI?”) in preparation
for in-class discussion. Work on P2 (Systems requirement).




Lecture on SDI
Share your thought on
SDI
Lab exercise on
creating metadata
Group meeting for P2
and P3
[6M] May 3 Thematic mapping - data classification
Finish up P2. Read Slocum et al (2005). You may have noticed
that the whole range of data values are not displayed in
thematic maps, but rather they are grouped into several classes.
The reading describes different methods of grouping data
values into classes (that is data classification methods). Be sure
to understand how equal interval, natural break, quantile, and
standard deviation methods work, respectively.




Turn in P2 (Systems
requirement)
Talk on data
classification methods
Lab exercise on prism
mapping
Group meeting for P3
[6W] May 5 Spatial analysis – vector overlay
Work together with your group members on P3 (Data
acquisition)



P4 (Data Analysis) handed out
Lab exercise on vector spatial
analysis and process diagram
Group meeting for P3 and P4
[7M] May 10 Spatial analysis – raster overlay
Work together with your group members on P3 (Data
acquisition)


Lab exercise on raster spatial
analysis and process diagram
Group meeting for P3 and P4
Part 3. Conducting a group GIS project
[7W] May 12
[8M] May 17
[8W] May 19
[9M] May 24
[9W] May 26
P3 (Data acquisition) due
P4 (Data analysis) due
Map contest – submit the best map to the competition. We will vote for the best
5
map after collaborative discussion.
[10M] May 31
[10W] June 2 P5 (Presentation) & P6 (Final report) due
[11W] June 9 Final exam 11:45-2:00
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Where and when can I use GIS software?
Name
GIS Lab
QRC
DB search room
Location
SAC 224
SAC 268
Richardson
Hour
See QRC website
See QRC website
See Library website
GIS-related software
ArcGIS, MiniTab, GeoDa
ArcGIS, MiniTab
ArcGIS, MiniTab
# Computers
27
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2
Here are the OPEN times for GIS lab during this quarter.
Monday / Wednesday: 8am – 9:30am, 6:00pm – 9:15pm
Tuesday / Thursday: 8am – 9:30am, 1pm – 2:30pm, 4:20pm – 5:50pm
(Thursday ONLY: 6pm – 9:15pm)
Friday: 8am – 5pm
Saturday/Sunday: 12pm – 4pm
2) I want to access ESRI data set other than the location X drive. Where can I get them?
StreetMap05 data is copied to C:\ArcGIS\StreetMap05 in GIS Lab, DB search room, and Geo
Lab (geography department lab).
3) Can I use ArcGIS in my personal computer?
Order 60-day evaluation copy at www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcview/eval/evalcd.html
4) I lost my USB drive. Is there anywhere to look for my USB drive like lost & found?
Yes. It’s most likely that your flash drive is at QRC (SAC268) unless it’s already stolen. Contact
a QRC lab manager, Jennifer Galka by phone (773) 325-4663 or by e-mail
JGALKA1@depaul.edu.
To help her identify who a lost flash drive belongs to, I suggest that you put a word document
called “Open if Lost” in the main directory of your flash drive. In the document, you can put your
name and an e-mail address so that you can be contacted in case the flash drive is found.
5) What is a grading scale?
-
Points earned
93-100 points
90-92.99 points
87-89.99 points
83-86.99 points
80-82.99 points
Letter grade
A
AB+
B
B-
6
-
77-79.99 points
73-76.99 points
70-72.99 points
50-69.99 points
< 50
C+
C
CD
F
6) Do you curve?
It depends. Decision to curve will be contingent upon the overall performance of students.
Community GIS project
So far two GIS projects have been collected from community-based organizations affiliated with
DePaul's service-learning center, the Steans Center. Our coordinator is Rebecca Martinez.
Contact her by RMARTIN7@depaul.edu if you have any problem with dealing with clients
(meaning persons from community-based organizations).
Enlace Chicago is interested in mapping public transportation and bike routes in Little Village.
This project is part of large-scale efforts to examine the culture of transportation in the
community; this will provide the baseline to make recommendations for policy promoting
sustainable transportation. By looking at demographic characteristics (e.g., population density,
income, employment) and travel behavior (e.g., mode choice, commute time), as well as
mapping transportation facilities, it would be possible to identify areas where bike routes and
public transportation are lacking. You could turn this project to suitability analysis such as where
to build bike routes. This project could be conducted in collaboration with the anthropology
course (Prof. Rotenberg) where students collect data on pedestrian flow and busy bus stops. For
further inquiry, contact Alejandro Guzman by aguzman@enlacechicago.org.
Puerto Rican Cultural Center is interested in mapping health or wellness-related assets in
Humboldt Park. Project outcomes (maps of health assets) will help the organization assess the
current status of community health assets. For instance, by looking at maps it would be possible
to answer where HIV clinic programs and physical acitivities programs (e.g., gym) are located,
and how active those programs have been. This will further help them make recommendations
for policy fostering health in the community. Health asset data will be provided from the School
for New Learning. For further inquiry, contact Raul Echevarria by raule@prcc-chgo.org.
Important dates
P0 (proposal)
P1 (needs assement)
P2 (systems requirement)
P3 (data acquisition)
P4 (data analysis)
P5 (presentation)
P6 (final report)
Exam
2M
4M
6M
8M
9M
10W
10W
11W
April 5
April 19
May 3
May 17
May 24
June2
June 2
June 9
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References
Bernhardsen (2005) Geographical Information Systems: Principles, Techniques, Management
and Applications Chapter 41 (Choosing a GIS) p. 589-600
Verzuh (2008) The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management p. 6-9, p. 21-23, p. 55-68
Huxhold (1992) Multipurpose land information systems Chapter 16 (Needs assesment) p. 16-1 ~
16-38
Shekhar and Chawla (2003) Spatial Database: A Tour Chapter 5 (Spatial concepts and data
models) p.34-41
Chrisman (2001) Exploring Geographical Information Systems Chapter 3 p. 85-97 (conversion
of existing documents)
Veregin (2005) Geographical Information Systems: Principles, Techniques, Management and
Applications Chapter 12 (Data quality parameters) p. 177-189
Moeller (2010) Directions Magazine February 2010 SDI – Why Should We Care About Them?
Slocum et al (2005) Thematic Cartography and Geographic Visualization Chapter 5 p. 74-89
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