GEOG 360 A: GIS and Mapping

GEOG 360: GIS and Mapping

This course meets Individuals & Societies (I&S) and Qualitative and Symbolic Reasoning (QSR) general education requirements and counts as a 300-level course in either the Environment, Economy and Sustainability (EES), Globalization, Health and Development (GHD), or the GIS, Mapping, and Society (GMS) track of the geography major. It is also a required course for the Geography with Data Science option and serves as a prerequisite for GEOG 462, GEOG 458, GEOG 461, GEOG 462, GEOG 464, GEOG 465, and GEOG 482.

Meeting

• • Lectures
    • Asynchronous

   

  • Labs:
    
    • • Section AA: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30 - 10:20 AM   SMI 401
      • Section AB: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30 - 11:20 PM  SMI 401
      • Section AC: Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:30 - 12:20 PM  SMI 401
      • Section AD: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30 - 1:20 PM SMI 401

   

  Instructor

  Gunwha Oh, PhD
  Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Geography, gunwhaoh@uw.edu

  Office Hours:  

   

  Teaching Assistant:  

  Section AA/AB:

  Office Hours:

  Section AC/AD: 

Course Description

In a time when the quantity and diversity of digital spatial information are expanding at almost unimaginable rates, the ability to learn from this flood of information is increasingly valuable. This class provides an introduction to the art, science, and technical skills of mapping and geographic information systems (GIS). Specifically, the course will give you a conceptual and technical foundation for understanding and pursuing multiple approaches to the visualization and analysis of geographic information. The course provides an introduction to (1) basic cartographic principles, (2) common techniques used to store and visualize spatial objects within GIS, and (3) common spatial analysis operations. 

Throughout this course we will contextualize mapping and geospatial analysis within its broad history and historical conventions while also attending to new developments in GIS and possible future directions for GIS technologies and research.  We will examine cartographic fundamentals such as projection, symbolism and visualization strategies, and data management and classification, working toward more nuanced spatial analysis.  Students will learn not only how to make visually appealing and technically correct maps, but how to collect, manage, store, analyze, and visualize geospatial data in the process.  Throughout the course, hands-on experience using GIS will be coupled with theoretical attention to its uses and the politics and ethics surrounding that use.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. Contextualize geospatial technologies and mapping practices within their broader histories and future possibilities, considering the ethical implications of their use. 
2. Critically analyze maps, making visible the underlying decision-making and politics that went into their production.
3. Create and manage spatial and attribute data within a geographic information system (GIS) using both raster and vector data models (and understand when you would want to use each) 
4. Use basic cartographic principles (data classification, map projections, symbolization, etc.) to create maps that are both aesthetically pleasing and technically correct.
5. Effectively communicate geospatial information, selecting appropriate map styles (choropleth, dot density, graduated/proportional symbols, etc.) for the data being represented.
6. Perform basic geospatial analysis (data queries, buffering, overlays, reclassification, etc.) using a geographic information system (GIS).
7. Use (a) map(s) to answer a research question, make an argument, and/or tell a story.

Additional Information

Course Roadmap

Unit 1 - Map Design

Maps can take many different forms depending on the information being communicated in them.  From thematic maps to reference maps, this unit examines different types of maps and how they are designed to effectively communicate different types of data.  In this unit, you will be introduced to geographic information systems (GIS) and start making your own maps using GIS.

Unit 2 - Making Maps

Making maps requires us to make decisions about what to include on our maps and how.  There are always tradeoffs in this process.  In this unit we will discuss map distortion, how to find, organize, search, and represent data, and what additional map elements to include in your maps.  You will expand your GIS skills as you learn to manage your own geographic data, set map projections, and create more professional-looking maps.

Unit 3 - Spatial Analysis with GIS

One of the strengths of GIS is that it allows us to perform spatial analyses to better understand the geographic patterns present in data.  In this unit, we will examine various spatial analysis techniques and you’ll learn to apply them to data using GIS to answer geographic research questions.

Unit 4 - Putting it All Together

Maps are powerful tools of communication and can be used to tell convincing stories.  In this module we examine the power of maps and how you can expand your mapping skills beyond this course.

Assessment

Final course grades will be calculated as percentage, and then converted to a grade on a 4.0 scale using this conversion chart  (that link is just a reference, taken from the Linguistics department). I reserve the right to offer additional extra credit opportunities, or to curve grades for particular assignments, if I feel that this is warranted.

Exams and Assignment Submission: Complete assignments and exams on time. Extensions or incompletes will not be granted unless exceptional circumstances require it and prior arrangements have been made.

Late Submission of Work and Grading Errors :  In most cases late submissions of work will be penalized 10% per day that it is late, up to a maximum of a 50% deduction. However, some grades may be based on in-class participation that cannot be made up outside of class. These grades therefore cannot be made-up or submitted late. Please let me know ahead of time if you expect to miss a class, or if you expect that you will need to submit an assignment late. The last date at which late work will be accepted is June 6, 2025. 

If you feel that any of your assignments have been incorrectly or unfairly graded, please wait 24 hours and then submit, via email, your argument as to why your grade should be changed.

Make-up Exam: Everyone is expected to take the exams during class time on the day they are scheduled. See me in cases of medical or personal emergency. No make-up project will be given without a legitimate excuse accompanied by proper formal documentation (e.g., a doctor’s excuse).

Below is an outline of how to earn points in this course.

Participation:  10%   

Class Participation includes turning in work on time, participating in lectures and sections, and engaging with their classmates in any group activities or assignments. That will be 10 % of your total grade. 

Skill Development Labs:  45%   

Throughout the quarter students will conduct seven skill development labs in total, ranging in point values from 20 pts. (Lab 1) to 70 pts. (Lab 7). Lab 8 will be an optional work that you can practice a series of spatial analyses with no score. Each lab will walk students through a particular set of GIS skills and ask students to use those skills to answer a geographic question.  Labs will be scaffolded such that as the course progresses and students gain confidence with the technologies, they will be given less direct instruction and more independence to self-direct how they use the skills they are learning.  You can find descriptions of the topical foci and skills developed in each lab on the Skill Development Labs page on Canvas.

Final Project:  15%   

In the final weeks of the quarter students will be asked to showcase what they have learned by asking and answering a geographic question using the GIS skills they have developed throughout the quarter.  Students will be given a choice of four project options which will be explained in more depth during the fourth week of the quarter.

Quizzes:  30%   

There will be two quizzes on Wednesday week 5 and week 9. You will access Quiz via the course Canvas and questions may include multiple choice questions, matching questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, and short answer questions. You are welcome to use your notes, course material, and online resources, but you are asked to work alone (not in consultation with your classmates).  

Technology Requirement

The lab sections will be held at Smith hall, 401 and the room has all the required hardware and software. So you don't need to worry about accessing the required hardware and software.  For your convenience, you can install them and work on the assignments on your computer. Your TA will guide you with the installation if you need help. 

We will use UW Canvas for this course. Please contact me and your Teaching Assistant (TA) through your UW email ID or through Canvas for all class-related issues. Your TA should be your primary contact, but you are always welcome to contact me with questions or concerns via email gunwhaoh@uw.edu or in person. Response time to e-mails will likely be around 24 hours, so try to plan ahead with time-sensitive questions. Note that you may not get a response during the weekends or holidays. Technical questions about the labs should all be routed to your TA first. If you are getting an error or something is not appearing the way it should, please include a screenshot so that the TA can provide adequate support. 

Hardware:

• All students will need a computer with internet connection on which they can access online course materials and download QGIS, the GIS platform we will be using (QGIS is available for Windows, Macs, Linux, and BSD).

Software:

• An internet browser (ex. Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.)
• Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or some other text editor
• Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or some other spreadsheet editor
• QGIS (you will download and install this as part of your first lab)

Troubleshooting: 

If you run into problems during the quarter, here are a few suggestions for how to troubleshoot them:

• Problems with course content: Visit the office hours of your TA or instructor.  You can also reach out to the TA or instructor via email or Canvas Message.
• Problems with labs: Visit the office hours of your TA. 
• Problems with Canvas: Use the Help button on Canvas or contact the UW-IT helpdesk.  If you are unable to access Canvas or your problems with Canvas are affecting your ability to submit course assignments, reach out to the TA or instructor via email or Canvas Message.
• Problems with QGIS: Start by posting your question to the corresponding Skill Development Lab Discussion Board.  You can also stop by your TA’s office hours to get help in real-time.  You can also get help through the Suzzallo GIS Lab or the Center for Social Science Computation and Research..  Finally, if those don’t work, you can email or Canvas Message your course instructor or TA, being sure to include screenshots of what you are struggling with. 
• Stressed Out: If something about this course is causing you stress or your stress level is affecting your performance in this class, reach out to the course instructor via email or Canvas Message or stop by your instructor’s office hours.  You can find additional help from Student Services. or the Counseling Center.

E-mail is the easiest way of reaching me. I will respond to all e-mails during office hours, and will periodically return e-mail at other times. Please note that the answer to many commonly e-mailed questions can be found in the syllabus or on the course website. Please also note that in order to respond to your e-mail you MUST include the following information in every e-mail:

• A Salutation (Both Dr. Oh and Professor Oh are acceptable)
• Your Full Name
• What class you are in
• Subject line summarizing your e-mail (i.e. “Question regarding Map Design” for example)

Basic Expectations

Respect

You are expected to remain respectful of each other, the TA, and the instructor.  This class is a chance for everyone to learn and to express themselves and should remain a welcoming place to do that.  Tone is often difficult to convey through online communication so please take extra care to think about how your contributions will be received and try to give each other the benefit of the doubt.

Monitor Your Speaking

This class may involve small group work or class discussions. It is important that all students have an opportunity to share their ideas. Please ensure that you are contributing to the class, but also that you are allowing space for other students to contribute their own ideas.

Invite New Voices into the Conversation

If you notice that other students have not had an opportunity to contribute to a conversation, try to invite them into the discussion to share their perspective.

Appropriate Use of Technology

We will, quite obviously, be using technology throughout this course. Try to only use your technology for purposes that directly contribute to your own educational advancement within the class. Be sure to follow all departmental and university rules related to technology use.

Communication

If something is going on in your life that is affecting your work in this class, let us know.  If you know in advance that you are going to be unable to complete an assignment on time, let us know.  We are happy to try to work out an accommodation with you, but can’t unless we know that one is needed.  Please allow 24 hours for a response to emails you send (48 hours on weekends).  

General Expectations

• Students are expected to attend lectures, arrive on-time, keep abreast of the assigned readings, and participate in-class activities.
• Please turn off the sound of your cell phones and anything that makes noise during class.
• The computers are to be used ONLY for class activities.
• You are not welcome to surf, browse, shop, and/or engage with social media during class time. It is distracting to other students and to me as well. If you are in attendance you are expected to be engaged fully with the class.
• Photography, videography, recording, text messaging, and any other forms of electronic communication are not permitted during the class unless directly related to assigned activities.

Academic Responsibility

All students are expected to abide by the University of Washington rules on academic honesty that explicitly prohibit plagiarism and cheating.  These provisions are spelled out in detail at: http://depts.washington.edu/grading/pdf/AcademicResponsibility.pdf.  You are expected to complete your own work and are responsible for submitting your assignments on Canvas and checking that any documents you submitted uploaded properly / are readable.  If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism or academic dishonesty in the context of this class, please do not hesitate to ask.

Academic Integrity

Academic dishonesty, including but not limited to plagiarism, cheating, or submitting academic work that has previously been submitted (without citation or previous permission of instructor) will be penalized.  If you have questions about what constitutes a violation of the policy, see me or review details here: https://depts.washington.edu/grading/pdf/AcademicResponsibility.pdf 

Academic dishonesty will be handled according to the University’s Student Conduct Code: http://www.washington.edu/cssc/student-conduct-overview/student-code-of-conduct/ 

Plagiarized assignments will automatically receive a zero, and further disciplinary action will be considered depending on the severity of the transgression. Students are also expected to follow the Student Conduct Code for Geography Classroom:      https://geography.washington.edu/student-code-conduct

Know that in GEOG 360, we expect you to engage with this course with integrity.  There are opportunities built into this course to learn from your mistakes, but you can only do that if you are willing to do your own work.

Academic Accommodations

• Late Submission of Work and Grading Errors

In most cases, late submissions of work will be penalized 10% per day that it is late, up to a maximum of a 50% deduction. However, some in-class activities will be accepted only by the submission date, and those assignments will be announced ahead. These grades therefore cannot be made up or submitted late. Please let me know ahead of time if you expect to miss a class or if you expect that you will need to submit an assignment late. The last date at which late work will be accepted is June 7, 2025. 

If you feel that any of your assignments have been incorrectly or unfairly graded, please wait 24 hours and then submit, via email, your argument as to why your grade should be changed.

• Students with special needs

If you know of any factors in your life that may hinder your ability to learn to your potential in this course, please let me know.  If these factors are recognized disabilities under the ADA, please register with Disability Resources for Students (DRS) and bring your letter of accommodation to me as soon as possible so that we develop a plan to accommodate your needs. DRS can be contacted at: 448 Schmitz Hall; Phone: 206-543-8924 (Voice & Relay), 206-616-8379 (FAX); or E-mail: uwdrs@uw.edu.

• Remote learning

Faculty members at U.S. universities – including the University of Washington – have the right to academic freedom which includes presenting and exploring topics and content that other governments may consider to be illegal and, therefore, choose to censor. Examples may include topics and content involving religion, gender and sexuality, human rights, democracy and representative government, and historic events. If, as a UW student, you are living outside of the United States while taking courses remotely, you are subject to the laws of your local jurisdiction. Local authorities may limit your access to course material and take punitive action towards you. Unfortunately, the University of Washington has no authority over the laws in your jurisdictions or how local authorities enforce those laws. If you are taking UW courses outside of the United States, you have reason to exercise caution when enrolling in courses that cover topics and issues censored in your jurisdiction. If you have concerns regarding a course or courses that you have registered for, please contact your academic advisor who will assist you in exploring options.

• Religious Accommodations

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/).  Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).

Campus Support Services

It is important that we take care of ourselves inside and outside of class by learning how to work through stress and other obstacles and by prioritizing our physical, emotional, and mental health.  Toward that end, there are many different kinds of support services on campus such as the Counseling CenterLinks to an external site., Hall Health, and the IMALinks to an external site..  If you are concerned about yourself or a friend who is struggling, SafeCampusLinks to an external site. (206-685-7233) is a very helpful resource to learn more about how to facilitate access to campus-based support services, many of which are available online.  

Readings

All readings will be made available for you online (in PDF format or through an external link) on the course Canvas site.  Readings are embedded in their corresponding modules.  You are expected to read the material assigned as part of each module’s content by the deadline indicated.

Academic Accommodations

The University of Washington is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities.  To request disability accommodation contact the Disability Resources for Students Office at: 206-543-8924 (Voice & Relay), or uwdrs@uw.edu.  We take such requests seriously and encourage you to schedule a time to meet privately with me to discuss what we can do to help you learn. 

Following Washington state law, the UW has a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities.  The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of the quarter using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).  Please also notify us directly via email or in person if you have a religious observance that conflicts with this class so that we can discuss an appropriate accommodation.

Campus Support Services

It is important that we take care of ourselves inside and outside of class by learning how to work through stress and other obstacles and by prioritizing our physical, emotional and mental health.  Toward that end, there are many different kinds of support services on campus such as the Counseling Center, Hall Health, and the IMA.  If you are concerned about yourself or a friend who is struggling, SafeCampus (206-685-7233) is a very helpful resource to learn more about how to facilitate access to campus-based support services, many of which are available online.