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Spatial Analysis GIS

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General Information

Instructor: J. Lopez-Jimenez, Ph.D.

Telephone:
507-389-1890
507-382-0497

Office:
218 I Armstrong Hall

Electronic mail:
jose.lopez@mnsu.edu

Office Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

If I am not in my office, please call
507-382-0497

Course Objectives
This basic course focuses on combining mapped information with powerful statistical and graphing tools for visualizing, exploring, and analyzing spatially referenced data. The class will have three basic requirements: a set of exercises and quizzes, exams (3), and one project.

Weights
Exercises (homework), final project, and quizzes: 40% of course grade
Three exams: 60% of course grade

Expectations
The course will equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for carrying out analysis of spatial data.

Students will input and examine geographic information with the help of spatial analysis computer programs.

Exemplar projects and exercises will be drawn from physical and human geography.

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to demonstrate the value of spatial analysis for the undertanding of geographic distributions of physical and cultural phenomena.

Students will be able to outline which types of spatial analysis methods would be appropriate for the solution of geographic analysis questions.

Students will be able to list important components of research techniques that use spatial statistics and geostatistical analysis tools.

Graduate Level Outcomes
Design research projects that involve Geostatistical and Spatial Analyses tools.

Develop graphs and charts that unearth spatial patterns linked to formal geographical data matrixes.

Appraise research literature pertinent to point and area pattern analyses.

Course Policies and Rules
It is my policy that disrespectful behavior, lack of consideration towards the participants of the course, tardiness, or any disturbance on your part will influence my decision regarding your final grade.

Attendance is not mandatory, but you are highly advised to attend. If you want to succeed in this course, you should come to every session. While about 90% of the material covered by the lectures could be found in the course book, some topics are not sufficiently covered by the text.

Even though attendance is not mandatory, points will be deducted for those students who leave class early, especially on days that test and quiz grades are returned (permission to leave early is required). I prefer that you are absent instead of having to witness students leaving the classroom disrespectfully.
Past experience indicates that grades correlate with attendance and an absence on a test day is detrimental to one's grade.

Please, consult any of your classmates for notes or handouts distributed during lecture if you miss a class session. Do not visit my office asking for old handouts. My duties during office hours are to clarify concepts and answer questions pertinent to tests or assignments, not tutoring (private instruction).

Under special circumstances, I will make electronic notes and Power Point slides available (you are expected to make an office appointment with me, and bring a PC-formatted disk or an USB flash drive so you can copy the lecture files). If you were absent, I would give you copies of the class notes or a make-up quiz if you provide a documented valid excuse.

Valid excuses include
• personal illness, as verified by a valid medical excuse;
• death or critical illness in the immediate family;
• participation in a university-sponsored activity;
• military service;
• law enforcement or public safety service.

If you examine MSUM’s Student Handbook (the “Students’ Responsibilities” section), you will find that:

“Individuals will respect and foster the academic endeavors of others. Minnesota State Mankato exists to promote learning, and as such, students must behave in such a way so as to allow the process of learning to take place by group or individual. Examples of violations include but are not limited to: harassment of a faculty member; disrupting teaching or learning; excessive noise that disrupts classes, studying or University activities; other activities that seriously disrupt the educational process; intentionally altering, inhibiting, or stealing another person's research.”

Cell phone use (of any kind – voice, texting, calculator, or photography…) is prohibited during class. Phones must be turned off or at least set them not to make noise during class time.

The following activities are not to be engaged in during class because they are disruptive and detract from the learning focus of the course: listening to distracting electronic devices such as MP3 players, I-Pods, CD players, Walkman radios, electronic games, pagers, Facebook/My Space surfing, internet, faxing, or web browsing. In essence, all students are required to turn off laptop computers before class starts to avoid distracting activities. Reading the newspaper or other materials not related to the course is not permitted during the lecture. Audio or video recording of lectures is not permitted.

Side conversations are discourteous to classmates, instructors, and guests. Conversations between classmates while I instruct won't be tolerated and I will ask disruptive students to leave the classroom if I deem it necessary. A student may be dropped from a course by the administration if disrespectful behaviors persist and I recommend this action. Raised voices, temper tantrums, and rude behavior will not change my 26-year-old policy.

Class time will be reserved for the definition of concepts, discussion of topics, and explanation of analytical techniques. Office hours are devoted to answering your questions.

There may be in-class assignments or quizzes, which are a portion of your course average grade. I give these occasional quizzes during the last 15 minutes of the session, throughout the semester. I am not obligated to announce most quizzes in advance.

Quizzes and assignments may differ in value (points) depending on their complexity. Do not expect that an elementary assignment will have the same worth as a more complicated exercise.

Late or make-up exams will only be given in verifiable cases of hardship or illness (you need to provide a note from the physician, court, or police department to demonstrate a legitimate reason for your absence). Projects or exercises turned in late after the original assignment has already been graded and returned will be worth zero points. There will not be any make-up quizzes or group activities. However, if you miss only one quiz, that zero won't be included during the calculation of the final grade (remember you have only one chance!).

The course is lecture format, not cooperative learning. Geography is a different type of science that involves very specific facts and theories. Basically, come to class, listen to the lecture, and take notes. Stop me (politely!) if I go too fast or if you have a question. The type of participation that I expect from you could be asking good questions, providing helpful facts during the discussion of concepts, and clarifying ideas that might be considered complex by other students.

The syllabus serves as a guideline and is subject to change, depending on circumstances as the semester progresses.

If you are a student with a documented disability, please see me as early in the semester as possible to discuss the necessary accommodations, and/or contact the Disability Services Office at (507) 389-2825.

Concepts

Spatial Analysis
• Systematic study of variation and pattern analysis
• Statistical analysis of spatial data

Spatial Data
• Consist of measurement and observations taken at specific locations or within specific regions.
• Spatial data sets include the locations or relative positions of the data values.
• Locations may be point or areal referenced.
• Point referenced data - referenced by latitude and longitude.
• Areal referenced data - observations specific to a region.
• Spatial data may be continuous, such as the measurements of metal content from a core sample, or discrete, such as the number of chicken pox cases reported by county. • Locations may come from a spatial continuum such as the point locations within a forest field, or a discrete set, such as the number of municipalities within a province or district.

Geostatistical Data
• Also termed random field data.
• Can be measurements taken at fixed locations;
• Or generally spatially continuous locations (concentrations, permeability, volumes etc.).
• However, you can find discrete geostatistical data, which is count data, such as the number of insects at a series of fixed sampling sites along the valley.

Class Schedule

Weeks 1-5: Spatial Regions (or area) Data Analysis

Weeks 6-11: Spatial Point Patterns Analysis

Weeks 12-15: Spatial Modeling

Tentative Test and Project Dates

Test One: February 15.

Test Two: March 21.

Test Three: Monday, May 3 (12:30 pm - 2:30 pm).

Project Presentations: April 22.



Grading Criteria
4 points (A+)
3.75 points (A)
3.5 points (A-)
3.25 points (B+)
3 points (B)
2.75 points (B-)
2.5 points (C+)
2.25 points (C)
2 points (C-)
1.75 points (D+)
1.5 points (D)
1.25 points (D-)
0 points (F)
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