MCCCD Program Description

Geographic Information Science I

Course: GIS211

First Term: 2018 Fall

Lec + Lab 4 Credit(s) 4 Period(s) 4 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: T Lab Load

Description: Introduces students to digital map creation including vector and raster data, map elements, and design, symbology, and the geo database using Esri (Environmental Systems Research Institute) desktop and online mapping environments.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Examine the purpose and application of GIS. (I) 2. Use the basic data management and map production tools in ArcGIS. (II) 3. Perform data management tasks including, creating, querying, editing, joining, and customizing spatial and non-spatial data. (III) 4. List and explain the advantages of spatial databases. (IV) 5. Create a spatial database. (IV) 6. List and describe basic project management considerations. (V) 7. Identify primary map elements. (VI) 8. Explain map scale and projection. (VI) 9. Produce a map from several data sources. (VII) 10. Create and view data in three-dimensional format. (II) 11. Identify and explain the three geographic aspects of GIS. (I) 12. Trace the evolution of GIS technology. (I) 13. Identify and describe common applications of GIS in government, the private sector, and research. (I) 14. Identify and describe legal and ethical issues related to use of GIS and spatial data. (VIII) 15. Explain the uses of statistical data, classification, and levels of measurement. (IX) 16. Identify and describe the design, development, and implementation considerations for the spatial database. (X) 17. Summarize the software development lifecycle. (X) 18. Explain spatial analysis functions and relevant technologies in regards to vector and raster data. (XI) 19. Create Structured Query Langauge (SQL) expressions and functions. (XII) 20. Manipulate various types of spatial data. (XIII)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I.Introduction to GIS A.What is GIS B.GIS capabilities and limitations C.The primary components of a GIS D.GIS data: spatial vs. non-spatial E.Fundamentals of GIS 1.Purpose 2.Components 3.Capabilities 4.Relevant Technologies 5.Geographic aspects a.Spatial inquiry b.Cartographic design c.Human-physical relationships F.Evolution of the Technology 1.Early users 2.Ties to government 3.Private vendors 4.Professional organizations G.Applications 1.Government a.Federal b.State c.Local 2.Utilities 3.Business and industry 4.Academic research II.The ArcGIS Interface A.ArcCatalog vs. ArcMap vs. ArcGIS Online B.ArcCatalog menus and tools 1.Connecting to folders and/or database 2.Editing options and toolbars 3.Navigation 4.Help menu 5.Viewing fields/field properties 6.Viewing files/folder contents 7.Previewing spatial/tabular data 8.Previewing metadata 9.ArcToolbox C.ArcMap Menus and tools 1.Data frame options 2.Add layer button 3.Map size setup 4.Editor toolbar 5.Feature selection and identify tools 6.Selection options 7.Layer properties (general, source, symbology) 8.Inserting map elements III. Data Management A.Querying data B.Adding new fields/setting field properties C.Identifying primary and foreign keys D.Raster and vector data E.Creating and editing spatial and non-spatial data F.Performing spatial and non-spatial joins G.Metadata 1.Advantages 2.Primary components 3.Creation IV.Introduction to Spatial Database A.Advantages B.Creating a spatial database V.Project Management Considerations A.Project maps 1.Projection 2.Extent/scale 3.Design 4.Templates 5.Map series B.Project organizations/file structure C.Quality assurance/quality control considerations D.Workflow 1.Data entry 2.Spatial data entry and editing 3.Non-spatial data entry and editing VI. Map Elements and Properties A.Map elements (direction arrow, legend, scale, source, title) B.Map scale C.Map projection VII. Map Design and Production A.Map setup B.Setting scale and projection C.Inserting and placing feature labels D.Inserting/placing fundamental map elements (direction arrow, legend, scale, sources, title) VIII. Legal and Ethical Issues in GIS A.The value of information 1.The information industry 2.Information economics B.Government`s role in information dissemination 1.Federal information acts 2.State/local information acts C.Access to information 1.Functional access 2.Database access 3.Support access 4.Mode of funding access D.Collateral issues 1.Proprietary authority 2.Privacy 3.Liability for GIS products/services 4.User fees, antitrust law and undue competition 5.Equal treatment 6.Copyright, contracts, and control of proprietary interest IX.The Role of Statistics in GIS A.Statistical applications B.Describing and determining the meaning of data 1.Descriptive statistics a.Measures of central tendency b. Measures of dispersion c. Graphical displays (histograms/charts) 2. Levels of measurement a. Nominal b. Ordinal c. Interval d. Ratio C. Feature classifications 1. Natural breaks 2. Equal interval 3. Quantile 4. Standard deviation D. Normalizing data X. Fundamentals of the Spatial Database A. Types 1. Enterprise 2. Personal 3. File B. Software development lifecycle C. Working with the spatial database 1. Design a. Data sources b. Tables c. Fields d. Domains e. Other considerations 2. Development a. Creating tables/fields/relationships b. Gathering/importing data 3. Implementation 4. Maintenance XI. Spatial Analysis Operations A. Vector data and relevant technologies B. Raster data and relevant technologies C. Other considerations XII. Fundamentals of SQL A. SQL as data manipulation language (DML) B. SQL as data definition language (DDL) C. SQL functions XIII. Working with Datasets A. Control framework B. Planimetric features C. Topographic features D. Cadastrel features E. Area boundary features F. Facilities/utilities

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: February 28, 2017

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.