GISC 1401 - Cartography and Geography in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

4 Credits (3 hrs. lec., 3 hrs. lab.) Introduction to the principles of cartography and geography. Emphasis on global reference systems, and the use of satellites for navigation and measurements. Students learn basic concepts of GIS including mapping the Earth in spatial terms, and populating the GIS to access data. Exercises include: create and access data in the GIS using Arc View, a standard PC platform software package; capture positional and attribute information with correct and accurate geographic referencing including GPS systems; and develop and print maps and reports. Emphasis on geographic coordinate systems, acquiring information from databases, existing maps, GPS and the Internet. All aspects of the course will be integrated into individual final projects. Prerequisite: GISC 1411 or departmental approval
Course Outcomes
1 - Explain the basic concepts of accuracy, precision, and scale in GIS/GPS.
2 - Summarize GPS elevations and the operating environment for GPS.
3 - Create spatial data with real time GPS data.
4 - Recognize discrepancies in data presentations.
5 - Import GPS data into GIS.
6 - Evaluate data before transform for scale and accuracy.
7 - The student will measure “real world” distance and area on maps and correctly relate the two.
8 - Acquire geographic information directly using GPS and merge it with existing information.
9 - Manage the geographic information in a dynamic database situation.