Spatial Analysis (10230.2)
| Available teaching periods | Delivery mode | Location |
|---|---|---|
| View teaching periods | On-Campus |
UC - Canberra, Bruce |
| EFTSL | Credit points | Faculty |
| 0.125 | 3 | Faculty Of Science And Technology |
| Discipline | Study level | HECS Bands |
| Academic Program Area - Science | Level 3 - Undergraduate Advanced Unit | Band 2 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021) Band 3 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021) |
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:1. Apply prior knowledge from a range of scientific methods in the analysis and interpretation of spatial data sets;
2. Demonstrate knowledge of spatial extensions such as spatial sampling and interpolation methods, cartographic modelling skills and point-pattern analysis along with associated new technologies;
3. Develop an understanding of the key concepts underpinning each method and the associated assumptions and limitations. Acquiring problem solving skills to enable the resolution of new problems and data types;
4. Communicate effectively using well-developed scientific thinking which leads to the formulation of a justified recommendation or advice;
5. Develop ability to recognise scientific problems and being able to apply independent critical scientific thinking that is globally relevant; and
6. Work effectively as an individual and cooperatively within a team setting.
Graduate attributes
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
Prerequisites
Biostatistics, 10222.Corequisites
None.Incompatible units
None.Equivalent units
Geographic Information Systems, 6919.Assumed knowledge
Statistical skills, particularly linear regression.| Year | Location | Teaching period | Teaching start date | Delivery mode | Unit convener |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | UC - Canberra, Bruce | Semester 1 | 06 February 2023 | On-Campus | Dr Bernd Gruber |
| 2024 | UC - Canberra, Bruce | Semester 1 | 05 February 2024 | On-Campus | Dr Bernd Gruber |
Required texts
Textbooks (highly recommended, but not required, some copies are available at the library)
Heywood et al., Geographical Information Systems Fouth Edition, Prentice Hall, ISBN: 978-0-273-72259
Text book is available via The School Locker ordering system.
or
Bolstad, P. (2008) GIS Fundamentals, 3rd Edition, ISBN: 978-0-9717647-2-9.
Available from Atlas Books ~$A50, www.atlasbooks.com, or EBook, Formated for Adobe Digital Editions, from http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/pbolstad
or
Intro to Geographic Information Systems ~$70, 9th Edition, ISBN-13 : 978-1260092585.
The textbook is available via The School Locker ordering system.
The following texts are excellent reference resources available from bookshops or on short-term loan from the Library.
Brundson, C & Comber, L. (2015). R for spatial analysis and mapping, London, Sage, 978-1-4462-7294-7
Harvey F. (2016). A primer of GIS. Guilford Press, New York. 978-1-4625-2217-0
Yongwan C. & Griffith, D.A. (2013)Spatial Statistics & Geostatistics, Sage, London, 978-1-4462-0173-2
Green, K., Congalton, R.G., Tukman, M. (2017). Imagery and GIS. ESRI Press, New York, 978-1-5894845-42
Burrough, PA & McDonnell, RA (1998) Principles of Geographical Information Systems, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
Delaney, J & van Niel, R (2007) Geographical Information Systems: An Introduction (2nd ed), South Melbourne: Oxford University Press ($55 rrp).
Longley, PA, Goodchild, MF, Maguire, MF & Rhind, DW (2001) Geographic Information Systems and Science, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
Ormsby – Getting to Know Arc GIS Desktop. ISBN 9781589482104 (this book has a one year licence for ArcGIS, which allows you to work from home)
A comprehensive list of additional recommended literature will be provided via the unit's canvas site.
Online resources:
There are endless tutorials how to learn GIS available. So a simple Google search with: GIS tutorial + topic will bring up many different tutorials which serves all different tastes ind terms of complexity and detail. The maybe fist port of call are the ones provided by ESRI (some of them need you to subscribe to their online account [many are free, you can set the search filter accordingly]). Also many youtube videos exist that teach specific topics within GIS.
https://www.esri.com/training/catalog/search/
https://mgimond.github.io/ArcGIS_tutorials/index.html
Online introductions to GIS:
USGS GIS Tutorial at http://www.usgs.gov/research/gis/title.html
The Geographer's Craft at http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/gcraft/notes/intro/intro.html
Nick Chrisman's "What is GIS?" at http://faculty.washington.edu/chrisman/G460/Lec02.html
ESRI's About GIS at http://www.esri.com/library/gis/abtgis/what_gis.html
The Essential Guide to GIS at http://giswww.kingston.ac.uk/ESGUIDE/start.html
"What is GIS?" from Australia at http://www.dlsr.com.au/whatgis.htm
Submission of assessment items
Special assessment requirements
In order to obtain a pass grade or better, students must:
- Attempt all assessment items
- Participate in 75 % of practical/laboratory sessions
- Obtain a minimum mark of 50 % for the final report
- Obtain a minimum aggregate mark of 50 %
The unit convener reserves the right to question students orally on any of their submitted work.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment will usually only be offered to students who have failed a single unit in their final semester with a final mark between 45-49% and the unit is required for course completion. Refer to the UC Supplementary Assessment Policy.
Academic integrity
Students have a responsibility to uphold University standards on ethical scholarship. Good scholarship involves building on the work of others and use of others' work must be acknowledged with proper attribution made. Cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of data are dishonest practices that contravene academic values. Refer to the University's Student Charter for more information.
To enhance understanding of academic integrity, all students are expected to complete the Academic Integrity Module (AIM) at least once during their course of study. You can access this module within UCLearn (Canvas) through the 'Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism' link in the Study Help site.
Use of Text-Matching Software
The University of Canberra uses text-matching software to help students and staff reduce plagiarism and improve understanding of academic integrity. The software matches submitted text in student assignments against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals, and previously submitted student texts.
Learner engagement
Lectures are recorded and available via the canvas site. To successfully complete the unit it is expected to spend around 150 hours of work on the unit, which equates around 6-7 hours per week in addtion to lectures, labs and assignments. An indicative work load breakdown can be found below:
| lectures | labs | assignments | additional study | total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| hours | 20 | 18 | 18 | 94 | 150 |
Teaching philosophy and conduct
The teaching philosophy of the unit convener and associated staff is that all work in this 3rd year unit is not just a one-way stream of information from the staff to the students, but a collaborative discovery journey of both students and staff. To promote deep understanding the unit is designed to guide and challenge the students to reinvent "the wheel(s)" for themselves rather that provide straight recipes. It is therefore necessary and expected that the students fully commit themselves to the unit, by coming prepared to lectures, participate actively in-group activities, lectures, tutorials and labs and spend abundant time on self-study. The students may expect that the staff will create a supportive intellectual environment and teach and mentor to the best of their abilities in a professional respectful manner. The staff and unit convener expect in exchange that the students will behave in an equally professional and respectful manner. The staff may, from time to time, make general (or discrete individual) suggestions towards improving professional behaviour in class and laboratory, with the aim to improve the learning experience in the unit or to guide students in their efforts to increase their chances of future professional employment.
Participation requirements
Attendance at lectures, or use of the recordings, is compulsory as students will have great difficulty completing computer practical exercises without the knowledge imparted during lectures. Attendance at the computer practical classes is also compulsory and students cannot expect additional personal practical attention outside these classes although the staff may make themselves available for extra support in the last 2 weeks before submitting the final report.
Required IT skills
Students are expected to have an advanced level of IT understanding and computer literacy. Specialist IT skills are expected to be acquired over the semester in practical lab classes. Generic skills and graduate attributes 8 is specially relevant here.
The discussion forum at the unit's canvas site is for asynchronous communication with other students and staff. It is asynchronous because the parties communicating with each other do not all have to be sitting at the computer at the same time.
You do not have to install any special software to access the discussion forum - just use your browser.
To use the Discussion Forum, you need to be able to:
- Navigate through the various topics and conversations
- Add your own topics and converse on topics (threads)
Please note that the Discussion Forum is visible to all academic staff and all students enrolled in the unit. If you have a private enquiry, use email or the personal messaging facility.
In-unit costs
There are some costs associated with this Unit such as the purchase of books (and other materials including minor IT equipment – thumb drive or external hard drives if students want to work at home.
Work placement, internships or practicums
None
Additional information
Students should keep a back-up copy of any assessment item that has been submitted. Loss of work due IT issues will not be accepted as excuse for failure to submit assignments.
- Semester 1, 2023, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (212781)
- Semester 1, 2022, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (205732)
- Semester 1, 2021, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (200338)
- Semester 1, 2020, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (193705)
- Semester 1, 2019, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (185280)
- Semester 1, 2018, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (182005)
