Introduction to Cartography – Hybrid Online Course

Mt. San Jacinto College – Menifee Valley Campus

Fall 2005


Course Code: GEOG 105/4767 cross listed as GIS 105/4769, 3 units

Hybrid Online course with Mandatory Lab Attendance Saturdays 9:00-11:50 a.m., Room 652

Second 8 week session, October 10 – December 17, 2004


Instructor: Dr. Cyndi Nance Internet: www.msjc.edu/gis

Phone:  (951) 672-6752 x2556 Email: cnance@msjc.edu

Office: Room 111

Office Hours:  Thurs 2:00-5:00, Room 111

Online Mon. 2:00-5:00 p.m. via email


Communications:  Other than the above office hours, it is best to contact me by email, as you have a better opportunity for receiving a response within a couple of days.  However, be advised I am not online 24/7.  At times I am in class all day, I maintain regular sleep hours, and aspire to take holidays.   When communicating with me by voice mail or email, be sure to state your full name (first and last) at the bottom of your message, the course code (GIS 105) in the subject line, a phone number if necessary, and a clear message for me to respond to.  Assignments should be turned in during Saturday class; I will not accept assignments turned in by email for this course.  I will not respond to emails that do not follow the above guidelines.


If you have questions about the course for me that you believe other students would benefit from the answer or you would like feedback from students, please post the question in the “student forum” – “troubleshooting” or “internet café.”  These discussion boards present an opportunity to become acquainted with your fellow class mates.


Required Text: Elements of Cartography, 6th Edition, Robinson et al., Wiley & Sons 1995

Required Materials: CD writable disk or other computer media storage device


Online Course Prerequisites:  Students should have access to a computer using either Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP or a Macintosh computer using OS 8 or higher.  Also, students should have a basic understanding of the internet and a connection to the world wide web (WWW), an email account, and a modem with a minimum 14400 baud rate, 28800 or higher. cable/DSL modem is preferred.  Students should have loaded onto their hard drive a browser, preferably Internet Explorer 5.x, or higher for accessing the WWW.  Additionally, all students are required to have an email account, and a word processing program that can save documents in the Microsoft Word Document (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf).  Students not possessing these skills and hardware/software equipment/materials, or students lacking adequate access to these equipment/materials, should not enroll in an online course.


Learning Objectives:

Upon the completion of the course the student will be able to do the following:

  1. Interpret map scale, coordinate systems, legends, and symbols on a variety of map types, such as road maps and United States Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangle maps.
  2. Implement cartographic design principles of style, aesthetics and symbol standards.
  3. Determine which types of projection distortion are acceptable or unacceptable based on the intended use of a map.
  4. Critically assess acceptable and unacceptable mapping errors and identify error propagation.
  5. Evaluate a map, propose revisions and modify the map for another purpose.
  6. Create maps by hand and computer from surveyor’s coordinate geometry (COGO), assessor parcel descriptions, and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
  7. Convert thematic feature layers from dot density to choropleth or isoline maps.
  8. Select appropriate graphics for displaying statistics on a map: database table, histograms, pie charts, reports or images.
  9. Concatenate several feature themes into a few themes more suitable for emphasizing particular features.  
  10. Recognize different types of thematic maps and determine which is most appropriate for a given data type and map purpose.
  11. Compose contour, slope and aspect maps in a three-dimensional terrain profile.
  12. Convert projections, coordinates, and datum from one system to another. 
  13. Organize, compile and produce quality maps, by hand and computer, that clearly inform an intended audience of locations, patterns, trends and feature relationships.
  14. Obtain and modify nonspatial databases for adaptation, calculation, manipulation and portrayal in a spatial map.
  15. Use Geographic Information Systems to create statistical and analytical maps that are dynamically queried and modified. 
  16. Describe the history of mapping and compare the tools of the past to modern computer aided drafting and mapping techniques.


Course Structure:  This is a hybrid online course that involves reading assigned chapters in the text, participating in online threaded discussions in the discussion board, reading e-lectures and related web sites which may include spatial exercises.  Online exams test student comprehension of assigned readings, lectures, spatial exercises and assignments.  The in-class portion of this course consists of discussion, demonstration and cartographic exercises in a computer lab applying both automated mapping software and hardcopy mapping techniques.  Assignments are submitted in person to the instructor during the on-site class sessions – no assignments will be accepted via the internet or as emails with attachments.  


Course Attendance and Participation:  In an online course, students must be self-motivated and self-disciplined in order to keep up with the pace of the course.  Roll will be taken each on-site class session and your participation online will be verified through assignments completed by due dates.  Students are responsible for their attendance and for requesting from fellow students or me any information presented during their absence.  Experience demonstrates that absence and tardiness contribute to academic failure.  

This is a fast-paced course and poor attendance/participation may seriously impact your grade!!  Please refer to the enrollment office for the official withdrawal date (“W” on transcript).  After the withdrawal date poor class performance will result in failure (“F” on transcript).  Students need to consider that by the time the midterm grades are assessed, it may be too late to drop without a “W” or an “F” on their transcript.  Therefore, if I notice poor participation, such as lack of assignments, quizzes or exams, I may drop you from the course.  If you are absent for three or more class meetings, two consecutive class meetings or the first class meeting, I may drop you from the course.  Experience demonstrates that lack of participation and poor time management contributes to academic failure.  There are no make-up assignments and incomplete assignments will not be accepted.


Students enrolled in the course are expected to attend all class meetings, from beginning to end.  If you arrive late, leave early, go to the snack machines, or sleep in class, you will be marked absent.  Telephones and pagers are not needed in this class; turn them off or leave them at home.  Disruptions to the class, including leaving during lecture to use a cell phone, will result in your dismissal from the class.  Please consult with me prior to class if you have an emergency/medical situation which requires cell phone contact during class.  In a college class, discussion works best when one person speaks at a time.  Whispering to your neighbor is inappropriate.  However, please do ask questions and contribute to class discussions. 


Assignments


First Assignment:  Introductory Quiz (20 points) and email Instructor (5 points)

To establish your presence in the course and that you have read the introductory material, such as this syllabus, you must take the “Introductory” quiz.  You must also send an email to me at cnance@msjc.edu with “GIS 105” in the subject line, clearly stating your name (first and last) at the end of the message stating the email address you will be using for the course – many students have several email addresses and I will not be memorizing or indexing them.  Do not send an email that says “I’m in the class” with a return email address of, for instance, niftyfingers@dig.com and no identification, such as a name/signature.  I have no way of verifying enrollment or giving credit to email addresses – I need your name as it is stated on the class roster - and will not conduct an investigative search to identify anonymous emails.  Again, for all emails to me, you should state “GIS 105” in the subject line, state the intent of the email in the message box, use your full name in the salutation and be sure to attach documents in .doc or .rtf format.


Students who do not attend the first face to face session (mandatory Saturdays) will be dropped from the course so that other students can be added.

I will be dropping students who do not establish contact with me by email following the above guidelines by the end of the first week of this course.  The introductory quiz is also due by the end of the first week of class – students who do not take and pass the quiz will be dropped from the course.  

Exams (4): 

Exams will be taken in the online course in Blackboard.  Biweekly noncumulative exams test student comprehension of e-lectures, web site content, spatial exercises, assigned readings from the text, and threaded discussions.  The exam format consists of true or false decisions, multiple choice answers, and matching of definitions with terms.  Each exam consists of 50 questions, and each exam is worth 50 points, for a potential total of 200 points in the course.  You will have 60 minutes to complete each “open book” exam.  For every 15 minutes that you exceed the 60 minute limit, 10 percent of your grade will be deducted for that exam/quiz.  Consider, the diminishing returns on your score for being penalized when you exceed the time limit – you might want to set a timer while in the online test manager!


Please refer to the Course Schedule (below) for exam due dates.  If you know that you are not going to be able to take an exam during the open examination period, please make arrangements with me prior to the exam to take the exam at another time.  Otherwise, without an official excuse for absence during the week of the exam, there are no make up exams.  Note:  I will only reset an exam date for each student once.  Therefore, you should make sure that your internet connection is adequate and you are prepared to take the exam before opening it.  Once you enter the exam, you must complete it – you can not print it out and reinitiate the exam at a later date to complete it.  If you have technical difficulties with the online test manager, please make arrangements to take exams at another location.  


Mapping Exercises:

There are eight exercises for 25 points each, potential total points earned 200.  Mapping exercises vary from data mining on the internet, to map interpretation of hardcopy USGS quadrangle maps or aerial photographs to automated map symbolization using GIS.  Demonstrations of techniques of map reading and way finding, such as scale, compass and GPS, will be presented in class.  All mapping exercise assignments are due in class at the beginning of the next class meeting and no assignment will be accepted late.  


Virtual Campus (VC) Course:

ESRI is the world leader in Geographic Information Systems.  Their virtual campus online courses provide an excellent opportunity for students to explore many aspects of mapping and mapping technology.  I will have key codes for several courses and there are some free courses.  Peruse ESRI’s course catalogue, and select a course that we have a key code for, is free or that you want to pay for, that is of interest to you in your endeavor to learn more about map making.

Exemplary VC courses for this assignment are:

The 15 Minute Map

Understanding Geographic Data

Understanding Map Projections and Coordinates Grading System:

Total

First Assignment   25 points

Exams (4) 50 points each 200 points

Map Exercises (8) 25 points each 200 points

Virtual Campus Course 25 points   25 points


Total Possible Points: 450 Points

I do not grade on a curve!!  

STANDARD GRADE SCALE: 90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, <60=F


Extra Credit: potential 25 points for attending a GIS event, such as GIS Day November 17, 6:00-9:00 p.m. (Thursday), Room 1010, Menifee Valley Campus. 

 If you are already enrolled in Intermediate GIS, then this is your field trip and you may not “double-dip.”  Therefore, select an ESRI User Group meeting to attend or other cartography related event – please consult with me before attending. 



HOW TO SUCCEED IN THIS COURSE


  1. Read the chapters that correspond to topics during the week in which the topic is assigned (see course schedule).
  2. Use critical thinking skills when contributing to threaded discussions.
  3. Take all quizzes and use them for exam reviews.
  4. Review for exams prior to each exam.

5. Keep track of your total accumulation of points.  

6. Going to school is a job: treat it like one.


The key to your success as a student is TIME MANAGEMENT!!!

For every unit you are enrolled in you should expect an average of 3 hours per week dedicated to the subject.  Thus, a 3 unit course may require 9 hours per week for in class lecture and out of class preparation, for a total of 153 hours over a 17 week semester.   This 8-week course is fast paced and covers a lot of material.  You should expect to invest as much as 18 hours per week preparing and participating in this class.

If you have poor study habits or are unable to manage your time well, this course may not be for you.

If you are having trouble, please contact me!!

If you are thinking about dropping the course because you are having trouble, please contact me!

If you do decide to drop the course, please complete the process through enrollment services.


Class Etiquette:  Disrespectful behavior towards fellow students or myself will not be tolerated.  In a public place of higher education it is the instructor’s responsibility to maintain a mutually respectful learning environment.   


According to the rules and regulation of student conduct (Section 605.04B Board Policy): “Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty” are subject to disciplinary sanctions.  If you cheat on an exam or plagiarize an assignment, you will receive a zero for that work.  If you do it again, you will be dropped from the course and reported to college administration.  Warning:  there are online detection tools that allow instructors to submit student material and verify the original quality or source of statements.  Essentially, six words in a string that are identical to someone else’s published work is plagiarism – thus, be careful when paraphrasing and cite your sources of information (give credit where credit is due). 


College Computer and Internet Access Policy: No downloading of elicit material from the web (such as pornography).  No downloading of limited use software without licensing agreement.  Improper use of data license agreements will be reported to college administration.

 

Assignment Schedule

Introduction to Cartography - Hybrid Online Course

Fall 2005

In general, lectures and exams will be posted in Blackboard a week before the due date.  Access to exams will be turned off on the due date at midnight.  All exams are due by midnight on the due date given below and all assignments are due by the next face to face meeting, unless otherwise stated.  No assignment will be accepted late!!  

Week 1 – Oct. 10 Electure/Reading Assignment:  

Chapters 1, 2 and 3 – History of Map Making

First Assignment due October 15, midnight

Mapping Exercise 1: Atlases and Maps on the Internet 


Week 2 – Oct. 16 Electure/Reading Assignment:

Chapters 4 and 5 Geodesy and Projections

Mapping Exercise 2: USGS Quadrangle Interpretation 

Exam 1 due October 22


Week 3 – Oct. 23 Electure/Reading Assignment:  

Chapters 6 and 7 Coordinate Systems and Ground Survey

Mapping Exercise 3: GPS Data Collection and Entry


Week 4 – Oct. 30 Electure/Reading Assignment:  

Chapters 9, 10, 13 and 15 Digital Databases 

Mapping Exercise 4:  Sample Census Data/Statistics Online 

Exam 2 due November 5


Week 5 – Nov. 6 Nov. 12 Holiday – no class

Nov. 20  Electure/Reading Assignment:  

Chapters 8 and 12 Remote Sensing and Image Processing

Mapping Exercise 5: Aerial Photograph Interpretation

November 17 – GIS Day, 6:00-9:00 p.m. – extra credit opportunity


Week 6 – Nov. 24 Holiday – no class

Nov. 27 Electure/Reading Assignment:  

Chapters 14, 17 and 29 Geographic Information Systems

Mapping Exercise 6: GIS Data Compilation 

Exam 3 due December 3


Week 7 – Dec. 4 Electure/Reading Assignment:  

Chapters 26, 27 and 28 Land Surface and Multivariate Models

Mapping Exercise 7: Contour, Profiles and Dot Density


Week 8 – Dec. 11 Electure/Reading Assignment:  

Chapters 18, 21, 23 and 24 

Mapping Exercise 8:  GIS Classification and Color Schemes 

Exam 4 due December 17

End of 8 Week Session December 17 – All Assignments Due!!!

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