Introduction to GIS

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Introduction to GIS

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Presentation I Outline

• Course objectives
• Intended learning outcomes
• Course overview,
• Individual session structure,
• Course progression, class expectations and,
  outputs
• Course and GIS certificate program and
• Definition GIS and scope of GIS

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Session Objectives

• Objective
• 1. To give present objectives and intended
  learning outcomes
• 2. To outline where the course fits in overall
  GIS program,
• 3. To overview the course, individual session
  structure, course progression, class
  expectations, learning outcomes, outputs and
• 4. To define GIS

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Intended Learning Outcome

• Be able to understand the syllabus and curriculum
• Understand responsibilities, expectation and be
  ready to pro-actively plan to attain objectives,
  and
• Understand what GIS is.

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Course Overview

• See syllabus outline

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Individual Session Flow

• 10 Min Brief Review
• 50 Min Concepts
• 15 Min Q A
• Break 10 minutes
• 50 Min Example/demonstration
• 15 Min Conclusion and lessons learned

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Course Progression, Expectations and Outputs

• Progression
• Assignments/ Exercises
• Midterm
• Project
• Final exam
• Expectations
• Outputs

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Definition of GIS

• Definition of GIS
• "A system of hardware, software, data, people,
  organizations and institutional arrangements for
  collecting, storing, analyzing, and disseminating
  information about areas of the earth." (Dueker
  Kjerne, 1989)
• Includes use of global positioning systems (GPS),
  remote sensing and geographic information systems.

• Participatory Approaches Activities intended for
  involving people for consensus building including
  consultation, facilitation, decision making in
  all stages of a project or a program

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GIS Components

• Key components of a GIS are
• data input
• data management
• data processing
• analysis and modeling and
• data output
• Geographic Inquiry and information application
  process
• ask, acquire, explore, analyze and act

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GIS System and Science

• Digital GI expressed in digital form
• Coded in (0 or 1), called bits and represented as
  sequences of bits
• Same technology handles multiple information
• a digital disk can store words, numbers, maps,
  sounds
• the Internet can transmit any type of information

• is information about places on the Earth's
  surface
• Knowledge about where something is
• what is at a given location

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GIS System and Science

• System

• Science

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Geographic Inquiry

• Geographic Inquiry and information application
  process
• Ask
• Acquire
• Explore,
• Analyze and
• Act

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GIS Tasks

• GIS-based Directives Development
• Management
• Educational
• Policy
• GIS-based Observations and Modeling
• Integrated Assessment and Synthesis
• Prediction
• Scenario Generation
• Comparative modeling
• Baseline /Bench Marks
• Outlook
• Monitoring and refinement

• GIS-Application Development
• Thematic Applications
• Map and displays
• Policy analysis
• Management decision making
• Communication and extension
• Matching GIS Knowledge to Focus Group Problem
  solving
• Marketing Research Approach

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GIS Tasks (Contd.)

• Trans-disciplinary GIS-applications
• Integrated tools
• Integration of Qualitative methods
• GIS in Teaching, extension, outreach
• Focus group curriculum
• Policy forums
• Stakeholders dialogues
• Publications

• Use of GIS in Risk and uncertainty analysis
• GIS Implementation
• Action plan
• Networking plan
• GIS-focused Research collaboration and networking
• Agency perspective
• People-centered

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Web resources

• http//www.gis.com/some cool sites that do GIS
  over the Web
• http//www.mapquest.com
• http//www.esri.com and try the live demos
• sites of some major GIS software vendors
• http//www.esri.com, http//www.intergraph.com
• http//www.autodesk.com
• some other introductions to GIS
• USGS GIS Tutorial - http//www.usgs.gov/research/g
  is/title.html
• The Geographer's Craft - http//www.utexas.edu/dep
  ts/grg/gcraft/notes/intro/intro.html
• Nick Chrisman's "What is GIS?" -
  http//faculty.washington.edu/chrisman/G460/Lec02.
  html
• ESRI's About GIS - http//www.esri.com/library/gis
  /abtgis/what_gis.html
• The Essential Guide to GIS - http//giswww.kingsto
  n.ac.uk/ESGUIDE/start.html
• "What is GIS?" from Australia -
  http//www.dlsr.com.au/whatgis.htm
• check the GIS magazine websites listed above

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Recommended Readings
http//www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/giscc/units/u002/