Dr Scott Lieske
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- The Environment School
This course develops fundamental quantitative, statistical and spatial thinking skills for geographers, geologists, planners, and environmental scientists and managers to underpin understanding and management of our natural and built environments and human activities. It draws from practical examples to enable students to appreciate the nature of spatial data collected from primary and secondary sources and to make informed decisions through scientific analysis of data and information. Emphases are on when and why the various data analysis techniques should be applied, how analytical procedures are conducted and the interpretation of results. Computers and data analysis software will be used.
This course aims at developing fundamental data, spatial thinking, and spatial technology skills for geographers, geologists, planners, and environmental scientists and managers to underpin understanding and management of our natural and built environments and human activities. It draws from practical examples to enable students to appreciate the nature of, work with and communicate about spatial data collected from primary and secondary sources. ﾠ
Course requirements
Assumed background
There are no prerequisites for this course. Students are assumed to have a satisfactory level of achievement in secondary English (or equivalent) and reasonable general knowledge.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
GEOM1000
Course staff
Course coordinator
Lecturer
Dr Scott Lieske
Guest lecturer
Professor Stuart Phinn
Dr William Woodgate
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Students are required to attendﾠtwo one-hour lectures each week andﾠone two-hour practical session most weeks. Please refer to your mySI-net timetable for up to date information.
The course uses Blackboard. You ﾠmay find up-to-date schedules andﾠ due datesﾠ in theﾠBlackboard menus for Lectures and Assessment, and from announcements.
Weekly Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) are available on a voluntary basis, and are recommended. These sessions will help you to learn, understand and answer questions aboutﾠ topics, practicals and quizzes. Please refer to the timetable in mySI-net for further details.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to equip students with:
1)ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠ a basic understanding of the nature of spatial information acquired from primary and secondary sources;
2)ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠ fundamental spatial thinking skills to analyse data and information for the benefits of society; and,
3)ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠ skills to effectively communicate spatial information and analyze results
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
demonstrate spatial thinking for problem solving using spatial software for analysis and cartography (mapping) across a range of professional applications
LO2.
explain how societies collect and use spatial information for illuminating issues and making informed decisions
LO3.
develop the capacity to undertake spatial analysis and cartography using a variety of common computer programs and apps
LO4.
access, collect, organize, describe, critically analyse and present spatial information to address real world problems by using spatial technologies
LO5.
organise and present spatial data to communicate ideas in a variety of ways (e.g. maps, tables, diagrams, charts, apps, navigation systems) that support a range of professional applications
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz |
Online Quiz 1 (Lectures and reading weeks 1-6)
|
15% |
9/09/2024 2:00 pm
Quiz available beginning one week prior to the due date |
| Quiz |
Online Quiz 2 (lectures and readings weeks 7-11)
|
15% |
21/10/2024 2:00 pm |
| Examination |
Final Exam
|
30% | |
| Practical/ Demonstration | Asssignments 1 and 2 | 40% Assignment 1 18%, Assignment 2 22% |
Assignment 1 due 13 September 2024 14:00 Assignment 2 due 18 October 2024 14:00 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Online Quiz 1 (Lectures and reading weeks 1-6)
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
9/09/2024 2:00 pm
Quiz available beginning one week prior to the due date
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
Task description
Online multiple choice questions based on material from the lectures and readings from weeks 1-6. Online Quiz 1 will be available on Blackboard within the assessment folder. It is each student's responsibility to have reliable internet/Blackboard access while completing the online quiz.You have 1 hour to do the quiz, so prepare beforehand, but you have three attempts to take the quiz. The highest mark you achieve will be the final mark you receive. However, keep in mind that questions are chosen from a larger pool and are randomised, so you may see new questions each time you do the quiz. Note that once you start a quiz, you will need to complete it within 1 hour before you submit your responses.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you do not meet the submission deadline, then 10% of the available marks (assessment marked from value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date and time.
Online Quiz 2 (lectures and readings weeks 7-11)
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
21/10/2024 2:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
Task description
Online multiple choice questions based on material from the lectures and readings from weeks 7-11. Online Quiz 2 will be available on Blackboard within the assessment folder. It is each student's responsibility to have reliable internet/Blackboard access while completing the online quiz.You have 1 hour to do the quiz, so prepare beforehand, but you have three attempts to take the quiz. The highest mark you achieve will be the final mark you receive. However, keep in mind that questions are chosen from a larger pool and are randomised, so you may see new questions each time you do the quiz. Note that once you start a quiz, you will need to complete it within 1 hour before you submit your responses.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you do not meet the submission deadline, then 10% of the available marks (assessment marked from value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date and time.
Final Exam
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
Task description
The final exam paper will be based on lectures and supplementary learning materials provided for the course, online quizzes and practical exercises.
You are permitted to bring a single double-sided A4 sheet of handwritten notes to the exam. Photocopies of handwritten sheets are not permitted.
To achieve a grade of 4 or higher a student must achieve a minimum mark of 50% in the final exam.
Hurdle requirements
There is an exam hurdle. Students must achieve at least 50% on the final exam AND 50% or higher in the overall course in order to pass.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | Any calculator permitted |
| Open/closed book | Open Book examination |
| Exam platform | Learn.UQ |
| Invigilation | Not invigilated |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Asssignments 1 and 2
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Practical/ Demonstration
- Weight
- 40% Assignment 1 18%, Assignment 2 22%
- Due date
Assignment 1 due 13 September 2024 14:00
Assignment 2 due 18 October 2024 14:00
Task description
This first assignment consists of questions given in Practicals 1-4 (18%). The second assignment consists of questions given in Practicals 5-8 (22%). The submitted assignment must be each individual’s own work. Group work will not be accepted and runs the risk of plagiarism.
Submission guidelines
This assessment item must be submitted online via Turnitin available through the course Blackboard site by the due date/time.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you do not meet the submission deadline, then 10% of the available marks (assessment marked from value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date and time.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 1 - 24.4% |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 24.5 - 44.4% |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 45% To achieve a grade of 4 or higher a student must achieve a minimum mark of 50% in the final exam. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 50% To achieve a grade of 4 or higher a student must achieve a minimum mark of 50% in the final exam. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 65% To achieve a grade of 4 or higher a student must achieve a minimum mark of 50% in the final exam. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 75% To achieve a grade of 4 or higher a student must achieve a minimum mark of 50% in the final exam. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 85% To achieve a grade of 4 or higher a student must achieve a minimum mark of 50% in the final exam. |
Additional course grading information
To achieve a grade of 4 or higher a student must achieve a minimum mark of 50% in the final exam.ﾠ
The final grade for the course will typically fall within the above mentioned ranges.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Courses graded 1-7
Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.
Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.
If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.
Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.
To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.
Additional assessment information
Applications for Extensions
Information on applying for an extension can be found here - my.UQ Applying for an extension
Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.
If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a Word document outlining why you cannot provide the documentation and upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.
Please note: While your extension request is being considered, you should work towards completing and submitting your assessment as soon as possible.
If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses. You might need to consider applying for removal of course. We strongly recommend you seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)
For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. A maximum of two applications may be submitted for any one assessment item, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
There is an exam hurdle. Students must achieve at least 50% on the final exam AND 50% or higher in the overall course in order to pass.
ﾠ
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Turnitin
By submitting work through Turnitin you are deemed to have accepted the following declaration “I certify that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted, either previously or concurrently, in whole or in part, to this University or any other educational institution, for marking or assessment.”
All students must ensure they receive their Turnitin receipt on submission of any assessments. A valid Turnitin receipt will be the only evidence accepted if assessments are missing. Without evidence, the assessment will receive the standard late penalty, or after five days, will receive zero.
In the case of a Blackboard outage, please contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Lecture |
Week 1 Lectures Lectures: Course Introduction I & II - Introduction to Geospatial Technologies, No Practical this week Reading: Shellito 2023 (Chapter 1 Its a Geospatial World Out There) |
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 2 Lectures Lectures: Introduction to Remote Sensing and Earth Observation, Finding Your Location with the GPS Reading: Shellito 2023 (Chapter 9 Remotely Sensed Images from Above, Chapter 10 How Remote Sensing Works, Chapter 4 Finding Your Location with GPS) |
Practical |
Week 2 Practical Prac 1: GNSS Online Planning |
|
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 3 Lectures Lectures: Fundamentals of Geographic Data, Field Data Collection Reading: Shellito 2023 (Chapter 5 Working with Digital Geospatial Data and GIS, Chapter 4 Finding Your Location with GPS) |
Practical |
Week 3 Practical Prac 2: Where are the trees? |
|
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 4 Lecture (Tuesday) and Ekka Holiday (Wednesday) Lecture: Coordinate Systems and Datums Reading: Shellito 2023 (Chapter 2 Where in the Geospatial World Are You?); A Gentle Introduction to GIS (Coordinate Reference Systems) Ekka Holiday on Wednesday - No Pracs this week |
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 5 Lectures Lectures: Map Projections; Google Earth Pro Reading: Shellito 2023 (Chapter 2 Where in the Geospatial World Are You?); A Gentle Introduction to GIS (Coordinate Reference Systems) |
Practical |
Week 5 Practical Prac 3: Google Earth Pro |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 6 Lectures Lectures: Universal Transverse Mercator , Introduction to Geographic Information Systems Reading: Shellito 2023 (Chapter 2 (part) What is UTM?; Chapter 5 Working with Digital Geospatial Data and GIS); A Gentle Introduction to GIS (Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) CRS in detail) |
Practical |
Week 6 Practical Prac 4: Coordinates and Position Measurements |
|
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 7 Lectures Lectures: Spatial Data Structures, Getting to know QGIS Reading: Shellito 2023 (Chapter 5 Working with Digital Geospatial Data and GIS); A Gentle Introduction to GIS (3. Vector Data and 6. Raster Data) |
Practical |
Week 7 Practical Prac 5: Getting to know QGIS |
|
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 8 Lectures Lectures: Making a Map I and II Reading: Shellito 2023 Shellito 2023 (Chapter 7 Using GIS to Make a Map, A Gentle Introduction to GIS 9. Map Production) |
Practical |
Week 8 Practical Prac 6: Making the UQ Campus map |
|
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 9 Lecture Lectures: Remote Sensing - Geographic and Biophysical Foundations; Image Processing Reading: Shellito 2023 Shellito 2023 (Chapter 11 Images from Space; Chapter 12 Studying Earth's Climate and Environment from Space) |
Practical |
Week 9 Practical Prac 7: Introduction to Remote Sensing for Geospatial Data Collection and Analysis |
|
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 10 Lectures Lectures: ArcGIS online, web maps and story maps Reading: Shellito 2023 Shellito 2023 (Chapter 15 Life in the Geospatial Cloud) |
Practical |
Week 10 Practical Prac 8: Creating web maps with ArcGIS online; Story Map |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 11 Lectures Lectures: Finding Data; Data quality and Metadata Reading: Shellito 2023 Shellito 2023 (Chapter 5 What Other Kind of Information Do You Need to Use GIS Data?) No Practical this week |
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 12 Lectures Lectures: Spatial Thinking, Introduction to Spatial Analysis Reading: Shellito 2023 Shellito 2023 (Chapter 6 Using GIS for Spatial Analysis) No Practical this week |
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 13 Lecture Lecture: Course Review Reading: No new reading this week No Practical this week |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.