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Upon request, we will provide training to departments on the server-side GIS products that we manage (ArcGIS Server, ArcSDE, Google Maps, Google Earth Enterprise).
We are offering a number of short courses through the Virginia Tech Faculty Development Institute this Fall:
| Spring FDI campus resource sessions |
| Introduction to GIS I |
| Module 1 of this two-part short course serves as an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and is intended to allow researchers not currently working with digital mapping or spatial analysis to explore fundamental principles and consider ways to integrate these technologies into their own research.
It is accompanied by a companion module, Introduction to GIS II, to be offered the following week at the same time.
Learning Objectives (for modules I and II):
- Understand what GIS is and identify fundamental operating principles across software packages
- Become familiar with the user interface of ESRI ArcGIS Desktop, the industry-leading GIS software package for which Virginia Tech has a site license
- Develop a basic map using example data sources
- Perform basic spatial analysis
Note: There are no formal prerequisites for this course. This is an introductory course, and no previous experience with, or knowledge of GIS will be assumed. While hands-on mapping examples may come from a variety of disciplines, no specific disciplinary orientation on the part of the student will be assumed. Faculty members not currently working with GIS, their designated graduate students, and IT personnel supporting faculty who use GIS are encouraged to attend. |
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| Introduction to GIS II |
| Module 2 of this two-part short course will provide hands-on training in the use of ArcGIS Desktop. Topics covered will include introductory spatial analysis, cartography, and the creation of metadata in ArcGIS. This course builds on both the theoretical base and the hands-on software interface introduction provided in Introduction to GIS I. At the conclusion of both courses, students with no previous GIS experience should have a good understanding of the basic theory behind GIS systems and in particular be able to use ArcGIS Desktop to perform common mapping, query and analysis tasks. |
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| GIS and Remote Sensing Data Discovery |
| This short course provides an overview and hands-on experience with finding and accessing GIS (geographical information systems) and remote sensing data sources for base mapping and research applications. The course will demonstrate some of the major web-based map services and spatial data repositories for local, state, national, and international spatial data, as well as an overview of internal offerings for Virginia Tech users of spatial data through the VT Enterprise GIS Department. The course will provide hands-on experience with data portals and web mapping services such as: Geospatial One Stop, The National Map Seamless Server, Glovis, Earth Explorer, NOAA's Weather and Climate Toolkit, and various web map services. Other topics include: finding spatial data for your specialized field of research, metadata overview, current and historical census and aerial photography, current and historical weather/climate data. This course is targeted at beginning GIS and remote sensing data users as well as experienced users interested in keeping up-to-date on recent developments in the broader spatial data communities and in the Enterprise GIS Department at Virginia Tech. |
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Instructors:
Peter Sforza (psforza@vt.edu)
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| Mon 1:00 PM - 2:45 PM 02/06/12 |
3080 Torgersen Hall
(FDI Classroom) |
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| Cartography |
| Regardless of whether spatial information is to be presented on a paper map, in an interactive web-based format, or in a desktop GIS environment, understanding the fundamental principles of effective map creation and spatial data presentation will ensure that you extract the most information from your data and convey the appropriate message to map users. Cartography as a discipline predates digital mapping, GIS and the web by thousands of years, but the same principles remain just as relevant in modern computing environments. This course will cover both the technical and aesthetic aspects of creating accurate, professional, and attractive maps in a GIS environment. |
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| Desktop GIS Part 1 - Intermediate Spatial Analysis |
| The true power of a GIS is realized not in presentation or visualization, but in its ability to detect and quantify variation of phenomena across geographic space and identify spatial relationships between datasets. Accordingly, this course will review vector and raster analysis methods in GIS. Vector analyses such as proximity, logical operators, spatial joins, and generalization may be discussed. Raster analyses such as raster math, neighborhood / zonal statistics, and terrain-specific algorithms may be discussed. In addition to the vector and raster analysis methodologies, methods and issues associated with vector to raster conversion will be discussed. |
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| Desktop GIS Part 2 - Geoprocessing Tools and Techniques |
| This course will introduce the ESRI Geoprocessing environment, and specifically, the use of Modelbuilder to create tools which automate GIS analyses and processes. Topics to be reviewed include: intended use cases for geoprocessing models, the proper use of input and output parameters in geoprocessing models, sharing geoprocessing tools with others, and applications of geoprocessing models in a web server context. The use of Python will be discussed, but not covered in detail. |
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| GIS Web Mapping Part 1 - Introduction to Web Mapping |
| This course will review the numerous options available for presenting geographic data on the web. The technical architecture features common to all web mapping applications, regardless of platform, will be identified, thus allowing students to understand the operational components or "moving parts" behind the scenes of a web mapping site. The most commonly used web mapping platforms will be discussed, including the pros and cons of each in light of the application developer's goals and objectives. Multiple working web mapping applications will be presented as examples of their various platforms. The hands-on portion of this course will guide participants through the source code of a working Google Maps application. |
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| GIS Web Mapping Part 2 - Mapping for Participatory Sensing, Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science |
| Participatory mapping strategies empower the public to voluntarily serve as creators of spatial data. In this way, the on-the-ground knowledge of people can be harnessed to create spatial datasets that would be prohibitively difficult to develop using traditional means. Datasets that are created using these methods are referred to as "Volunteered Geographic Information" (VGI). This course will cover various ways to involve large groups of people in the collection of VGI, participatory sensing, crowdsourcing, and citizen science. An introduction to some of the major current issues and techniques for these approaches will be discussed including: assessing credibility, guided versus unguided submissions, known versus unknown users, fusion of authoritative and contributed information, passive and active contributions, motivation? and engagement considerations. Strategies for developing web-based environments for read/write public interaction with maps will be discussed. Successful applications of participatory mapping will be presented as examples. |
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For training on the client-side GIS products (ArcGIS Desktop), there are many other options available on campus. For self-paced training, the ESRI Virtual Campus offers online courses in all the ESRI GIS software. Virtual Campus training is free to faculty and staff as part of our higher education site license. Contact Kathy Williams in IT Acquisitions for a course code.
There are also a number of introductory-level GIS courses taught for credit on campus in any given semester. Faculty and staff may also audit these classes. Here is a listing of GIS courses at Virginia Tech
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