Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Kevin Neal: Teaching Assistant,
Office Hours: Monday 7-8 PM, CDT
Email: nealkevin@ou.edu
Zoom link:
https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/99257271868?pwd=SEdIYmJJZTJiRjVDajFOUVNPWUJHZz09
Meeting ID: 992 5727 1868
Password: 43589814
Course Details
This class explores a variety of advanced quantitative methods for processing and analyizing geospatial data. The main software used is the R language and environment for statistical computing and graphics. Students will learn basic coding in R and apply this knowledge to write programs for processing and analyzing geospatial data. The course will emphasize the development of practical workflows for applications in meteorology, land use and land cover change, natural hazards assessment, and spatial epidemiology using geospatial datasets. Particular emphasis will be placed on methods for integrating different types of geospatial data, including tabular, vector, and raster data. Specific topics will include basic computer programming techniques; methods for summarizing and visualizing geospatial datasets; predictive analytics with geospatial data; techniques for combining different types of geospatial data; and applications to risk mapping, habitat suitability modeling, and spatial prediction.
Course Schedule
Week 1 (March 21-27): Background and review
- Lecture 1: Foundations of geospatial data science
- Lecture 2: Review of the R programming language and environment
- Live Session: March 23, 7-8 PM (Central)
- Assignment 1: Due March 28, 11:59 PM
Week 2 (March 28-April 3): Foundations of data manipulation and visualization
- Lecture 3: Visualization with the ggplot package
- Lecture 4: Tabular data manipulation with the tidyverse packages (Part 1)
- Live Session: March 30, 7-8 PM (Central)
- Assignment 2: Due April 3, 11:59 PM
Week 3 (April 4-10) : Working with vector GIS data
- Lecture 5: Tabular data manipulation with the tidyverse packages (Part 2)
- Lecture 6: Generating maps with the gpplot package
- Live Session: April 6, 7-8 PM (Central)
- Assignment 3: Due April 10, 11:59 PM
Week 4: (April 11-17) Working with continuous raster GIS data
- Lecture 7: Manipulating and mapping continuous raster layers
- Lecture 8: Working with stacks of continuous raster layers
- Live Session: April 13, 7-8 PM (Central)
- Assignment 4: Due April 17, 11:59 PM
Week 5: (April 18-24) Working with discrete raster GIS data
- Lecture 9: Manipulating and mapping discrete raster layers
- Lecture 10: Working with stacks of discrete raster layers
- Live Session: April 20, 7-8 PM (Central)
- Assignment 5: Due April 24, 11:59 PM
Week 6: (April 25-May 1) Combining vector, raster, and tabular data
- Lecture 11: Extracting data at point locations
- Lecture 12: Computing zonal statistics for polygons
- Live Session: April 27, 7-8 PM (Central)
- Assignment 6: Due May 1, 11:59 PM
Week 7: (May 2-May 6) Applications
- Lecture 1: Example - wildfire severity analysis (Part 1)
- Lecture 2: Example - wildfire severity analysis (Part 2)
- Live Session: May 4, 7-8 PM (Central)
- Practical Test: Due May 6, 11:59 PM
Course Prerequisites
This class will be taught at an advanced level with the assumption that students have a background in geographic information science, including the fundamentals of basic geospatial data formats (vector and raster), geographic projections and coordinate systems, cartography, and GIS data operations (e.g., buffers, distance analyses, and overlays). The graduate course in Spatial Statistics (GIS 5453) is a prerequisite for this course.
Course Materials
Software
We will use R, a public-domain software package that students can acquire and install on their own computers at no cost. R can be downloaded from the following web page.
R software for free student download from the R Project for Statistical Computing website.
To install R on your computer, choose the precompiled binary distributions for Windows (or Linux or Mac if you are running one of these operating systems). Choose the base package (we’ll add additional packages later) and download the Setup program. Once you have obtained this program, you can install the software as you would any application.
We will also utilize RStudio, an integrated development environment (IDE) for R that provides an enhanced user interface for project management. RStudio can be downloaded and installed from the following web page.
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance | Discussion Questions & Live Session Participation will be counted every week. | 12% |
| Assignments |
Six weekly assignments will apply the geospatial methods covered in demonstrations/lectures, with each assignment worth 13% of the total grade. |
78% |
| Practical Test | During the last week of the course, students will take a an open-book test that will examine their knowledge of the R language and the spatial analysis concepts that have been covered in the course. | 10% |
| Total | 100% | |
Scale
- A=90-100
- B=80- 89
- C=70-79.9
- D=60-69.9
- F=0-59
Course Components
Module Introduction
Start each week by reviewing the module introduction page. There you can review my introduction to our weekly content, review the learning goals, and tasks for each week including due dates for graded work.
Readings & Resource Pages
On the weekly resource pages, you will find lectures that introduce you to the weekly topics, links to the textbook, data that you need to download for the tutorials.
Video Lectures
The recorded lectures are intended to ensure you have the weekly foundational knowledge required to complete the tutorials on your own and fully participate during our weekly live sessions.
Discussion Questions
Students should post questions, feedback on their progress, and or "agree" with questions or statements posted before every live session to receive full credit.
Live Sessions
Each week there will be discussions and demonstrations that will provide a resource for this course. Students can receive credit for participation if they watch during the same week and provide the listed short synopsis.
Weekly Assignments
Students apply the geospatial methods to complete a weekly lab assignment. Students should review and practice each module's lectures, and live session demonstrations prior to completing this component.
Final Project
During the last two weeks of the class, you will work on a final project where you will use curated data sets to do a more sophisticated data analysis.
Course Policies
Communication
Students should contact me by sending messages via Canvas. I typically check messages several times a day during the week (M-F) and will reply as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours. I will sometimes check messages over the weekend and will respond if I have availability.
Late Policy
Assignments must be uploaded by the end of the day (11:59 PM) on the due date. One point (on a 10-point scale) will be deducted for each day that the assignment is late, up to a maximum three-point deduction. Assignments more than a week late will be assigned a grade of zero. Extensions may be granted for medical or other personal reasons, but these must be requested in advance.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Course Catalog
Search the OU Course Catalog.
Student Handbook
Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.
Online Library
Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.
Academic Misconduct
In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook.
It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and is contained in the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.
This site also defines misconduct, provides examples of prohibited conduct, and explains the sanctions available for those found guilty of misconduct.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities
The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course should contact their professor as early in the semester as possible.
Students with disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations in this course.
If you have a disability and you would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation, please see the Graduate Student Handbook or get in touch with the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center.
Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.
Title IX Resources
For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates at 405-615-0013 (24/7) to learn more or to report an incident.
Religious Holidays
It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays without penalty. It is the responsibility of the student to make alternate arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to the actual date of the religious holiday.
Copyright Policy
It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.
Registration and Withdrawal
If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the coursework without doing the required paperwork, your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of the Registrar.
Student Grievances
In addition to any policies outlined related to submitting an informal or formal grievance by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook for more information about the process of submitting a formal grievance.