Digital Cartography Syllabus

We live in a very “mappy” society. Maps form an important part of modern cartography and indeed modern life. They are found in nearly every room we enter—if not on the walls then in the books and magazines on the shelves—on TV, the cinema, journals, and of course on the Web. Today, map mashups and Google Earth offer the opportunity to many people to make and enjoy their own maps without the need for expensive equipment. These new or “neo cartographers” are bringing awareness of geospatial information to new heights.

By the end of this course you will be familiar with basic mapping concepts such as projections, generalisation, scale and classification. You will also be introduced to cartographic design techniques, particularly for “thematic” maps (as opposed to general reference maps, also called topographic or survey maps). The purpose of the course is to enable you to have the skills and knowledge to design and critique thematic maps; to be able to classify, describe and manipulate spatial data, and to be able to select appropriate map types (e.g., choropleth vs. isopleth) for the task in hand.

But with all this geospatial information it is more important than ever to be able to understand and critically evaluate how good it is. This course will therefore cover ways of understanding maps, and distinguishing good maps from poor maps.

The moral of this is that maps are not just an artifact that hang on our walls and look pretty (although they are that too). Maps are deeply involved in our everyday lives, and have been for thousands of years in cultures as diverse as Inuits, Ancient Greece, Renaissance English and Dutch explorers and American and Russian satellite imagery.

Your final letter grade will be derived as follows. Grading on projects will become progressively stricter as the course progresses, culminating in a Final Project which will represent your best effort. The grade you achieve will be based on your performance. Where there is a borderline grade, participation in class discussions and attendance will be used as a deciding factor.

A = 93% - 100%
A- = 90% - 92%
B+ = 87% - 89%
B = 83% - 86%
B- = 80% - 82%
C+ = 77% - 79%
C = 73% - 76%
C- = 70% - 72%
D = 60% - 69%
F = < 60%

There are two exams (see schedule); a midterm and a final. Midterm is 15% and Final is worth 20% for undergrads, and 10% and 15% for grads. Makeup for the midterm will only be given to valid and just causes at the instructor's discretion and may be more difficult than the original. There is no makeup permitted on the final exam, nor may it be taken early.

The course schedule details the weekly assignments. They consist of the projects, readings and other requirements. The projects will incorporate learning to operate computer software applications that do two things: provide graphics drawing capabilities and statistical mapping capabilities.

The readings must be completed at least during the week they are assigned; they expand upon points raised in class and will help you to contribute meaningfully to class discussions (not to mention exams!).

Department of Geosciences
Georgia State University

General Information to be included in all Departmental Class Syllabi

Although specific policies and requirements will vary from class to class and from instructor to instructor, the following information applies in general to all courses in the Dept. of Geosciences.

The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary.

1. According to the Georgia State University undergraduate catalog, class attendance is expected; failure to attend classes regularly may result in poor course performance. The university requires instructors to verify attendance early in the term. Failure to attend classes may result in you not appearing on the Verification Roll and being dropped from the class. Please see section 1334 of the catalog at http://www.gsu.edu/es/catalogs_courses.html, and click on the appropriate catalog link to read about attendance policy (posted as a .pdf file).

2. All students should be familiar with the university's course withdrawal procedures. These can be found in section 1332 of the undergraduate catalog.

3. All students are required to be familiar with the Academic Honesty policy of the university and to comply with the policy. This can be found in section 1380 of the undergraduate catalog.

4. Each student must have access to an on-line computer and is responsible for reading all messages sent to his/her university email address, and any other assignments that require the use of a computer. Class changes and/or updates may be conveyed via email, in which case the student is considered to have been informed. The student is required to check this university email box regularly.

5. Accommodations for students with disabilities:
Georgia State University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who seek academic accommodations must first take appropriate documentation to the Office of Disability Services locate in Suite 230 of the New Student Center.

Department of Geosciences, Georgia State University
September 2006

The (Very) Small Print

While every effort is made to follow this schedule, the instructor reserves the right to make changes. Students will not be penalized for any changes. All changes will be announced in advance.

Attendance and disturbances
It is expected that students attend all classes. Excused absenses are granted only at the discretion of the instructor. An excused absence can only be issued prior to the class being missed, or, with proper medical documentation afterwards in cases of medical absences. In cases of prolonged or repeated medical absence (as defined by the instructor, but no less than two absences), the instructor may issue a medical withdrawal. Please turn off all beepers or cell phones.

This class follows the Georgia State University policy on cheating. A copy of this policy is available on the Web at the GSU section on Academic Regulations or in the Undergraduate Catalog. If you have questions about cheating (or about plagiarism in particular) please do not hesitate to ask me about them. Please be aware that a violation of this policy will result, at a minimum, in a grade of F in this course.

I. Introduction
As members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The university assumes as a basic and minimum standard of conduct in academic matters that students be honest and that they submit for credit only the products of their own efforts. Both the ideals of scholarship and the need for fairness require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit. They also require that students refrain from any and all forms of dishonorable or unethical conduct related to their academic work.

The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in the Faculty Affairs Handbook and On Campus: The Student Handbook and is available to all members of the university community. The policy represents a core value of the university and all members of the university community are responsible for abiding by its tenets. Lack of knowledge of this policy is not an acceptable defense to any charge of academic dishonesty. All members of the academic community — students, faculty, and staff — are expected to report violations of these standards of academic conduct to the appropriate authorities. The procedures for such reporting are on file in the offices of the deans of each college, the office of the dean of students, and the office of the provost.

In an effort to foster an environment of academic integrity and to prevent academic dishonesty, students are expected to discuss with faculty the expectations regarding course assignments and standards of conduct. Students are encouraged to discuss freely with faculty, academic advisers, and other members of the university community any questions pertaining to the provisions of this policy. In addition, students are encouraged to avail themselves of programs in establishing personal standards and ethics offered through the university’s Counseling Center.

II. Definitions and Examples
The examples and definitions given below are intended to clarify the standards by which academic honesty and academically honorable conduct are to be judged. The list is merely illustrative of the kinds of infractions that may occur, and it is not intended to be exhaustive. Moreover, the definitions and examples suggest conditions under which unacceptable behavior of the indicated types normally occurs; however, there may be unusual cases that fall outside these conditions that also will be judged unacceptable by the academic community.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism includes any paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism frequently involves a failure to acknowledge in the text, notes, or footnotes the quotation of the paragraphs, sentences, or even a few phrases written or spoken by someone else. The submission of research or completed
papers or projects by someone else is plagiarism, as is the unacknowledged use of research sources gathered by someone else when that use is specifically forbidden by the faculty member. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one’s reliance on other sources is also a form of plagiarism. Any work, in whole or in part, taken from the Internet or other computer-based resource without properly referencing the source (for example, the URL) is considered plagiarism. A complete reference is required in order that all parties may locate and view the original source. Finally, there may be forms of plagiarism that are unique to an individual discipline or course, examples of which should be provided in advance by the faculty member. The student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly, or creative indebtedness, and the consequences of violating this responsibility.

Cheating on Examinations: Cheating on examinations involves giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after an examination. Examples of unauthorized help include the use of notes, computer-based resources, texts, or “crib sheets” during an examination (unless specifically approved by the faculty member), or sharing information with another student during an examination (unless specifically approved by the faculty member). Other examples include intentionally allowing another student to view one’s own examination and collaboration before or after an examination if such collaboration is specifically forbidden by the faculty member.

Unauthorized Collaboration: Submission for academic credit of a work product, or a part thereof, represented as its being one’s own effort, which has been developed in substantial collaboration with another person or source or with a computer-based resource is a violation of academic honesty. It is also a violation of academic honesty knowingly to provide such assistance. Collaborative work specifically authorized by a faculty member is allowed.

Falsification: It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or fabricate information in an academic exercise, assignment, or proceeding (e.g., false or misleading citation of sources, the falsification of the results of experiments or of computer data, false or misleading information in an academic context in order to gain an unfair advantage).

Multiple Submissions: It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the faculty member(s) to whom the material is submitted for additional credit. In cases in which there is a natural development of research or knowledge in a sequence of courses, use of prior work may be desirable, even required; however, the student is responsible for indicating in writing, as a part of such use, that the current work submitted for credit is cumulative in nature."

The University policy on withdrawal will be followed. Prior to the first exam, any student who withdraws is entitled to a “W.” After the first exam, a “W” will be assigned only if the University policy is followed and the student has an average grade greater than or equal to 60. A “WF” will be assigned if the student has a grade less than 60 and completes the formal withdrawal procedure. If a student does not withdraw formally but stops attending class, an “F” will be assigned. The last day to withdraw without a hardship excuse from the Dean of Students is October 14, 2005.