Module GEOG2591: HANDLING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

Department: Geography

GEOG2591: HANDLING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

Prerequisites

• GEOG1232 (Introduction to Geographical Research BSc) or GEOG1222 (Introduction to Geographical Research BA)

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• Most geographical problems have a spatial dimension and therefore the ability to work with spatial data and analyse it using appropriate tools is at the core of geographical research. The quantitative analysis of spatial data requires a skillset that draws from Geographical Information Science, spatial statistics and remote sensing. This module aims to provide students with these essential skills, using a range of geographical examples. As a Level 2 module, it is intended to develop the ability of students to undertake research using spatial data through learning how to select, apply and master tools that are applicable to specific research problems.

Content

• This module will introduce students to a range of spatial analysis techniques that are at the core of many research applications in physical geography, by drawing on a range of examples from geomorphology, hydrology, glaciology and ecology. The module consists of lectures where the underlying theory and concepts behind different spatial analysis approaches will be taught, and practical sessions during which students will apply those approaches using the appropriate software tools. This application of spatial analysis tools during practical sessions will be demonstrated through a series of research themes, in which the advantages and limitations of different techniques will be made clear. Students will be encouraged to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches within the context of different geographical phenomena or processes. Research themes will be drawn from the research interests of the teaching staff, and while the module is open to all students who have undertaken Introduction to Geographical Research at Level 1, the research themes will be drawn from topics in physical geography. Potential research themes may include, but are not limited to: ice sheets and glacier change, landscape evolution and digital elevation models, quantitative comparisons of geomorphic change, vegetation transitions, or the dynamic ocean.
• This module will:
• Provide core skills to allow students to use spatial analysis techniques as part of independent geographical research;
• Provide students with an understanding of the principles underlying the representation, measurement, and analysis of spatial phenomena, in addition to appropriate statistical methods;
• Provide students with an overview of the core organising concepts and techniques underlying Geographic Information Science and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the industry standard and research-appropriate software and analysis systems that are integral to their effective application;
• Enable students to visualise and interpret the results of spatial data analysis;
• Make students aware of the different sources of error and uncertainty in spatial data and spatial data processing.

Learning Outcomes

• On successful completion of the module, students are expected to:
• Have a broad, integrated knowledge and understanding of spatial analysis methods in physical geography, their principles and appropriate applications;
• Be aware of how best to access, use, interpret and evaluate spatial data within the context of research problems in physical geography;
• Have the ability to select suitable techniques for a given problem;
• Be able to describe, perform and evaluate a variety of spatial data analysis techniques with reference to a number of physical geographical examples.

• On successful completion of the module, students are expected to:
• Have a knowledge of the basic principles of geographical information science and systems;
• Be able to create maps and understand the role of map projections when working with spatial data;
• Demonstrate awareness of a range and function of spatial analysis tools;
• Demonstrate the ability to collect spatial data using a GPS and incorporate it into GIS analyses;
• Input, interrogate, manipulate, and present spatial data using industry standard and research-appropriate software;
• Have broad technical skills in using industry standard GIS and research-appropriate software for the analysis of spatial data.

• On successful completion of the module, students are expected to:
• Use industry standard and research-appropriate software packages to analyse spatial data, solve geographical problems and enhance employability;
• Formulate and evaluate questions, and identify and evaluate approaches to problem-solving using spatial data;
• Identify, acquire, evaluate and synthesise spatial data from a range of sources;
• Interpret and use numerical statistical information effectively and appropriately;
• Develop good practice in data management;
• Demonstrate critical analysis and interpretation of data;
• Be aware of error and uncertainty in geographical data sets and how to report it clearly;
• Work effectively individually and in a group.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching will consist of a fortnightly 1 hour lecture, and a weekly 2 hour practical. Lectures will provide an overview of each research theme or topic, including the key questions to be addressed, and will also cover the theoretical background and consideration of the specific spatial analysis techniques to be applied. The lectures will be supplemented where appropriate by specified additional reading which will extend the information given in the lectures.
• Practical exercises will enable the students to gain ‘hands on’ experience with the tools and techniques introduced in the lectures. The students will also have the chance to apply the concepts introduced in lectures to solve real-world geographical problems. Students will practice key subject and technical skills, outlined in the ‘Learning Outcomes’ section of this document, in integrating data from various sources into maps. Such maps are fundamental components of all the summative assessments and therefore feedback will help develop skills ahead of summative work.
• Workshops will be used to answer general, specific and technical questions, guide students in the mastery of certain skills, and to support students in their summative project work.
• Formative multiple-choice questions will help test key subject knowledge as outlined in the ‘Learning Outcomes’ section of this document.
• Summative assessments will enable students to combine all the key skills and subject knowledge outlined in the ‘Learning Outcomes’ section of this document in order to solve a set of geographical problems. These assessments test the technical ability of the students as well as their ability to present data clearly (thus linking to the formative practical exercise). The summative assessments, and particularly the individual project report, mimic expectations that employers have when wide ranging spatial data needs to be combined, critically analysed and the findings presented in a clear, concise manner.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

• Practical exercise 1: • Project aims and objectives for the individual project report will be discussed individually during project workshops Formative assessment will be provided through a set of multiple-choice questions that will test students’ understanding of material covered during practicals. • Formative assessment will also be provided through continued contact with staff during practicals and workshops. This will ensure key skills can be appropriately related to subject knowledge.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University