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Course Vision for GIS 250

GIS is the science of collecting, visualizing, and analyzing data associated with location. Among other applications, GIS analysts use location to help mitigate environmental hazards, assess building sites, organize physical assets, find mineral resources, map animal migration, optimize supply chains, site a new business, track pollutants, and plan urban growth and sustainability.

Many professionals in geology, engineering, agriculture, business, and the environmental, health, and social sciences are expected to have a working knowledge of GIS concepts and skills. This project-based class introduces those concepts and provides hands-on experience using industry-standard GIS software (ArcGIS Pro). Most applications we will study in this course are specific to the natural sciences (since that is my area of specialty), but the concepts we will learn are applicable across industries and platforms.

NOTE: This course contains complex visual maps and uses ArcGIS Pro which would be difficult to use with a screen reader. If you have a disability that prevents you from accessing these course materials or using this software, please contact Disability Services (Links to an external site.).

Course Aims

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. 1. Explain fundamental concepts of geographic information science using correct vocabulary.
   2. Use location analytics to problem-solve in varied disciplines.
   3. Apply intermediate-level cartographic techniques to tell a story using spatial data.
   4. Manage and query spatially referenced vector and raster data in a geodatabase.
   5. Edit and digitize vector data using intermediate-level tools in industry-standard software.
   6. Interpolate spatial data.
   7. Georeference and apply coordinate system transformations to spatial data.
   8. Analyze terrain using digital elevation data.
   9. Analyze continuous and discrete raster data.
   10. Troubleshoot GIS software and data.

Cultivating geospatial expertise and professional attributes

During this course, we are working to develop the following attributes that are crucial in a professional GIS technician or analyst. Please consider these characteristics as you complete assignments and course activities.

A GIS expert should:
•    Be spatially minded
•    Have a dogged determination to solve difficult problems
•    Be aware of available resources to help solve difficult problems
•    Have good attention to detail
•    Have a caring attitude (in other words, GIS benefits my organization, and I must do a good job)
•    Be creative (in both a problem-solving and artistic sense)
•    Be analytical
•    Be an independent thinker, learner, and worker
•    Be willing to ask a colleague for help after exhausting available resources
•    Be careful to not overstate outcomes (accuracy matters)
•    Be patient with hardware and software issues (when all else fails, reboot!)
•    Above all, be patient with yourself! (You will feel dumb sometimes.)

Learning Model

• Prepare: Students prepare for the week's assignments by completing the reading and the associated quiz, and using the Explore assignment as practice for their weekly Create assignment.
• Teach One Another: Students share, discuss, and teach each other via discussion boards.
• Ponder & Prove: The Create assignment is the major project of the week where students work to stretch themselves and complete a major project to prove their learning.

 

Course requirements

To accomplish these objectives and develop these attributes—or any others you set for yourself—you’ll need to pay a price. Whatever level you are at now, as you genuinely invest in the assignments for this course, you will become a budding GIS expert.

Workload and Time Management

Since this is a three-credit course, it is expected that students, on average, will spend about 9-12 hours per week on coursework, or about 3-4 hours per credit per week. Please plan your schedule accordingly. Some weeks the Explore assignment is more time consuming than the Create assignment; other weeks the reverse is true.

Group Work

Students will be assigned to teams of three or four students to share and help each other. Students are encouraged to ask questions and collaborate with their team outside of class. I want you to do your own work on assignments, but feel free to share ideas and ask your fellow team members for help if you get stuck.

Late Work

As a sign of professionalism and respect, you should complete your work on time. However, your instructor has the discretion to accept late work or extend due dates as appropriate. 

• • All late assignments are penalized at a rate of 10% per calendar day; exceptions must be approved in advance by the instructor. If you have some extenuating circumstance that prevents you from completing an assignment, please reach out to your instructor as soon as possible.

Exams

Exams will typically include multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and short essay questions. Additionally, you may be assessed on practical skills developed in ArcGIS Pro software.

Grading

BYU-Idaho Grading Scale
92.5-100%	A		89.5-92.4%	A-		86.5-89.4%	B+
82.5-86.4%	B		79.5-82.4%	B-		76.5-79.4%	C+
72.5-76.4%	C		69.5-72.4%	C-		66.5-69.4%	D+
62.5-66.4%	D		59.5-62.4%	D-		Below 60%	F

Activities in this course will be weighted as follows to calculate the final grade:

Learn	20%
Explore	25%
Create	25%
Midterm and Final Exam	30%

Course Materials

There will not be a formal textbook in this course. Occasional readings may be assigned from other sources that will be provided by your instructor.

It is required that you install ArcGIS Pro on your personal computer in order to complete assignments in this course. (NOTE: ArcGIS Pro only runs on Windows-based computers. Here are instructions for installing it.) 

 

Canvas

Canvas is our primary medium for grading, feedback, and announcements in this class. It is your responsibility to monitor Canvas periodically so you are aware of grade entry, comments on assignments, and announcements. Please download the Canvas student app on your phone and turn on notifications so you can stay up-to-date on our course.

 

Weekly Pattern

The Learn assignments are due on Tuesdays, Explore assignments on Thursdays, and Create assignments on Saturdays. All assignments are due at 11:59 PM on their due date.
NOTE: The course schedule and weekly pattern are tentative and subject to change.

Weekly Assignments and Deliverables

Each week in GIS250, you’ll complete three connected assignments—Learn, Explore, and Create.
They’re designed to help you move from understanding new GIS ideas, to trying new tools, to applying what you’ve learned in your own work.

Learn Assignment

The Learn assignment introduces the week’s topic. You’ll read about new GIS terms, concepts, and examples while answering quiz-style questions along the way.
These assignments are set up in Canvas as interactive “workbook” quizzes—you read and answer as you go. The questions are there to help you check your understanding before you start working in ArcGIS Pro.

Explore Assignment

The Explore assignment gives you hands-on practice with new GIS tools and workflows. You’ll usually work through a guided tutorial, then record what you learned in your Learning Journal using the provided template.

Each weekly Learning Journal entry includes:

• • The tutorial name(s) and link(s)

  • A short insight about what you learned or found interesting

  • Screenshots of your map or results

  • A table of tools and processes showing what each tool did and why you used it

  • Answers to any assignment questions

  • A list of data sources you used or discovered

The Learning Journal is something you build throughout the semester—it becomes a record of the skills and data sources you can refer to in future GIS work.

Create Assignment

The Create assignment is where you apply what you’ve learned to make something new. You’ll use ArcGIS Pro to analyze data, design maps, and make decisions about how to classify, symbolize, and present your results.

Each Create assignment adds a new entry to your Create Portfolio, which will look a bit different each week depending on the requirements of each assignment. A typical Create Portfolio entry might include:

• • A map layout or visualization (exported as a JPEG or PDF)

  • Screenshots of key steps in your workflow (when asked for)

  • Answers to analysis-based questions we'll ask you as you complete the assignment.

Because there’s variation in what we’ll ask you to do each week, there isn’t a set template for the Create assignments. Instead, carefully read the instructions and review the rubric to make sure you’re meeting all requirements.

Over the semester, your Create Portfolio will show how your GIS skills have grown and give you a collection of projects you can look back on—or share later with a potential employer.

University Policies 

• Honor Code
  • Academic Honesty 
  • Dress and Grooming
  • Electronic Devices in the Classroom
• Student Support
• Sexual Harassment
• Students with Disabilities

Note about generative artificial intelligence (AI):

“‘Light and truth’ are a scriptural definition of intelligence...While generative artificial intelligence may be quick to offer information, it can never replace revelation or generate truth. If something does not feel right or is inconsistent with what you know is true, seek to discern before believing.”

-Elder Gerrit W. Gong

"Academic Honesty means students do their own work. This also means their instructors will evaluate that work. Students should not be dishonest—this includes all types of work in their courses."

-BYU-Idaho academic honesty policy

AI programs are not a replacement for your human creativity, originality, and critical thinking. As BYU-Idaho students, you have agreed to follow the high academic honesty standards of this institution—you must do your own work.

At the same time, AI is not going away. You should learn how to use AI in your life and in what instances AI can be helpful to you. 

The use of generative AI tools (for example, ChatGPT, Claude, Bard, Copilot, and so on) is permitted in this course for the following activities:

• Brainstorming and refining your ideas.
• Fine tuning your research questions.
• Finding information on your topic or help with GIS applications.
• Helping you improve the design of your maps.
• When writing, drafting an outline to organize your thoughts and checking grammar and style.

The use of generative AI tools is not permitted in this course for the following activities:

• Impersonating you in classroom contexts, such as by using the tool to write entire sentences, paragraphs or papers to complete class assignments.

You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content). Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited in order to stay within university policies on academic honesty.

Any student work submitted using AI tools should clearly indicate what work is the student’s work and what part is generated by the AI. When AI is used, you should create an addendum section in your assignment to document your AI usage, including which AI tools were used and the prompts you used in the tool(s). If any part of this is confusing or uncertain, please reach out to me for a conversation before submitting your work.