This course provides an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and is based around a hypothetical, but realistic Environmental Impact Study in a small regional catchment. GIS are widely used by government agencies and research organisations in the environmental sciences and to assist with resource and environmental management decision making, in part due to the rapid growth in the availability of high quality digital spatial data.
This course aims to develop both a solid theoretical understanding and a comprehensive practical grounding through the construction and integration of a range of spatial models. On the satisfactory completion of this course, students will have completed realistic hydrological, erosion, conservation, wildlife habitat, forest, agriculture, fire and economic models within the GIS. The integration of these sub-models to inform decision makers about recommended landuse options will be based on Multi-criteria Evaluation and Multiple Objective Land Use Allocation frameworks.
Note: Graduate students attend joint classes with undergraduate students but are assessed separately.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- explain the theoretical and practical considerations required for conducting a GIS-based landuse planning analysis for decision support in a professional manner
- prepare, manipulate, display and analyse spatial data
- use Global Positioning System (GPS) data to assist in conducting field checking of satellite imagery
- synthesise and present high quality GIS-based outputs in a report format
- critically assess research papers
Other Information
Regular attendance and participation in class work is required. Any students who fail to participate in practical sessions on a regular basis but still submit practical work may be invited to demonstrate that it is their own work.
If you do not meet the requisites for this course, it may be possible to receive a permission code. If you are prompted for a permission code on ISIS, please request one online via the following form.
Indicative Assessment
- Project based on lab work (45) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Vegetation journal (10) [LO 2,3,4]
- Final test (25) [LO 1]
- Critical review paper (20) [LO 1,5]
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
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Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- Face-to face component which may consist of 2 x 1 hour lectures plus 1 x 2 hour computer lab per week
- Approximately 82 hours of self-study which will include preparation for lectures, presentations and other assessment tasks.
Students are expected to actively participate and contribute towards discussions.
Inherent Requirements
To be determined
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Not applicable.
Specialisations
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4320 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $5760 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8803 | 27 Jul 2020 | 03 Aug 2020 | 31 Aug 2020 | 30 Oct 2020 | In Person | N/A |