The student must complete a term-long project in small groups or on an individual basis. The topics vary, depending upon the competence and background of the student, and usually involve project definition, information collection, analysis and presentation. Where possible, they are done for outside agencies. The course examines the acquisition, manipulation, analysis and presentation of survey data, computer assisted analysis, and computer assisted presentation. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems Computer assisted mapping involves the application of GIS in the production of thematic maps.
Emphasis is placed on data capture, management, analysis and output.
As the course progresses, more relationships of spatial and attribute data are explored together with macro level programming in the PC environment. The course introduces means of examining information systems, and applies them to a number of databases. The Internet is begun to be used for research and distribution of spatial and attribute data. Projects involve linkages of various environmental and statistical databases with spatial data for land management applications. A focus is placed on environmental modelling and suitability analysis using both environmental and land information systems.