GEOG 541

Geographic Information Systems in Public Health

Spring 2016 Class meets:

Tuesdays 3:30-6:30 PM  

Carolina Hall Room 322

Instructor: Mike Emch
Email: emch@unc.edu 
Office: 206 Carolina Hall

Office hours: Tuesdays 2:30-3:30, Wednesdays 1:30-3:30, or by appointment

Course Objectives

GEOG 541 is an advanced course covering the theory and application of geographic information systems (GIS) for public health. The course includes an overview of the principles of GIS in public health and practical experience in its use. The practical component involves the use of desktop GIS software packages including ArcGIS and other spatial analysis software including GeoDa and SaTScan. Both the theoretical and practical components of the course are important. Without a theoretical understanding of GIS methods you will make bad geographic modeling decisions and when necessary you will not be able to migrate to a new or different software package. Without a practical understanding of GIS software your theoretical knowledge cannot be put to use.  You will also complete a final project in which you investigate a public health GIS application in depth.

Readings and VoiceThread lectures

Readings: The text for this course is "GIS and Public Health: 2^nd Edition" by Ellen Cromley and Sara McLafferty. The Guilford Press, February 2012).  Other required readings are accessible via the course Sakai site. Also, if you have little or no experience with GIS then I recommend that you read "Geographic Information Systems and Science," which was written by Longley, Goodchild, Maguire, and Rhind: Wiley, 3rd Edition (paperback version is cheaper). The first several chapters of the Cromley and Mclafferty book have an introduction to GIS but it is not as comprehensive as the Longley et al. book. 

VoiceThread: Students will also watch lectures on VoiceThread (voicethread.unc.edu/) prior to class which will typically be Powerpoint lectures on the topics we are reading about. The course Sakai site has a list of the URLs for the individual lectures in a folder called VoiceThread within the Resources.

Classroom Activities, Reading/Voicethread Reflections, and Portfolio

Life is one messy group project and a university is a good place to learn to work with others. Class time will be composed of different activities including discussions of readings, working in groups on spatial applications, challenge exercises (sometimes with prizes for the winners such as bottles of Snapple or chocolate). Each week you should have read assigned readings and viewed the VoiceThread lectures before class so you are ready to be active participants in the class activities. You will hand in reading/Voicethread reflections each week before class. The general rule in this class is that whenever you read something or watch something you will write something. The reflections will consist of a typed paragraph or two describing the 3-5 most useful things you learned from the readings and VoiceThread lectures for that week. The reflections should be put in portfolio each week based on the schedule below (even if we get behind). Each item in your portfolio should have your name and the week number.  Your portfolio items should be put in your Sakai Drop Box each week before class. 

Practical Component

The labs are practical GIS exercises that you will do on computers. The practical exercises provide a way to acquire skills using GIS software packages and to apply the course concepts to real data.  The links to the labs are below.  There is also a project assignment (click here), which all students are required to do. Our librarian has developed a website for GIS that serves as a portal to spatial data and also other online sources http://www.lib.unc.edu/reference/gis/.  The labs should be put in your Sakai Drop Box portfolio on the dates they are due.  They should be in one file each, either Word or PDF, including maps. The final project PPT file should also be put in your portfolio.

Grading

Lab Assignments 30%

Weekly assignments including reflections and in class activities 35%
Project 35%

Attendance

Attendance to this course is mandatory. You are expected to take part in the class activities and if you are not in class then you cannot. If there is a special reason that you need to miss class such as a conference or a religious holiday then let the instructor know. Email the instructor before you miss class. Also, each time you miss class you must hand in a typed two single-spaced summary/ critique of the readings/lectures for that day by the week after missing the class. The summary/ critique should be put in your portfolio. If you don't hand this in then you will be penalized 5% for each class period that you miss. You need to hand this in even if you have a good reason for missing class. 

Schedule of Lectures/Readings & Links to Labs: Note: C&M is the Cromley and McLafferty book and papers are available on Sakai

Special Needs: If you feel that you may need an accommodation for a disability or have any other special need, please discuss this with me. I will best be able to address special circumstances if I know about them. My office hours and contact information are listed at the beginning of this syllabus.