Welcome to NRS 409/509 classes for the Fall 2020 semester!

We hope that the course information and syllabus provided in this page will be helpful for us to work together and navigate through the semester smoothly at this challenging time! 

Because of the remote delivery of this class, computer access to the internet is required in order to successfully navigate this course. Webex and Zoom online meeting platforms will be the facility for delivery of the live lectures. Class materials, quizzes and assignments will be managed through the Brightspace Learning Management System (LMS) platform, which is a set of web applications designed to work with modern web browsers. Recommended browsers (those with the most QA testing effort against them) are Google Chrome, Safari, and Mozilla Firefox. The mobile versions of these browsers also work well with the majority of operations in Brightspace. 

This combined NRS409/509 lecture class will review the history and conceptual foundations of GIS and remote sensing. We will discuss the unique properties of spatial data, spectral properties of land features, and how GIS / remote sensing systems are designed to accommodate these properties. Special emphasis will be placed on developing GIS databases, accessing existing spatial data, and reviewing different remote sensing sensors and technologies and their applications. We will discuss analytical methods to support geospatial data analysis and modeling in applications of environmental and natural resources management. 

Class meeting time

• Live lectures and quizzes: Tu./Th. 12:30-1:45 PM
• Recitations in selected weeks (optional): Th. 5:00-6:00 PM

Class contacts and meeting links

• Dr. Jason Parent (jason_parent@uri.edu)
• Dr. Y.Q. Wang (yqwang@uri.edu)
• Brightspace: https://brightspace.uri.edu/d2l/home/96747
• Zoom (GIS lectures): https://uri-edu.zoom.us/my/jason.parent.uri (Sept. 10 through Oct. 13)
• Zoom (Remote Sensing lectures): https://uri-edu.zoom.us/j/96695816475?pwd=VEtDUXU2ejZyRmZiby9IVThoN2w0UT09 (Dr. Y.Q. Wang, Oct. 15 through Dec. 8)
• NRS509 student presentations: https://uri-edu.zoom.us/j/96695816475?pwd=VEtDUXU2ejZyRmZiby9IVThoN2w0UT09 (Dec. 3 and Dec. 8)
• Other class information link: https://web.uri.edu/ltrs/nrs-409-509-f2020/

Course Text (optional)

• Shellito, Bradley. 2016. 4th Edition, Introduction to Geospatial Technologies. Macmillan, Available online.

Course Grading

• • Quizzes administered during the class lecture period: 90 %
  • NRS509 bibliography/oral presentation, and attendance of all including 409 students: 10%
  • Extra points will be added for an optional reading assignment                                                                     

Attendance Policy

• • Students are required to attend all live online classes and take quizzes at the assigned time
  • Students are required to attend the presentations by NRS509 students 

Accommodations for special needs
Your access in this course is important. Please send me your Disability Services for Students (DSS) accommodation letter early in the semester so that we have adequate time to discuss and arrange your approved academic accommodations. If you have not yet established services through DSS, please contact them to engage in a confidential conversation about the process for requesting reasonable accommodations in the classroom. DSS in Kingston is located in room 302 of the Memorial Union, 401-874-2098,
https://web.uri.edu/disability/, dss@etal.uri.edu.

URI COVID response and re-opening plan

Please visit https://web.uri.edu/coronavirus/ for information about the URI reopening plans and copies of all communications distributed by URI Communications. Please monitor emails from uricommunity@ais.uri.edu for regular updates.

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Standards of Behavior
Students are expected to treat faculty and fellow classmates with dignity and respect.  Students are responsible for being familiar with and adhering to the published “Student Code of Conduct” which can be accessed in the University Student Handbook (https://web.uri.edu/studentconduct/student-handbook/).  If you must come in late, please do not disrupt the class.  Please turn off all cell phones, pagers, or any electronic devices.

Academic Integrity
Students are expected to be honest in all academic work. A student’s name on any written work, quiz or exam shall be regarded as assurance that the work is the result of the student’s own independent thought and study. Work should be stated in the student’s own words, properly attributed to its source. Students have an obligation to know how to quote, paraphrase, summarize, cite and reference the work of others with integrity. The following are examples of academic dishonesty.

• Using material, directly or paraphrasing, from published sources (print or electronic) without appropriate citation
• Claiming disproportionate credit for work not done independently
• Unauthorized possession or access to exams
• Unauthorized communication during exams
• Unauthorized use of another’s work or preparing work for another student
• Taking an exam for another student
• Altering or attempting to alter grades
• The use of notes or electronic devices to gain an unauthorized advantage during exams
• Fabricating or falsifying facts, data or references
• Facilitating or aiding another’s academic dishonesty
• Submitting the same paper for more than one course without prior approval from the instructors

NRS509 – Applications of GIS and Remote Sensing for Environmental Spatial Data Analysis

NRS509 students are required to prepare a written and oral review of a topic of their choosing. The purpose of this assignment is two-fold. First, it will provide you opportunity to carefully investigate how GIS/RS technologies are being used to support a particular academic field that is of special relevance to you. Second, your oral and written presentations will be a valuable source of new information for the other students in the class.

Note — this is a library project.  You are not expected to do original research or hands-on analysis.

Choosing a Topic

You should choose a topic in your primary field of study. This might be wildlife biology, geology, coastal zone management, community planning, etc. Do not get too specific. For example, “Application of GIS in the Study of Free-Tailed Bat Ecology in the Rio Grande Valley” would be too specific and would, at best, generate only a few good references. A better topic would be “Application of GIS in the Study of Bat Biology.” Please run your topic by Dr. Parent and/or Dr. Wang before beginning your research. The deadline for letting them know your topic is 12 November. Also let them know if you prefer to give your talk during the class time in 8 Dec. (Tu.) or 10 Dec. (Th.). Examples of past student topics are listed here.

Where to Go for Citations

Use Google Scholar and the library digital search systems. Huge amount of recent texts in GIS and remote sensing contain useful review papers. Review the last few years of papers in the top journals for your field. Contact Dr. Parent or Dr.  Wang if you are lost, it may be necessary to redefine your topic.

What Must You Produce

You will be required to write a brief 2-3 page overview of how GIS or RS have supported your chosen field of study. In addition, you will prepare an annotated bibliography of the best 5-10 papers you discovered in your research. Last, you will overview your research in a 4 minute oral presentation to the class. In your oral presentation you should review how GIS has supported the field of study you have examined.  You might identify what aspects of the technology are most used. You may use a PPT presentation to organize and illustrate your talk. 

Written Overview

The paper should focus on the ways that GIS or RS have been used in the field of study you have chosen. Do not merely summarize what was done in a few papers; instead try to synthesize what you have found in your readings. Tell us what kind of analytical procedures have been most useful, what data models have been used most extensively, and what sources of data have been most valuable. End your narrative with a paragraph or two on your views of the future of GIS or RS in your field of interest. This will be required reading for all students in the class. We will distribute your report via the web. We will post instructions on how to get your narrative on the class web page soon.

Annotated Bib

Provide 8-10 sentence review and commentary on the best 5-10 papers you came across. Focus your attention on journal papers. Be sure to give a complete citation for the paper you are summarizing. Click here for a sample entry in the bib. Follow this format exactly. Submit your bib in Brightspace in PDF format.  Here are some examples of past student bibs.

Oral Presentation

Prepare your oral presentation as 4 (Four) minutes maximum. If you go over this time limit, you will lose credit and be cut off at the podium (sorry for the ruthless policy, we are at maximum carrying capacity with respect to the number of presentations we can handle). In your talk, share with the class the fruits of your investigative labor and how what you discovered relates to the material we covered in class. Specifically, we want to learn:

• A brief introduction to your topic and the case studies you have chosen
• Goals of the studies (what the researcher wanted to accomplish)
• Sources of data commonly used
• GIS methods or remote sensing sensors used
• Your conclusion on the role of GIS/RS in your study topic

PowerPoint slides (in PPT or PPTX format) All PowerPoint presentations and annotated bibliography documents shall be submitted through the Brightspace for the class before the deadline to ensure there are no problems.

The presentation is an important part of the course and will serve to showcase the uses of GIS/RS in a variety of academic disciplines. Again, we will be less impressed by straight rehashing of published papers and most impressed by your ability to synthesize the works of others into a coherent overview.

Timetable

• 12 November or earlier — Provide us by email the topic you have chosen and if you prefer the 8^th (Tu.) or 10^th Dec. (Th.) class time for your oral presentation.
• 7 DECEMBER, by 6:00 PM— NRS 509 students upload presentation files to Brightspace designated folder.
• 8^th and 10^th DECEMBER, 12:30-1:45 — Oral Presentations.
• 14 DECEMBER, no later than 5:00PM— Please upload your bibliography (format shown here) and 2-3 page overview in a single PDF file to the Brightspace designated folder.