Elective · Beginner · 35 hours

GIS & Geospatial Technology

Teach how a computer stores the real world as maps that can measure and answer questions, with a hands-on conceptual map of a rural block.

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Slide decks in this course

Module 1: Introduction to GIS 34 slides
Module 2: ArcGIS Pro Fundamentals 30 slides
Module 3: Geographic Data and Sources 33 slides
Complete QGIS Fundamentals 88 slides

Syllabus

Module	Covers
1.1 · What is GIS?	Definition, GIS vs digital maps, CAD, GPS and remote sensing, and the five components
1.2 · GIS Applications	Urban planning, transport, infrastructure, agriculture, forests, land, water, disasters, health, education and smart cities
1.3 · Understanding Spatial Data	Location, coordinates and projections, geometry, attributes and spatial relationships
1.4 · GIS Data Types	Vector points, lines and polygons, raster grids and resolution, choosing between them, and the Kanke Block conceptual-map practical
Module 2 · ArcGIS Pro Fundamentals	The ArcGIS Pro interface, projects, adding and controlling layers, and a first map of Ranchi city
Module 3 · Geographic Data and Sources	Vector and raster formats, tabular data, free data portals, importing data and a district GIS database practical
QGIS Fundamentals	Nine modules from installation, layers and CRS to symbology, attribute queries, digitising, geoprocessing, raster analysis and print layouts

What your students will be able to do

Define GIS and say how it differs from a digital map, CAD, GPS and remote sensing
Name the five components of a GIS: hardware, software, data, people and methods
Give real GIS applications in planning, transport, farming, forests, health and disasters
Describe a feature by its location, geometry, attributes and spatial relationships
Choose between vector and raster data for a given problem
Model points, lines and polygons with attribute tables for a conceptual map
Outline the QGIS steps to build the same map in software
Find their way around ArcGIS Pro, set up a project and build a first city map
Recognise Shapefile, GeoJSON, KML, GeoTIFF and DEM data and import free data into one GIS database
Use QGIS to style, label, query, digitise, analyse and print professional maps

Questions teachers ask

Do students need GIS software?

Not for the first deck: its practical is done on paper with a conceptual map. The ArcGIS Pro, data-sources and QGIS decks are hands-on and need QGIS, which is free, or ArcGIS Pro.

How long does it take to teach?

The first deck is a single 3-hour module. With ArcGIS Pro (4 hours), data sources (4 hours) and the QGIS course (about 24 hours) the full set is about 35 hours.

Is the map data real?

The Kanke Block map and its attribute tables are invented teaching data, labelled as such on the slide. The Ranchi examples in the later decks are sample training data.