ESPM 5295
A Practicum in Applied GIS
Meeting time and location: We're scheduled for MW, 10:40 - 12:20, meetings will be in person although optionally can be online. Physical attendance isn't mandatory, but you have to participate either in-person or via zoom on announced days. Much of the course can be completed asynchronously. Unless the instructor falls ill to a breakthrough infection, he will deliver all lectures in 35 Skok Hall, St. Paul Campus. They are also recorded online, and zoom versions will be saved to record any questions and discussion.
Instructors: Paul Bolstad (left), Andy Jenks (right)
ContactEmail: pbolstad@umn.edu, ajenks@umn.edu
About this course
This is a practicum course in the application of GIS methods, integrated across a semester-long project. This is a second or third course in GIS, introducing workflows in spatial data development and analysis.
Course schedule, timelines, instructions, and materials will be distributed primarily through the page https://giscourses.cfans.umn.edu/espm5295
This Canvas page will be used almost exclusively to turn in assignments and to access User Forums regarding class material. We've created assignment inboxes each week, into which you'll submit various assignment files.
We'll use Citrix Workspace to start remote, virtual computers that have the ArcGIS Pro software we will use in this class. We will provide data and data storage space via cloud and CFANS drives and a student shared drive specific to the course. We've included instructions on how to use the virtual computer system in the General 5295 Course Page, linked above. The resource drives will contain instructions, data, and copies of the assignments. The shared drive will be a place for you to store and share large data sets. You should also use a portable disk drive to create backups of your work each time you are in the lab. There are scheduled backups for the shared drives, and recovery procedures, but it is always best to have your own backups as well.
Course modules
- Introduction
- Week 1, Software and Practice
- Week 2, Initiate Digitizing
- Week 3, Database and Topology
- Week 4, GNSS and NSSDA Accuracy Assessment
- Week 5, LiDAR Heights, Watersheds, Workflows
- Week 6, Introduction to Model Builder
- Week 7, Project Data, Roadmap, Flowcharting
- Week 8, Basic Calculations
- Week 9, More Model Builder, Tools, 0.5 cm runoff
- Week 10. Full Model, Calculate 2.5 cm runoff
- Week 11, Modifying layers for rainfall mitigation
- Week 12, More mitigation
- Week 13, Final mitigation and runs
- Week 14, Project work and consultation
- Week 15, Project work and consultation