Geography 360 Learning
Objectives – Review 1
1M.
Course Introduction and Overview
1M1.
What is this course about?
1M2.
What is the teaching –learning style (i.e., pedagogy)
underpinning this course?
1M3.
What are three realms of representation and how would
you describe them?
1M4.
What are the three information technologies underlying
GIS to support geographic inquiry and how would you describe them?
1M5. How can GIS assist
geographers with their work of geographic inquiry?
1M6.
Why do cartography and sustainability make for a good
combination to learn?
1W.
Geographic Concepts for Sustainability - Indicators and Data Measurement
1W1.
Why has the instructor chosen to use “sustainability”
as a topic that weaves through a course on GIS mapping? What is the DPSIR
framework for understanding sustainability? What is the framework for
sustainable development from Our Common
Journey?
1W2
What geographic concepts from Dent can help us
describe phenomena (entities) and relationships? How are those concepts used to
describe “sustainability”?
1W3
What are the three fundamental aspects of geographic
data and how would you describe them?
1W4
What is a “sustainability indicator”? How can a sustainability indicator be
depicted?
1F.
Spatial Data Coordinates and Map Projections
1F1. How does the surface
of the earth differ from the surface of a globe? When the earth’s surface is
measured geometrically to construct a surface, what three types of “oids” are used to provide different levels of “surface
geometry” detail?
1F2.
What three dimensions can be used to measure location
on the surface of the earth?
1F3.
How does a map projection relate to a map
transformation?
1F4.
What are the properties (i.e., the characteristics by
which we describe) map projections?
2M1.
What is the nature of the geographical problem topic
to be addressed in the project 2 assignment?
2M2.
What geographical questions are you confronted with?
2M3.
What issues should you consider when obtaining data to
address the topic?
2M4.
How might you manipulate data to prepare it for
display?
2M5.
What data and symbolization design decisions influence
display?
2M6.
What is the message in the dot map? Why are dot maps
easy to interpret?
2W.
Data, Information, and Knowledge for Sustainability Mapping
2W1.
What are three fundamental aspects of geographic data
used in creating geographic information?
2W2.
What are some common ways to measure phenomenon as a
basis for indicators?
2W3
Why is it useful to distinguish among data, information, evidence, and
knowledge for mapping?
2F Class Discussion and a 5 minute essay: GIS and
Map Projections
2F1. Maps help externalize thoughts and promote
discussion about important geographic concerns. When does it matter what
kind of map projection is used as the underlying geometric framework of a dot
map depicting population by country? Consider the kinds of distortion that
could appear in a map projection.
2F2. Relationships between/among phenomena are very
important when we try to understand issues of sustainability. What can be said
about locational relationships between two data sets, each depicted on a map
constructed from a different projection? How do you bring two maps into spatial
registration if you want to compare the information on the basis of location?
2F3.
Sustainability is often thought of as a concern that pits population against
resources or ecological quality. Discuss whether you agree or disagree, and
consider how map representations can influence the nature of the argument to be
made.
3M1
How does cartographic abstraction differ from
cartographic generalization?
3M2
What are five methods for cartographic generalization
that apply to all mapping?
3M3
What are some popular techniques of attribute data classification? How do
you implement them?
3M4 Indicators and indexes – what’s the difference?
3M5 Benchmarks and Thresholds in relation to indicators – what’s the
difference?
3W.
Fundamentals of Map Design – Choropleth Maps as an example
3W1.
Why are choropleth maps so popular?
3W2.
What are design fundamentals for a choropleth map?
3W3.
Why is legend design important for choropleth maps?
3W4.
What are the general principles of map design as
relevant to choropleth map design?
3F. Sustainability Indicators and Choropleth Map
Design
3F1. What information do we
gain by classifying attribute data, although the attribute data might be
measured at a ratio level? How does data classification simultaneously
create and destroy the opportunity to gain information?
3F2. Which of the four data
classification techniques is the better technique to use for a map of the human
development index (or one of its components)? Why?
3F3. Visual contrast, visual balance, and
figure-ground are all important aspects of choropleth map design. How can
they be used to express a visual hierarchy for a choropleth map of the human
development index (or one of its components)? How is the visual hierarchy on
the HDI map related to your intellectual hierarchy on the map?
4M.
Graduated/Proportional Symbol Mapping
4M1.
What is graduated/proportional symbol mapping and what
is it used for?
4M2.
What challenges are associated with constructing
graduated symbol maps?
4M3.
What are some design considerations in graduated
symbol mapping?
4M4.
What are some principles for legend construction?
4W.
The Symbolization Challenge in Map Design
4W1
What are some of the challenges for selecting
symbolization in map design?
4W2
What are the graphical (visual) variables (cues) used
in map symbolization?
4W3
What are symbolization strategies that use some
combination of data type, data measurement, and visual variable?
4W4
How do we put graphic variables to work?
4F.
Understanding Color Use and Misuse in Mapping
4F1.
What are the three components of color for GIS
mapping?
4F2
What are color models?
4F3
How should we use color components in map design?
5M
Typography
5M1.
What are the major uses of map lettering?
5M2.
What are the basic functions of map lettering?
5M3.
What constitutes a typeface design?
5M4.
What makes type readable?
5M5.
What are some of the type placement guidelines?
5W
Challenges in Map Symbolization as
Part of Map Design
5W1.
Based on the maps you have designed and constructed (i.e. dot map, choropleth
map, and proportional symbol map) discuss which of the graphical (visual)
variables is/are most useful for what data measurement scale? You can use
your book and notes, of course.
5W2.
Why do you think those graphical variable(s) are
useful in that map design context?
5W3.
How might this knowledge about the correspondence
between graphical variable and data measurement scale be useful when choosing
symbolization for sustainability indicators? Why? Note: Make sure you
understand the concept of "indicator" relative to
"attribute" (any measured variable).
5F.
Flow Maps
5F1
What are some sustainability issues of concern for
linear-oriented features?
5F2
What is the purpose of a flow map in terms of the type
of flow?
5F3
How do levels of measurement influence the flow map
design?
5F4
How do we design and construct flow maps?