Lab Section Guide
Instructor:
Professor Tim Nyerges
Smith 402, 543-5296
e-mail: nyerges@u.washington.edu
Smith 402, Office hours: MTWF 10:30-11:20 AM, or by appointment
Lab Instructors
Guilan Weng, Teaching Assistant, Sessions AA, AC, wengguilan@gmail.com
Smith 401, Office hours: Friday 1:30 PM - 2:20 PM and by appointment
Computer Lab Policy
The Smith 401 Sherman Lab is divided into two seating areas. One area is called the “window-side” and the other is the “printer-side”, with an aisle separating the two. All students attending a course section are to sit on the window-side of the room when in lab section. The printer-side of the room is for drop-in use.
The lab section enrollment is based upon the number of workstations on the window-side of the room. Learning proceeds better with fewer distractions. When a lab section is in session, only students in that section will be permitted on the window-side of the room. All other students should move before the section starts to the drop-in (printer-side) area.
Students in the drop-in area should not talk when a lab section is in session. If students must talk then they should use workstations in the Smith 411 Commons Area or the Smith 415C Collaboratory area, as these were set up for those purposes. Should students not abide by these guidelines, an instructor has the authority to ask a student to leave the lab.
The instructors would like to make the Geography learning experience as effective as possible, and we thank you for your cooperation in helping us do that. Please do not hesitate to ask Prof. Tim Nyerges if you have any questions about this policy.
No food or drink is allowed in the Sherman Lab (or the COLLAB or at the machines in The Commons). Cell phones must be turned off in the computer labs. Please keep the areas around your workstation clear so your TA can walk between the rows of computers and other students can move around the Lab. Students are expected to work patiently and quietly in the lab.
You have been provided a printing quota to print out materials for this class. You are asked to help control printing costs by not printing unnecessarily. Use Print Preview as much as possible to review your work before printing. Do not print out Web pages unless absolutely necessary and check your files to be sure you aren’t printing widow blank pages with your documents (common problem is an extra paragraph return or page break at the end of a document that forces a blank page). One easy work-around is to highlight and copy material from the website and paste it into Word. Visit the Geography Department Web Site for our current printing policy at http://nalu.geog.washington.edu/help/labs/printingpolicy.doc
Lab Performance Expectations
The
emphasis in the lab sections for this class is on each student taking his/her own responsibility for learning. Your responsibilities include:
·
making sure that you have finished the
lab that is due prior to coming to your lab section;
·
a willingness to use all resources
available, including the handouts, user guides and computerized help – not just
the TA;
·
and
most importantly, curiosity and interest in the labs.
This
class will be a great deal of work, and will require additional hours in the
lab outside of your scheduled section meeting times.
The
lab component of this course is meant to give you an opportunity to practice
using GIS concepts through applied assignments. It provides an opportunity to
construct a deeper understanding of the ideas presented in lecture and
demonstrates how the fundamental concepts of GIS are implemented in a software
programs (in this case ArcGIS). The lab assignments provide a chance for you to
think about how these concepts can be applied to issues of importance in urban
geography. The long-term goal of the lab
experience is to help you construct a framework for applying GIS in other
contexts outside of this class, particularly in an urban setting.
To facilitate this experience, the lab component is organized to put the “responsibility” for learning on each individual student.
Lab assignments will be made each week. These assignments, with the exception of your final project, are to be completed and turned in by the end of your assigned section period the following week (as per the “Lab Assignment Schedule”).
The final project will be completed in a group of three students. A complete report based on the assignment will be due in week 10. Each group will make a formal 10-15 minute presentation of their findings to the class. Your TA will give you more details about this project in the weeks to come.
All work turned in for grading must
be typed (no handwritten or drawn work will be accepted) unless specifically
noted otherwise in the project instructions.
All assignments require an essay about the project you have
completed. Your essays must be well
organized, typed, properly formatted, spell checked and proofed for college
level academic grammar. Be sure your essay
includes your name, the class name, assignment number, the date and an
appropriate title at the top of the first page.
Do not submit loose papers for grading. Either staple all of your work
together (no paper clips, glue, crimped or folded corners) or bind your work
together in a report cover.
Grading in Lab Section
As
noted on the syllabus, the lab projects count for 50% of your grade.
Lab
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
Final Project |
Points
|
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
50 total |
You will be handing in your assignments on a weekly basis, as per the Lab Assignment schedule. Late work will be penalized 10% per day late.