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

 

NEW  Arc Catalog Tutorial

 

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.

Purpose of Lab Sections

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

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.