Lab Section Guide
Instructor:
Professor Tim Nyerges
Smith 402, 543-5296
e-mail: nyerges at u.washington.edu
Smith 402, Office hours: MTWF 10:30-11:20 AM, or by appointment
Lab Instructors
Gene Martin, Teaching Assistant, Sessions AA, AB, ewmartin at u.washington.edu
Smith 401, Office hours: to be announced
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.
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 groups of two or three students. Each group will make a formal 10-15 minute presentation of their findings to the class. A completed report of the assignment is due last day of instruction. 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.
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.