Course Overview
Geospatial technologies are central to our daily lives and play an important role in the research of the natural and agricultural sciences. Spatial data and the technology to analyze that data is a central point for modern science. Because the audience will be primarily students from the natural and agricultural sciences, course topics will focus on data sources and analyses most applicable to work in those fields. This course surveys the broad spectrum of geospatial technologies and the concepts behind how they work, which is essential for better understanding how these technologies are impacting our daily life and can serve as a foundation for other GIS courses on campus to build upon. This course begins to fill the need identified in the hiring of our faculty positions in providing geospatial competencies to the students in these respective programs.
Course Name: Geospatial Technologies
Department: Environmental Science and Agronomy
Current Semester and Year: Spring 2026
Credit Hours: 3
Course Prerequisites: None. However, basic computer skills are recommended.
Course Meeting Time:
Section 1: Tuesdays and Thursdays 11 am – 12:15 pm, Room 1026 Agronomy Hall.
Section 2: Online, but welcome to join the meeting time for section 1 for support.
Course Format:
Section 1: As a ‘flipped’ classroom course, the usual lecture content is online and the homework is brought into the classroom. This section meets at 11 am – 12:15 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays in 1026 Agron. During that time, we will have an open discussion in support of understanding applications of the technology, answering questions about the course material, and assistance on the weekly lab assignment.
Section 2: As an ‘arranged’ course, the class functions like an online course. It uses the same online resources as section 1. If students in this section run into an issue where they need some in-person help, they can join the section 1 meeting time when needed (TR 11am – 12:15pm, 1026 Agron).
This course focuses on active learning with the labs. Active learning is supported by reading and presentations that provide useful background and defining technical terms. Students are welcome to utilize a team-based learning approach to working on the labs, but each individual must submit their own answers.
Individualized consultation is an important part of this course due to the nature of working with technical software. There are a few different ways to receive this support. In addition to the in-person office hours, the MS Teams office hours work really well because it is easy for the student to share their screen and the instructor can walk them through the process of solving the problem.
Course Objectives:
Upon completing this course, students will be able to do the following:
- CO 1: Understand the fundamentals of working with spatial data.
- CO 2: Be familiar with various spatial data types and methods of collecting, storing, displaying, and analyzing spatial information.
- CO 3: Demonstrate how geospatial tools can be applied to problem-solving scenarios in a variety of natural science disciplines.
- CO 4: Be aware of the advantages of viewing the world with a geographic perspective and be able to describe how spatial thinking can contribute to problem-solving.
Learning Activities:
To successfully complete this course, you will do the following:
- Read assigned chapters.
- Watch recorded lectures.
- Watch additional media when applicable.
- Participate in discussion topics.
- Complete labs, quizzes, and exams.
