GPS Mapping Course Descriptions
LRES 357 (3 credits, Fall & Spring semesters)
GPS Fundamentals and Applications in Mapping
LRES 357 teaches students the fundamentals of mapping using GPS and GIS through hands-on experience. It includes two one-hour lectures and a 2-hour lab each week. The lab is held in the MSU Spatial Sciences Center computer facility in AJM Johnson Hall Room 221. The facility is equipped with 16 fully networked computers. PathfinderOffice (GPS) and ArcGIS software, and Trimble GeoXT GPS receivers are used in the course. GPS equipment and software resources allow us to accommodate 32 students in the class.
The course incorporates lectures, reading assignments and class discussions on GPS theory, hands-on exercises using GPS equipment and software, and a final mapping project on a GPS application of the students' choice. The course WebCT site includes materials that students can access in lab or from a home or campus computer. These materials include a course outline, assignments, slide shows, a GPS glossary, a bibliography for further study, links to GPS and GIS web sites, and E-mail links for communication with the instructor and the TAs. Students are expected to do 4-6 hours of WebCT interaction, exercises and project work per week. The lab manual includes labs designed to maximize hands-on learning, and excellent reference materials from Trimble Navigation, Ltd.
After taking LRES 357, students should be proficient in GPS database design, data collection and processing using sub-meter mapping grade receivers. They should also understand basic and advanced GPS concepts well enough to apply their knowledge to troubleshooting data collection and processing problems. Students should be well-prepared to work in jobs that require basic GPS skills. Students will receive a certificate from Trimble showing that they have successfully completed a Trimble-certified course. They will also have produced a professional GPS project report and maps which can be included as part of a portfolio.
All required materials will be posted on the class WebCT site.
Instructor: Denine Schmitz
LRES 457 (3 credits, Fall semesters)
Advanced GPS Mapping for GIS
This project-based course gives students hands-on experience with advanced GPS mapping techniques, and emphasizes data quality and documentation. Students learn advanced datalogging options, carrier phase and real-time kinematic data collection, base station setup, and use of external sensors. They also gain experience with mobile GIS, Internet map applications, complex offsets, and linking photos and audio files to GPS-mapped features. They use the advanced features of PathfinderOffice, TerraSync and ArcMap software, and are exposed to ArcPad and GPSCorrect. The course includes topic research and presentation, and service-learning project work. It requires a substantial amount of independent work and is for highly motivated students who want to gain advanced skills for future employment. Course enrollment is limited to 10 students, who are members of a working group. The small number allows for more meaningful discussions, more hands-on time with the instructor, more focused teamwork and higher quality end products.
Students work as a group to complete a service-learning oriented mapping project. This project gives students experience in teamwork and combining data collected by several team members into one comprehensive spatial database. Students are assigned specific project tasks with clearly defined outcomes and due dates, and are given some choice regarding specific tasks they want to work on. Students give a weekly oral progress report and prepare a final project paper presenting purpose, methods and results of individual project tasks. In addition, each student chooses a specific GPS mapping topic to research and demonstrate using resources provided. Examples of topics are mapping with GPS Analyst, mapping with ArcPad and GPSCorrect, setting up a GPS base station and serving GPS maps on the Internet. Students are evaluated on quality of individual and group work, as well as their participation in class discussions and contribution to the overall project. Evaluation instruments include both self-evaluation by students and evaluation by the instructor.
All required materials will be posted on the class WebCT site.
Instructor: Diana Cooksey (MSU GPS Laboratory Manager, Certified Trimble Mapping Trainer)