GEOG 497I
Introduction to Geospatial Critical Thinking: The Fundamentals

GEOG 497i - Introduction to Geospatial Critical Thinking: The Fundamentals

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Welcome to GEOG 497i

  • Instructor: Dr. Dennis J. Bellafiore
  • Course Structure: Online, 3-9 hours a week for 10 weeks
  • Overview: GEOG 497i is an elective course for Penn State's Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security - Geospatial Intelligence Option that is offered exclusively through Penn State's World Campus. Students will learn how geographers critically think about the world and how they analyze human activities using social- and behavioral-based science models. The course consists of projects, associated readings, quizzes, and discussions about concepts.

Course Objectives

This course is relatively narrow in scope in that it almost exclusively focuses on the nature and basic utility of applied models of spatial analysis. Successful participants will be able to demonstrate comprehension of the utility of, and the ability to, accurately apply the analytical models presented in this course. More specifically, successful students will be able to demonstrate proficiency in the application of models that deal with rural, urban, physical, economic, behavioral, demographic, and industrial spatial realities.

Course Goals and Outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • discuss the evolution of the discipline and differentiate the uniqueness of geography relative to the sciences and social sciences
  • identify prominent geographers responsible for the development of the discipline
  • define the basic spatial concepts that provide the foundation for geospatial critical thinking and research
  • demonstrate comprehension of measurement and scaling in the application of theories and tools of geospatial analysis
  • describe and illustrate comprehension of the structuring of geographic relationships
  • demonstrate comprehension of the bases for geospatial interaction
  • discuss the nature of various physical and human systems and how they are represented by basic geography models
  • demonstrate the ability to apply the gravity model to predictive analysis relative to the potential for interaction between places
  • demonstrate comprehension of the way in which spatial relationships (site and situation) impact upon the location of industries, communities, and places.