GEOG 597i Course Syllabus: Critical Geospatial Thinking and Applications

This syllabus is divided into several sections. You can read it sequentially by scrolling down the length of the document or by clicking on any of the links below to “jump” to a specific section. It is essential that you read the entire document as well as material covered in the Course Orientation. Together, these serve as our course "contract."

• Instructors
• Course Overview
• Course Goals and Outcomes
• Required Course Materials
• Assignments and Grading
• Course Schedule
• Course Policies

Instructors

Dr. George A. Van Otten: Senior Lecturer, Geospatial Intelligence Program, John A. Dutton e-Education Institute, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, is the lead instructor for GEOG 597i. 

• Cell phone: (520) 236-2654. 
• Course e-mail: Please use the course e-mail system (see the Communicate tab in the LMS).
• Personal e-mail: gav10@psu.edu
• Availability: I check e-mail daily and am available for a live chat on an appointment basis.

Dr. Dennis J. Bellafiore: Senior Lecturer, Geospatial Intelligence Program, John A. Dutton e-Education Institute, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, is the supporting instructor for GEOG 597i.

• Skype phone: djbellafiore
• Office phone: (717) 826-0606 (The country code for the United States is 1.).
• Course e-mail: Please use the course e-mail system (see the Communicate tab in the LMS).
• Personal e-mail: dxb45@psu.edu
• FAX: (814) 863-1564 (The country code for the United States is 1. Please send the Fax to my attention. Please note that a Fax is sent to the State College Campus, and then forwarded to me as an e-mail. If possible, send a scanned copy to me via Canvas e-mail for faster turnaround.).
• Availability: Please call or e-mail me to schedule a time that is convenient for you.

E-mail: Please contact your instructors through the course e-mail system in CANVAS. Always send correspondence to All Course Faculty to ensure that any course assistants also receive the note.

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Course Overview

Description: Overview of the Essence of the Discipline of Geography
Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Geospatial Intelligence Program or by approval.

What is GEOG 597i?

This course focuses on the fundamentals of the discipline of geography including its history, transcendent theme, general theory, and practical applications of the tools of spatial analysis. The course is 10 weeks in duration.

What will be expected of you?

This course requires a minimum of 8-12 hours of student activity each week (depending on the speed at which you work). Some weeks may require less time and some may require more. You'll be glad to know that you don't have to show up for class at a certain time! All you need to do is complete each project and a quiz before the published deadline.

Please check the course communication linkages regularly. I strongly encourage you to log in to the course website every day. Normally, I check message boards and e-mail at least once every day, usually seven days a week. If I anticipate not logging in for more than a day, I will let you know and also clearly state when you can next expect to hear from me.

My colleagues and I have worked hard to make this the most effective and convenient educational experience possible. How much and how well you learn is ultimately up to you. You will succeed if you are diligent about keeping up with the class schedule and if you take advantage of opportunities to communicate with me as well as with your fellow students.

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Course Goals and Outcomes

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

• describe the transcendent unifying theme of the discipline of geography;
• describe the history and evolution of the discipline of geography;
• describe the integrative nature of the discipline of geography;
• describe the applied utility of the discipline of geography;
• apply basic fundamentals and principles of spatial analysis; and
• describe the ways in which models are useful in the analysis and synthesis of spatial realities

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Required Course Materials

In order to successfully complete this course, you must have the required course materials and an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password (used to access the online course resources).

Required Textbooks

This course requires the following textbook:

Abler, Ron; Adams, John S.; and Gould, Peter; Spatial Organization: The Geographer's View of the World, Prentice Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey (1971) 

The book will be provided in the form of a PDF if you are registered for the course. Otherwise, the book is available on sites such as Amazon.

Required Software

All materials needed for this course are presented online through our course website and in the LMS. In order to access these materials, you must have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password (used to access the online course resources). If you have any questions about obtaining or activating your Penn State Access Account, please contact the ITS Help Desk.

Assistance with textbooks

Penn State honors and values the socioeconomic diversity of our students. If you require assistance with the costs of textbooks for this course, please contact your academic advisor. For additional needs, related to socioeconomic status, please visit Project Cahir or visit the Office of Student Care and Advocacy at 222 Boucke Building or call 814-863-2020.

Using the Library

Just like on-campus students, as a Penn State student, you have a wealth of library resources available to you!

As a registered user of Penn State Libraries, you can...

• search for journal articles (many are even immediately available in full-text);
• request articles that aren't available in full-text and have them delivered electronically;
• borrow books and other materials and have them delivered to your doorstep;
• access materials that your instructor has put on Electronic Reserve;
• talk to reference librarians in real time using chat, phone, and e-mail; and
• ...much more!

To register with the Libraries, and to learn more about their services, see the Library Information for Off-Campus Users.

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Assignments and Grading

• Number of Lessons: 9
• Eight Assignments = 56% (56/100 possible points)of the total grade (7% or 7 points possible for each assignment)
• Peer Critiques: You must critique the submissions of at least one of your classmates for each assignment. These critiques are due the Friday after each assignment is due (check the course calendar). 
• Final Examination = 24% (24/100 possible points)
• Class Participation = 20% (20/100 possible points). Everyone starts with 20 class participation points. Those who turn in assignments on time, fully participate in discussions, and submit thoughtful and useful peer critiques will receive the full 20 points available. Late assignments (unexcused), missing assignments, and weak or missing peer reviews will result in a deduction of points (depending on the length of time involved between a due date and the actual submission of an assignment). Weak or missing peer critiques will also result in a reduction of participation points.  
• Total points possible = 100 (100%).

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS IS AN ADVANCED-LEVEL COURSE. THEREFORE, WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE A PRODUCT OF THOUGHTFUL REFLECTION, AND SHOULD ADHERE TO UNIVERSITY-LEVEL WRITING STANDARDS (I.E., COMPLETE SENTENCES, PROPER GRAMMAR, APPROPRIATE USE OF WORDS, AND CLARITY OF PRESENTATION).

This course includes 9 lessons and a final exam. In order to meet course objectives, students must read lectures, complete the in-text quizzes, and complete all assignments and peer critiques.

Grades

Letter grades will be based on the following percentages (percentages refer to the proportion of all possible points):

Letter Grades and Percentages

Grade	Percent
A	92.5 - 100%
A-	89.5 - 92.4%
B+	86.5 – 89.4%
B	82.5 – 86.4%
B-	79.5 – 82.4%
C+	76.5 – 79.4%
C	69.5 – 76.4%
D	60.0 – 69.4%
F	< 60.0%

Assignments

There are assignments and Peer Critiques (Reviews) required for each lesson. 

 Before beginning lectures, review the week's materials and assignments.

Lesson Assignments with Possible Points

Lesson	Assignment	Possible Points
1	Read Scenario; Develop Presentation	7
2	Read Scenario; Develop Briefing	7
3	Read Scenario; Develop Testable Hypothesis	7
4	Examine Map; Develop Hierarchy of Central Places	7
5	Read Scenario;  Answer the Question	7
6	Find and Use Map of Eastern USA; Write Analysis	7
7	Examine Maps; Write Essay	7
8	Read Scenario; Use Maps; Apply Model; Calculate Friction of Distance	7
	TOTAL	56

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