Intro to ArcGIS Online for Globalization and Social Change

With the Coronavirus crisis these days more of us are paying attention to the interconnectedness of countries and regions around the globe. The changes triggered by social, financial, public health, and political issues no longer stay within the political and geographic boundaries. The lines between these localities become more and more blurry. In such time of rapid changes and speedy transformations, having a look at the bigger picture and being able to percieve and analyze the issues in their global context becomes further apparent.

Before we start the session, let's do an exercise! Think about the map of the world and type in pick 10 countries that you think have been hit most by the Coronavirus. Now, let's take a look at one of the primary dashboards for awareness concerning the spread of the Coronavirus. This online map was created and posted by Johns Hopkins University at

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6. Explore the dashboard for a few minutes. Zoom in and out of the regions and click on any country/state of your choice.

Now, in one paragraph, explain if/how this global outlook changed your current mindset on this global crisis. Here are some questions you can think about:

- What are the countries with the lowest cases?

- Why some countries have a very low number of cases and some very high?

- How serious is the crisis?

- If you were in the position of power, what policies would you implement to overcome the situation?

Now that you have an idea of how mapping and visualization and can help us understand our global issues, let's go ahead and start!

Goals

This session introduces you to ArcGIS Online, a collaborative web GIS platform that allows you to use, create, and share maps, 3D models, GIS apps, layers, analytics, and GIS data. With ArcGIS Online you get access to ESRI's secure cloud, where not only you can add your data and publish it online, but you also get access to ready-to-use maps, data and template apps.

In this session we will cover the following topics:

- Accessing curated datasets for Globalization and Social Change through the Living Atlas

- Logging into ArcGIS Online with your Clemson ID

-Creating a basic web map: adding data layers from a variety of sources

-Symbolizing data

-Sharing your map

**Use of the Google Chrome browser is recommended when working in ArcGIS Online

1. What is GIS?

Geographic information system (GIS) is a framework to organize, communicate, and understand our surrounding world. GIS will enable you to integrate many types of data, analyze spatial locations and patterns of different phenomena, organizes layers of information into visualizations using maps and 3D scenes, and much more. Using GIS, you can reveal more in-depth insights into data, such as patterns, relationships, and situations—helping you make smarter decisions.

2. Accessing GIS platform at Clemson

GIS platform at Clemson includes everything you need to create your own maps by accessing a gallery of basemaps, adding your own layers, and configuring mashups that you can share with others, embed in your own website, or incorporate into useful applications and story maps. To do all that, you first need to log into this platform. Follow the instructions below to enter the magical world of GIS:

Logging In

    • Go to arcgis.com and click Sign in. You will see the window below (#1).

    • Click on "Enterprise Login" (#1).

    • You will be asked to Enter your ArcGIS organization's URL. Type clemson in the box and click Continue (#2).

    • Click on the blue box that says "Clemson University" (#3).

    • Log in using your standard Clemson username and password (#4).

Once you are signed in, you should see your name on the right corner. Go to Map at the top of the page an click on it. The page will open to a default map showing North America.

3. Create a new map

When this new map opens, you will notice it is not empty. A basemap is shown, which is a foundational layer that can be displayed with a variety of other data. These have different styles, such as political maps, street maps, aerial and satellite imagery, or thematic maps.

    • In the upper left section, click the Basemap button and select a new basemap. Try a few different styles, such as Imagery with Labels, Dark Gray Canvas, and Streets.

Practice zooming in and out using the roller button in your mouse. Zoom in to a particular location to examine the level of detail available in each basemap.

  • You have a search box to quickly find places and zoom to particular regions. In the search box on the top right, type Clemson. Click on the first suggestion and it will zoom to the Clemson region.

  • Change the basemap to Light Gray Canvas.

Adding layers to the map

ArcGIS Living Atlas is a rich collection of geographic information from around the globe. It includes maps, apps, and data layers to support your work. It has a wealth of data from many trusted sources such as NOAA, USGS, and Esri, that can be used on their own, combined with other Living Atlas items, or with your own data to complete visualization and analysis tasks. Let's search for some data in the Living Atlas.

    • On the top left section, click on Add. From the dropdown, click on Browse Living Atlas Layers (#1)

    • In the Living Atlas tab, search global social progress. Click in the first layer in the search result below: Global Social Progress Index (#2).

A panel opens on the right. In this panel, you can see the metadata of this layer. Metadata is information that describes an item. Item details include the title, the type, and the source, author, last modified date, thumbnail, and tags. It can also include additional information such as a summary and description, how accurate and recent the item is, restrictions associated with using and sharing the item, credits, and so on. This information can help others discover and validate the usefulness of the items.

  • Now, click on Add to Map (#3). Zoom out until you can see the rest of the world.

  • Use your mouse wheel to zoom in and out of the map.

  • Notice that this layer has been time-enabled and contains data for 2014 - 2017. That means it stores information about the state of this dataset over periods of time. Notice the time slider at the bottom of your map.

Pause the time slider by clicking on the play/pause icon. Click on any country of your choice. What information do you see in the pop-up?

Learn more about layer attributes

So far you have seen the geographic component of this data set. The data also have attributes or information about what they represent stored as a table of values. This is what you see in the pop-up window when you click on each country. Let's explore the attribute data for the layer we have added.

  • Click on Details, and then click on Content. Hover your mouse on the layer and click on Show Table.

Customize a layer's symbology

When you added the layers to the map, most already had the symbology set by the creator. Most of the time, data you add to a map will take on a default symbology. Your map begins to tell a story when you apply different symbols to your data based on their attribute data -- this is the world of cartography! It is both a science and an art to create effective, intuitive, and visually appealing maps and symbology that communicate the message you intend. Let's first disable Time Animation.

    • Under Content, click on three dots and on the panel that opens, click on Disable Time Animation.

Now, hover your mouse on the Change Style icon under the Global Social Progress. Under Select a drawing style, click on OPTIONS in Counts and Amounts (Color). Now, click on Symbols, and change the settings as below. Pick the color ramp shown in the picture below and then click on OK (#4). After this, click on OK in the previous window (#5). Click DONE (#6).

4. Sharing your work

To share your map, you first need to save it. Above the center of the map, click Save. Follow these settings:

    • Title: Global Social Progress by **YOUR NAME**

    • Tags: GLobalization, Social Progress

    • Summary: A map of social progress across the world

    • Click on SAVE MAP.

Now that you saved your map, you can share it.

    • Next to the Save button, click Share.

    • In the new window that appears, check the box to share with Everyone (public).

    • Notice that you can share the short link to the map. Anyone visiting the URL will be able to view the data in your map. Click on DONE.

Getting a printable version of your map

You can export your map as a hard-copy to include in a report, website, or other location. At the top of the page, click the Print button. Notice the two options: You can print with or without a legend. Click on Map with Legend. Hold Ctrl+P. Alternatively, you can right-click on your map and click on Print. Set the print setup as below and click on Save.

5. Learn by doing

Now that you learned how to create a basic map, try to create another map on your own. You can look for data in the Living Atlas. Pick any area of your interest. Here are some suggestions:

    • Poverty

    • Maternal health

    • Human development

    • Adult literacy