Introduction to Geospatial Technology Online

Welcome! I'm Allison Lenkeit Meezan, and look forward to meeting you this Spring quarter in Introduction to Physical Geography online at Foothill College. 

This is not the class syllabus, but rather some information provided prior to the start of the term to help prepare you for class and answer some common questions. I will give you a detailed syllabus on the first day of class, September 22, 2025.

This course uses the Canvas course management system. This is where you will access lectures, labs, office hours and links to optional Zoom meetings. You need to be enrolled to log into the course site.  Our course site will be available to you a few days before the start of the quarter. 

1. Login to MyPortal using your Student ID Number and Password 

2. Click on the Students tab

3. Look for "My Online Courses"

4. Click on "Log into Canvas"

Geospatial Technology is made up of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS) and Global Satellite Navigation Systems (GNSS). This class will focus on GIS. Geographic Information Systems are smart maps. GIS integrate the display capabilities of a computerized map with the information management tools of a spreadsheet. This introductory course will focus on the fundamentals of operating in a GIS environment, and the many different applications of GIS technology. Lectures will be integrated with hands-on projects in which you will get to use several of the major GIS software products.

This course is completely online (no on campus attendance required). The lectures and lab material can be completed entirely online.

This is an introductory level college course in GIS. It requires no prior experience with the subject. It is fully transferable as a lab science (including UC and CSU).

You will need a computer and access to the internet. We will be completing our labs with ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro 3.3.2 and QGIS version 3.22 software accessed through a virtual (cloud) desktop, so any computer with internet access will work for you. If you do not have a computer, you can check one out from the Foothill Library Sunnyvale center for the quarter. 

If you want to download and install GIS software on your own computer (QGIS or ArcGIS Pro) you will need to have a PC computer with minimum system requirements. Note that this is NOT required. QGIS will run on most computers, ArcGIS Pro requires some pretty robust processing power.

You will need to have a large enough monitor to easily have two windows open at a time, side by side. I suggest at minimum a 17" monitor. If you don't have this, then find another internet connected device such as a tablet that you can login to our class with. Login to the class on the tablet using the Canvas Student App (look for it on your App store), and work through your labs on the computer with the two devices functioning like side-by-side monitors. 

You also need a mouse. You will drive yourself nuts if you try to do GIS using a touch pad. It just does not work well. Get a mouse.

We will be using GIS Fundamentals (Seventh or Sixth Edition) A First Text on Geographic Information Systems by Paul Bolstad & Steve Matson. 

 Books are posted at the Foothill Bookstore You can save $$ by purchasing the book directly from the publisher. It is also available as an ebook.

Fitting in school while sheltering in place in your home is not easy. Getting good grades can be stressful enough, without a global pandemic, wildfires and a incendiary socio-political landscape.  To be successful in our class, allow yourself the time and space you need to work through the material and reach out to me or your peers if you are stuck. 

You should plan to 'attend' class regularly by logging in 2-3 times per week.  Set a regular schedule for yourself, just as if you were taking a face to face class. Plan to sit down for some quality time with Geospatial Technology  several times per week. In the face to face classroom, we would meet for 6 hours per week (3 hours of lecture, 3 hours of lab). Budget in additional time to complete homework, readings etc, and you are looking at 8-12 hours each week for our class.

No ghosting: If you do not turn in three assessment items in a row (activities, labs, exams, discussions) without contacting me, you will be dropped from the course for 'non attendance'. 

Class begins Monday, September 22. I will open our Canvas course a few days before the start of the quarter so you can look around. I will email all enrolled and waitlisted students the Thursday before our quarter begins to let you know the class is open and share login information. 

I release new class material every Monday in our Canvas classroom. We will jump right in with course material, and you will have an opportunity to get to know your classmates and play with GIS software in our first week. 

We have a weekly Zoom ''Conference'' on Wednesdays at 4PM. This is not required, and I record it if you cannot join us live. You can read more about these meetings below.

The college requires that we drop 'no show' students,  so you will have a small required activity due by Friday, Sept 26. If it is not completed, you will be dropped as a ‘no show’. 

The majority of your grade in our class is based on your hands-on lab work (using GIS software). Exams are open book and involve a short multiple choice section, followed by a hands on practical section (you will be asked to complete several GIS tasks). 

Midterm exam open for 36 hours, due TBA 11:59PM

Final exam open for 36 hours, due TBA 11:59PM 

Final project (we work on this for 4 weeks) due TBA 11:59PM

Weekly Zoom  ‘Conferences’: Canvas allows us to have a live, synchronous broadcast that is archived. Viewing them is a not required part of the course material.  In our Conferences we will take a deep dive into the material we are covering in class, and share some additional tricks with the GIS software. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions and chat with classmates. You may either participate live or watch a recording of the Conference at a later time . If you participate in the conference (eg. login and watch it live, and participate by asking & answering questions!) you will earn up to 5 extra credit points per conference, the more you participate, the more you earn. The Conferences will take place on Wednesdays at 4PM.

The Foothill Disability Resource Center can arrange for extended testing time, low distraction testing environments and adaptive equipment. The Disability Resource Center can also help build a customized accessibility plan for you to make the course material accessible to you based on your individual needs. 

If you have a visual impairment that requires that you use a screen reader to interpret graphics, it is extremely important that you contact me immediately and also notify your DRC case worker as we will need to work together to build in customized accommodations for the maps and software in this course.