Geographic Visualization
GEOG 184C, Spring 08, 4 credits
Instructor: Dr. Martin Raubal, raubal@geog.ucsb.edu
Office (hours): Wednesday 2-4pm, EH 5713
Phone: 893-4839
Teaching Assistant:
Edward Pultar, pultar@geog.ucsb.edu, Thursday 10:45am – 11:45am, EH 5832
Class meets:
Lectures – T, Th 9:30AM – 10:45AM, 5824 Ellison Hall
Lab 1 – T 3PM – 4:50PM, 2610 Ellison Hall, aka the Star lab
Lab 2 – W 2PM – 3:50PM, 2610 Ellison Hall, aka the Star lab
Course description:
Geographic visualization (GeoVis) is an important component of Geographic Information Science (GIScience). It is driven by the need to develop novel ways to display an ever-increasing amount of data generated to address important environmental and societal issues. Geographic visualization benefits from developments in GIScience, scientific visualization, information visualization, and the cognitive sciences. GeoVis tools are utilized to facilitate thinking, problem solving, and decision-making.
The lectures in this course introduce the ideas behind GeoVis, and examine practical and theoretical implications of geographic visualization. The focus is on representation theories and methods for GeoVis tools and displays (e.g., advanced computer cartography, interface design, animation, multimedia, sound, multivariate displays, 3D, etc.).
The lab sessions provide hands-on experience in constructing basic geographic visualization tools with current software (Macromedia Flash, ArcGIS), including graphic design and web-based map production.
Course prerequisites:
A passing grade in either GEOG118, GEOG176abc, GEOG184a, or instructor permission.
Required Textbook: Thematic Cartography and Geographic Visualization, 2nd Edition, by Terry A. Slocum, Robert B. McMaster, Fritz C. Kessler, and Hugh H. Howard. It is required that students buy their own copy of this book.
Additional literature for the course is supplied online by the instructor. Weekly readings are listed below. Please come to class prepared to discuss the readings, which are listed for that day.
Course Website: http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~raubal/Courses/geog184c/index.htm
Required Media: You must have a USB flash drive for the lab. You will be working between several different workstations. Flash drives enable you to easily transfer your work between workstations and to back up your work. |
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Evaluation: |
Midterm |
20% |
May 6 |
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Final exam |
20% |
June 5 |
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Lab Assignments |
30% |
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Project |
20% |
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Project presentation |
10% |
June 10 |
Course Policies: Attendance is required for both the lecture and the labs. It is crucial for students to attend the full lab period to get the necessary exposure with the topic, the technology, and to stay on target on the lab work and project. Your TA will provide theoretical and technical help that will aid you in completing the lab and project work. The real key to developing a successful GeoVis project lies in working with other people, getting feedback, and discussing specific problems as a group.
Typically, labs are always due exactly one week after they are assigned. Lateness will cost you 20% each day, starting at the exact beginning of your lab session. This rule is not flexible. Please inform us in advance if you will miss a lab meeting or will have a personal situation that will affect your attendance or performance.
Academic conduct: http://hep.ucsb.edu/people/hnn/conduct/acad_cond.html
Date |
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Lecture topic |
Reading |
Labs |
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Week 1 |
Apr 1 |
Course introduction |
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Lab 1: Setting up web site |
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Apr 3 |
Cartography and GeoVis |
Longley et al., Chapter 13 (Geovisualization) |
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Week 2 |
Apr 8 |
Introduction to Animation |
Chapter 20 |
Lab 2: Intro to Flash
Lab 3: Animation (due Week 4) |
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Apr 10 |
Map animation & dynamic visual variables |
Harrower, Designing effective animated maps |
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Week 3 |
Apr 15 |
Review: Symbolization, Data classification,
Choropleth mapping & color (guest lecture Carsten Kessler)
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Chapter 5: 5.1; Chapter 13 |
No labs (AAG meeting) |
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Apr 17 |
No class (AAG meeting) |
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Week 4 |
Apr 22 |
Interactivity & animation examples |
Monmonier, Strategies for visualization |
Lab 4: Pre-processing census data |
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Apr 24 |
Data exploration |
Chapter 21 |
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Week 5 |
April 29 |
3D GeoVis |
Wood et al., Using 3D in Geovisualization |
Lab 5: Mapping census time series data |
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May 1 |
Visual knowledge discovery |
Gahegan, Visual support for GIScience |
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Week 6 |
May 6 |
Midterm |
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Lab 6: Animating time series data in Flash |
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May 8 |
Electronic atlases and multimedia |
Chapter 22 |
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Week 7 |
May 13 |
Collaborative GeoVis |
MacEachren, GeoVis support for group work |
Optional Lab: Scripting in Flash
Group project |
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May 15 |
Visualizing uncertainty |
Chapter 23 |
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Week 8 |
May 20 |
Virtual and mixed environments |
Chapter 24 |
Group project |
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May 22 |
Allosphere visit
http://www.mat.ucsb.edu/allosphere/ |
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Week 9 |
May 27 |
Mobile GeoVis |
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Group project |
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May 29 |
Cognitive aspects in GeoVis |
Paumgarten, Getting there |
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Week 10 |
Jun 3 |
Review & Ongoing developments |
Chapter 25 |
Group project |
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Jun 5 |
Final |
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Week 11 |
Jun 10,
9-11am |
Project presentations |
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Bibliography:
- T. Slocum, R. McMaster, K. F., and H. Howard (2005) Thematic Cartography and Geographic Visualization. Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
- J. Dykes, A. MacEachren, and M.-J. Kraak, Ed. (2005) Exploring Geovisualization. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
- P. Longley, M. Goodchild, D. Maguire, and D. Rhind (2005) Geographic Information Systems and Science. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, England.
- M. Harrower (2003) Tips for designing effective animated maps. Cartographic Perspectives 44(Winter 2003): 63-65.
- M. Monmonier (1990) Strategies for the Visualization of Geographic Time-Series Data. Cartographica 27(1): 30-45.
- D. DiBiase, A. MacEachren, J. Krygier, and C. Reeves (1992) Animation and the Role of Map Design in Scientific Visualization. Cartography and GIS 19(4): 201-214.
- N. Paumgarten (2006) Getting there. The science of driving directions. The New Yorker.
- M. Harrower (2004) A look at the history and future of animated maps. Cartographica 39(3): 33-42.
Links:
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