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Spatial Thinking

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ALL HELP SESSION WILL BE IN 149 Baker. Monday evening 6-8pm. Tuesday ... You'll need the ArcView license and the Spatial Analyst license. Textbook. Reference! ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Spatial Thinking


1
Spatial Thinking
  • Understanding
  • Problems, Process, Data, Variables, and Models

2
Overview
  • Administrative Stuff
  • Problem Definition Purpose
  • Key part of GIS process
  • Spatial Data and Variables

3
Administrative
  • Labs
  • ALL HELP SESSION WILL BE IN 149 Baker
  • Monday evening 6-8pm
  • Tuesday evening 6-8pm
  • Wednesday 1245 to 345pm
  • Thursday 4-7pm
  • 75 to 80 students in class
  • My office hours Probably Wednesday and Thursday
    mornings
  • Butclasses in 12 Bray so.
  • Use email egreenfield_at_esf.edu not phone
  • Also TAs mhbunny_at_syr.edu, kegunson_at_syr.edu
  • Labs due in 410 Bray Hall on 9/15 at 5pm
  • Late ones will be penalized
  • Issues? Contact the TAs
  • Software
  • Check out www.esri.com
  • Youll need the ArcView license and the Spatial
    Analyst license
  • Textbook
  • Reference!

4
Problem Solving
  • Problem solving, research, and decision support
    with spatial focus
  • Location, Location, Location
  • Review Problem Solving and Decision Making
  • Ref Miller, Shinn, Bentley Rural Resources
    Management 1994
  • GIS is JUST A TOOL!!!!

5
Problem Solving
  • Problem detection and definition
  • Have to define it first
  • Symptoms? Who is affected?
  • Value-laden process!
  • Understand cause and effect
  • A scientific method
  • Modeling, testing, analyzing, validating,
    refining
  • Iterative, Learning

6
Science
  • Inductive or Deductive (Creswell 1994)
  • Inductive
  • Developing theory from observation
  • Can be called constructivist
  • Many times qualitative, but not always
  • Deductive
  • Testing theory falsification
  • Can be called positivist
  • Many times quantitative, but not always
  • Generally seek predictability and control
  • Generally narrow single discipline, focused on
    detail

7
Science
  • Mode II or Post-Normal (Kuhn 1970)
  • Paradigm Shift
  • Mode II and Post-Normal assume values inherent in
    process
  • Focused on problem solving
  • Generally, inter, multi, and transdisciplinary
  • Coevolutionary Paradigm (Norgaard 1994)
  • Assumes uncertainty, cannot easily predict
  • Not focused on deterministic models
  • Holistic
  • Focuses on coevolution of Values, Knowledge,
    Organization, Technology and Environment through
    positive feedbacks

8
Problem Solving
  • Decision Making
  • What are you going to do?
  • Develop Alternatives
  • Cost/Benefit
  • Based on your analysis, findings, testing
  • Develop Objectives and Measurement of Outcomes
  • How are those objectives met?
  • Clarity of purpose and outcomes expected

9
Problem Solving
  • Planning
  • The how to with timelines and outcomes
  • Responsibility and accountability
  • Who is involved and who has to do what?
  • Implementation
  • Then monitor/assess/evaluate progress and modify
  • Where does GIS fit?
  • Throughout!!!
  • The Spatial Model

10
(No Transcript)
11
GIS Process
  • Purpose and Objectives
  • From any point in the process
  • In GIS we also have to think about
  • Space and Time and especially scale!
  • Build Database
  • Data acquisition
  • Creation, using existing data, data entry,
    editing
  • Data management
  • Data Processing
  • Analysis, Manipulation, Query
  • Output/Deliverables
  • Maps, tables, graphs, charts, reports, other media

12
Problem Solving
  • Requires rich understanding of human and nature
    systems
  • Knowledge/facts
  • Information processing
  • Comprehension
  • Critical thinking
  • Application
  • Skill sets
  • Analysis
  • Problem solving
  • Synthesis
  • Research and new knowledge
  • Evaluation
  • Peer review, acceptance
  • TRUTH
  • Refs Apple and Krumsieg, Norgaard, H.T. Odum,
    Ravetz, Kuhn

13
GIS Information System
  • Were at the gate
  • It is an INFORMATION SYSTEM
  • We need good information
  • Good information requires good data
  • In GIS good spatial data
  • Good? Precision toward accuracy
  • GIS like any information system, subject to
    garbage-in and garbage-out

14
Data to Understanding
  • Data Raw, facts, symbols, numbers, text,
    observations with NO meaning by themselves e.g.
    101oF
  • Information Meaning in context of purpose,
    organized, selected e.g. Temperature range of a
    day
  • Knowledge Interpretation of information in
    context e.g. Using temperature to determine fever
  • Understanding Use of knowledge in other
    applications based on expectations of results
    e.g. Implications of fever or search for causes

15
Need for Good Information
  • Relevance To YOUR purpose and within your
    limits
  • Where described in GIS data sets?
  • Accuracy Precision, valid, reliable, quality
  • Where described in GIS data sets?
  • Understandable and Transferable
  • Good Data and Information is expensive!
  • Big issue for GIS database creation
  • Power and Advantage
  • Cost/benefit
  • Expandable?
  • Time?

16
Spatial Data
  • Link space, time and some description
  • A.k.a. attribute, characteristic
  • Data collected about spatial variables
  • Variables
  • General
  • Brief discussion of digital vs. analog
    representation
  • Quantitative vs. Qualitative
  • Discrete vs. Continuous
  • Spatial variable and data attributes

17
Variable
  • What is variable
  • Quantity that can take any set of values -
    dictionary
  • Item, concept, phenomena of interest for which
    more than one characteristic or value may be
    substituted - Hopkins
  • Can vary in time, space, attribute or in terms of
    other variables
  • Spatial variable
  • Variable with spatial component
  • Tied to location (explicitly, or implicitly)
  • Degree of variability dependent on time and space
    scale and purpose
  • What is a non-spatial variable
  • Variability NOT tied to location
  • If you think about it, more spatial variables
    than non-spatial

18
Spatial Data Format
  • Analog
  • Representation of information through
    continuously varying form
  • Something that bears an analogy to something else
  • For our purposes held in contrast to digital
  • E.g. Manuscript maps, analog tapes,
    verbal/written communication
  • Digital
  • Representation of information in discrete units,
    or digits
  • Binary system of 0s, and 1s, only two options
    for a single digit computer based on powers of
    two from units, twos, fours, eights, etc from
    right to left

19
Two Categories of Variable
  • Qualitative
  • Provides information about essential character of
    something
  • One of several mutually exclusive values
  • For our purposes held in contrast to quantitative
  • Who, what (where, and when without quantity
    measured)
  • Quantitative
  • Provides information about magnitude of something
  • Measurable, countable
  • How much or many, where and when with quantity
    measured

20
Two Categories of Variable
  • Discrete
  • Limited to a set of certain possibilities,
    boundaries
  • One thing is discrete from another
  • May still have infinite range within the limits
  • Discrete Objects
  • Represent geography and spatial variable,
    features
  • Points (no area), lines or arcs, polygons or
    areas
  • For our purposes held in contrast to continuous
    variable
  • Continuous
  • Not limited to boundaries
  • May have restricted or infinite range or
    boundaries
  • Extending without cessation or interruption
  • Take any value to infinite number of decimal
    places
  • Fields
  • Represent geography and spatial variable
  • Limited by measurement ability
  • Cant have it all, we actually represent
    discretely, with sampling
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