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Newer Version Available
Cover of Essentials of Geographic Information Systems v1.0
Published: 
November 2011
Page Count: 
170
ISBN (Digital): 
978-1-4533-3023-4

Essentials of Geographic Information Systems

Version 1.0
By Jonathan Campbell and Michael Shin

Included Supplements

Key Features

Adopt this college textbook as is or personalize it online at Flat World. Change chapter titles, move content with ease, and delight in how much less your students pay. We publish peer-reviewed textbooks by expert authors. You make them perfect for your course.

Essentials of Geographic Information Systems integrates key concepts behind the technology with practical concerns and real-world applications. Recognizing that many potential GIS users are non-specialists or may only need a few maps, this book is designed to be accessible, pragmatic and concise. Essentials of Geographic Information Systems also illustrates how GIS is used to ask questions, inform choices and guide policy. From the melting of the polar ice caps to privacy issues associated with mapping, this book provides a gentle, yet substantive, introduction to the use and application of digital maps, mapping and GIS.

 

Maps are everywhere - on the internet, in your car and even on your mobile phone. Moreover, maps of the 21st century are not just paper diagrams folded like an accordion. Maps today are colorful, searchable, interactive and shared. This transformation of the static map into dynamic and interactive multimedia reflects the integration of technological innovation and vast amounts of geographic data. The key technology behind this integration, and subsequently the maps of the 21st century, is geographic information systems or GIS.

 

In today's world, learning involves knowing how and where to search for information. In some respects, knowing where to look for answers and information is arguably just as important as the knowledge itself. Because the authors designed Essentials of GIS to be concise, focused and directed, readers are encouraged to search for supplementary information and to follow-up on specific topics of interest on their own when necessary. This text provides the foundations for learning GIS, but readers are encouraged to construct their own individual frameworks of GIS knowledge. The benefits of this approach are two-fold. First, it promotes active learning through re/search. Second, it facilitates flexible and selective learning, i.e., what is learned is a function of individual needs and interest.

 

Since GIS and related geospatial and navigation technology change so rapidly, a flexible and dynamic text is necessary in order to stay current and relevant. Though essential concepts in GIS tend to remain constant, the situations, applications and examples of GIS are fluid and dynamic. The Flat World model of publishing with the MIYO (Make It Your Own) customization platform is especially relevant for a text that deals with information technology. The authors can keep the text updated easily, and you, the instructor, can add content on the technology that you find timely and relevant to the book with a few clicks on the mouse.

 

Though this book is intended for use in introductory GIS courses, Essentials of Geographic Information Systems will also appeal to the large number of certificate, professional, extension and online programs in GIS that are available today. Order your desk copy of Essentials of Geographic Information Systems or view it online to evaluate it for your course.

Instructor’s Manual

Instructor’s Manual

The Instructor’s Manual guides you through the main concepts of each chapter and important elements such as learning objectives, key terms, and key takeaways. Can include answers to chapter exercises, group activity suggestions, and discussion questions.

Instructor’s Manual

PowerPoint Lecture Notes

PowerPoint Lecture Notes

A PowerPoint presentation highlighting key learning objectives and the main concepts for each chapter are available for you to use in your classroom. You can either cut and paste sections or use the presentation as a whole.

PowerPoint Lecture Notes

Test Generator

Test Generator

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Test Bank Files for Import to Learning Management Systems

Test Bank Files for Import to Learning Management Systems

For your convenience, we've packaged our test items for easy import into Learning Management Systems like Blackboard, Brightspace/D2L, Canvas, Moodle, or Respondus.

Test Item File

Test Item File

Need assistance in supplementing your quizzes and tests? Our test-item files (in Word format) contain many multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short-answer questions.

At FlatWorld, we take pride in providing a range of high-quality supplements alongside our titles, to help instructors teach effectively. Supplements are available for instructors who have registered their adoption with us. If you need to review or preview something specific, please contact us.


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Jonathan Campbell University of California - Los Angeles

Dr. Jonathan E. Campbell is a GIS analyst and biologist based in Carlsbad, CA. Formerly an adjunct professor of GIS, cartography, and physical geography courses at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Santa Monica College, Jonathan has extensive experience collecting, mapping, and analyzing geospatial data on projects throughout the United States. He has over twenty years of experience in the application of GIS and biogeographic services in conjunction with the implementation of environmental policies and compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. Jonathan holds a Ph.D. in geography from UCLA, an MS in plant biology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and a B.S. in environmental biology from Taylor University.

Michael Shin University of California - Los Angeles

Michael Shin is Professor of Geography and faculty director of the Geospatial@UCLA initiative at UCLA. He has over fifteen years of experience in developing and leading courses—both in-person and online—in geographic information systems (GIS) and geospatial technologies. Michael’s teaching materials draw from his research interests in political geography, spatial analysis, and the social impacts of geospatial technology. He has also applied his expertise in geospatial analytics to various projects with McKinsey & Company, as well as with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Michael earned his MS and Ph.D. in geography, and his BA in International Affairs, from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

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