GIS for Mapping Course

Overview

Bring your data to life using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. Developed by Te Taiwhenua o te Hauora | GeoHealth Laboratory.

We are awash with data. People, places, things – but how do we make sense of it all? If a picture tells a thousand words, a map is made up of a thousand pictures unlocking trends and issues, sparking curiosity, and providing insight. 

This course aims to not only inspire you with those possibilities, but also to teach you the skills to do it yourself. Using geographic information systems or GIS, you will be able to learn how you can represent all sorts of data in multiple ways. Using maps as well as freely available data sets and software you can unleash the power of information to gain new insights. 
  
This course requires no prior experience, just your curiosity (and a little bit of hard work and persistence)! It is for people who are interested in learning about GIS mapping and the exciting opportunities for understanding what it offers.  
 
The course includes explanations of key concepts and the practical application of these concepts with a number of software training exercises. As health, wellbeing and environment are very relevant issues in people’s lives it uses a number of examples in those fields to help you understand the process of using GIS software in an effective and useful way.

This course is ideal for

• Anyone requiring a basic understanding of GIS for their work
• Business, industry, and policy analysts, and researchers
• Property developers and distributors
• Data scientists and marketers

Course outline

Our courses are flexible, enabling you to plan your study around your other commitments. You can choose to study when it suits you during the learning period (3 February – 6 April, with a one-week study break from 3 – 9 March), followed by a 2-week review period for marking and feedback (7 – 20 April).

We recommend completing around 6 hours of study a week during the learning period (excluding the study break) – you can view the course overview here for more details on assessment timings. 

Module 1: What is spatial data?
Get a handle on the basics of spatial data and how it can benefit your work, including examples of how experts in various fields use GIS in their work.

Module 2: Where is the spatial data?
Learn where to source data, best practices for compiling datasets and the use of coordinate reference systems.

Module 3: What do you do with spatial data?
Become confident using QGIS (an open-access software you can continue using after the course), learning to visualise your data and including the essential features your map should have.

Module 4: How do you classify and visualise spatial data?
Learn to combine, analyse, and summarise your data, before bringing your new skills together for a map-making assignment.

Assessments

• 4 Module Quizzes = 20% (5% each)
• 3 Discussion Forums = 30% (10% each)
• 1 Map Assignment = 40%
• 1 Reflection = 10%

Upon successful completion of the course you will be issued a digital badge to recognise your learning achievements. This can take up to 2 months to be delivered after the marking and feedback period.