INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Philip J. Stooke, room 2425 SSC
Phone: 661-2111 ext. 85022 (please, NO MESSAGES here - if I do not answer, send an email)

INSTRUCTOR OFFICE HOURS: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, each day, 11:00 to 12:00 in the MAP AND DATA CENTRE, Weldon Library (LOCATION) , or by appointment, or just drop by my office any time (best days - Tuesday to Thursday). NOTE: Because those office hours are held in the Weldon Library, you can not reach me on my office phone during those times.

e-mail: pjstooke@uwo.ca
website: publish.uwo.ca/~pjstooke

Department: Department of Geography

T.A. :
Yang Song, email: ysong24@uwo.ca

LECTURES (held in SSC 3028): Wednesdays 9.30 - 11.30 (SSC = Social Science Centre)
LABS (held in SSC 1316A): Mondays, 9.30 - 11.30, and 11.30 - 1.30

READINGS: There is no textbook for this course. Readings may be assigned, and if so will be placed on reserve in the D.B. Weldon Library.

EVALUATION: The final mark is the sum of marks for five laboratory assignments (every one must be completed), a mid-term test and a final map portfolio review. See especially the note below regarding specifications, because failure to follow specifications is a common source of lower marks in the lab assignments and the portfolio. The final mark distribution for this course will be adjusted to give a class average in the 'B' range, approximately 75%. Marks in the A range, 80% or higher, will be limited to students significantly above the average level of achievement.

The marks breakdown is as follows:

Laboratory assignments: 40 %
Midterm test: 20%
Map Portfolio Review: 40 %

Electronic Devices: No electronic devices except calculators will be allowed during tests and examinations. Calculator apps on tablets or smartphones are not acceptable.

All five lab assignments must be completed in order to pass the course. If any one is missed it must be made up as soon as possible. Failure to complete even one lab will result in a failing grade. If assignment due dates or the midterm exam are missed, whether due to illness or any other factor, they must be made up during the remainder of the term on a schedule agreed by the student and instructor. For UWO Policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness and a downloadable SMC see the notes below.

MIDTERM TEST: A midterm test will be held in the second half of the term - see the schedule and test sections of this website.

PORTFOLIO: A collection of (1) the four maps drawn in labs during the term, updated with any improvements the student wishes to make based on TA or instructor comments, and (2) the personal map planned during the first lab. This is due at the end of the last week of classes (see schedule). The Portfolio is described in more detail in a section of the course website.

MARKING: The lab assignments and the Portfolio are marked by ranking them against their peers. There is no simple list of characteristics which will automatically result in an A grade if followed - if everybody followed it, all maps would be average. Students must consider aspects of design discussed in class (aesthetics, legibility, functionality etc.). The maps will exhibit a range of skill, design quality and aesthetic appeal, and will be ranked accordingly. Consider the points mentioned in the next paragraph!

At the end of the term the four lab assignment maps (incorporating any improvements the student wishes to make) and the personal map are handed in as a portfolio. These are marked by the instructor on a ranking basis. First, the portfolios are compared by displaying them side by side. Assignments with obvious faults (careless or oversimplified drawing, spelling errors, difficult to read or interpret, failure to follow specifications, poor design including inadequate or excessive blank space, minimum effort applied) are moved down in the ranking. Assignments with very good qualities (all specifications fulfilled, good design, extra effort taken, skilled drawing) will be moved up. Second, marks are assigned to the ranked portfolios. Following university guidelines, the average mark for each portfolio will be in the 'B' range (70%-79%), and most will fall into this category. Particularly good ones, imaginative, attractive, skillful, will receive marks in the 'A' range (80% or more). Portfolios with serious flaws will receive marks of 'C' or below (69% or less).

The final mark distribution for this course will be adjusted to give a class average in the 'B' range, approximately 75%. Marks in the A range, 80% or higher, will be limited to students significantly above the average level of achievement.

(NOTE: One common problem in this class occurs when students do not pick up marked work, and so don't correct mistakes based on the TA comments. The mistakes are repeated and marks stay low when they could be higher.)

PREREQUISITES:
It is the student's responsibility to ensure that prerequisite courses have been passed prior to registration in this course. Students without the necessary prerequisites for this course must request special permission from the instructor to take the course, and this will usually be granted to non-Geography students.

Regulation:
"Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.”

PLAGIARISM:
Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site:

http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

All work you hand in must be your own. You may seek advice from other students regarding design, techniques or software operations, but you must not share or duplicate map files, including base maps. This includes finding another student's saved file on a computer, making minor modifications, and passing the work off as your own. Any offence will trigger the procedure outlined on the linked document.

ACCESSIBILITY:
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 661-2111 x 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.

Program or degree questions? Refer to Department of Geography.

SUPPORT SERVICES FOR STUDENTS:
Registrar's Services
Student Development Services

Accommodation for medical illness:
(PDF file)

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to mentalhealth@western for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

COMPUTERS: Computers are used to prepare almost all professional graphics today, including maps. We will work in the GIS laboratory, room 1316A SSC. Familiarity with computer drawing programs is not important as we assume no experience at all. It is advisable that students unfamiliar with computer drawing programs take extra time (in addition to regular lab time) in the first few weeks of the course to familiarize themselves with our equipment and software.

WORKING TO SPECIFICATIONS: Professional cartographers and researchers know that following specifications is essential if work is to be accepted for publication. To encourage careful, accurate, timely work in a realistic production environment, you must adhere minutely to all specifications, including deadlines. Late work will be penalized. Keep the computer file for everything you hand in, as "the T.A. lost it and I can't make a new print" is not an acceptable excuse. As with any art, merely following specifications will not guarantee a grade in the A range. The highest marks will be awarded to students who show exceptional effort, ability or imagination.

SAVING FILES: Lost files and computer crashes are facts of life, and we have to protect ourselves from them. Save your files onto your network space every 10 to 15 minutes as you work on them, and on a USB drive or other device at the end of a session. This will reduce the impact of a computer 'crash' or power failure. Save more than one copy of your file when you end a work session - in other words, save it twice with different names, or in different places. Email it to yourself as an attachment if you like. That will also help reduce the chance of accidental loss of a file because of an error in the save procedure.