GEOCOMPUTING – GEOL 195 Course Description & Syllabus Fall 2015

GEOCOMPUTING – GEOL 195
Course Description & Syllabus
Fall 2015
Class meeting time: Tuesday & Thursday 10:05 to 11:20;
In Delehanty Computer Room 331
Instructor:
Dr. Nico Perdrial
Office: 327 Delehanty Hall
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 8:30 to 10:00 and 11:30 to 12:30
Email: [email protected]
Course description:
This class is an introduction to a variety of computing tools commonly used in earth sciences. Hands-on
experience is at the heart of the teaching of this class. Oriented toward scientific curriculum, real data will
be used to resolve specific problems encountered in geosciences. Specific software used in that class will
provide with: i) the in-depth understanding of the functions of calculating, statistical and graphical tools
(excel, JMP, GraphPad Prism), ii) an introduction to programming using visual basic, iii) the ability to
treat and extract data from images using imageJ and photoshop, iv) the ability to draw and modify
crystal structures (using crystalmaker®) as well as v) an introduction to GIS mapping (QGIS).
Course goal and objectives:
1. Enable students to understand and use effectively a large variety of modern scientific software.
2. Enable students to extract all information from complex (real) datasets.
3. Provide students with marketable skills while investigating multiscale geo-related real case problems.
Section Expectations:
The class will be meeting twice a week in the computer lab. Short introductions of the topics, basic
geological concepts and context approached in the class will constitute a preamble to hands-on use of the
computing facility. I addition to in-class sessions of geocomputing, homework projects will serve the indepth development of specific computing tools. Every week one student will introduce the classmates to
a specific of a software that he developed or learned through her/his own research. There are no books
required for this class. The source of data used in the class will be extracted from the instructor library as
well as the literature and span from the geology of Mars to the interaction of metals in soils.
Evaluation:
Grades will be based on homework assignments (25%), 2 midterm exams (25% each) and a final exam
(25%).
Syllabus
Date
Topic
Date
Topic
Sept. 1st
Introduction
Nov. 5th
Mid-Term 2
Sept. 3rd
Introduction
Nov. 10th
Structures - CrystalMaker
Sept. 8th
Excel – Basic features
Nov. 12th
Structures - CrystalMaker
Sept. 10th
Excel – Calculator
Nov. 17th
GIS
Sept. 9th
Excel – Special functions
Nov. 19th
GIS
Sept. 15th
Excel – Graphical Engine
Thanksgiving Recess
Sept. 17th
Visual Basic – Introduction
Dec. 1st
GIS
Sept. 22th
Visual Basic – Macro recording
Dec. 3st
GIS
Sept. 24rd
Visual Basic – Programming
Sept. 29th
Visual Basic – Graphical UI
Oct. 1st
Mid-term 1
Oct. 6th
Graphing - GraphPad
Oct. 8th
Graphing - GraphPad
Oct. 13th
Statistical - JMP
Oct. 15th
Statistical - JMP
Oct. 20th
Statistical - JMP
Oct. 22st
Image Treatment - Photoshop
Oct. 27rd
Image Treatment - Photoshop
Oct. 29th
Image Analysis - ImageJ
Nov. 3rd
Image Analysis – ImageJ
Dec. 15th
Exam day
Student Learning Accommodations: In keeping with University policy, any student with a documented
disability interested in utilizing accommodations should contact ACCESS, the office of Disability Services
on campus. ACCESS works with students and faculty in an interactive process to explore reasonable and
appropriate accommodations via an accommodation letter to faculty with recommended
accommodations as early as possible each semester.
Contact ACCESS: A170 Living/Learning Center; 802-656-7753; [email protected]; www.uvm.edu/access
UVM’s policy on disability certification and student support:
www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/disability.pdf
Religious Holidays: Students have the right to practice the religion of their choice. If you need to miss
class to observe a religious holiday, please submit the dates of your absence to me in writing by the end
of the second full week of classes. You will be permitted to make up work within a mutually agreedupon time.
Academic Integrity: The policy addresses plagiarism, fabrication, collusion, and cheating.
http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/acadintegrity.pdf
Grade Appeals: If you would like to contest a grade, please follow the procedures outlined in this policy:
http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/gradeappeals.pdf
Grading: For information on grading and GPA calculation, go to www.uvm.edu/academics/catalogue
and click on Policies for an A-Z listing.
Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities: www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/studentcode.pdf
FERPA Rights Disclosure: The purpose of this policy is to communicate the rights of students regarding
access to, and privacy of their student educational records as provided for in the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/ferpa.pdf
It is forbidden to use the computers for other purposes than the course requirement during class meeting time.
Therefore you are expected to not check emails, facebook, twitter or other applications/websites non-related to the
class during class meeting times.