Students

ENVS8353 – Environmental Applications of GIS and Remote Sensing

2022 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor / Lecturer
Michael Chang
michael.chang@mq.edu.au
Contact via by appointment
Lecturer
Maina Mbui
joseph.mbui@mq.edu.au
Contact via by appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
GEOS801 or GEOS810 or ENVE810 or ENV808 or ENVS808 or ENVS8308 or ENVS6364
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
ENVS7353
Unit description Unit description

This unit builds on the basic GIS skills introduced in ENVS8308 and includes advanced GIS concepts and principles of remote sensing. Topics include: analysis of landscape and environmental variables, GIS modelling, geostatistics, remote sensing techniques and a range of case studies. Practical sessions include techniques for spatial data collection, data management, modelling, terrain products generation, and image processing. This unit is designed to provide students with skills that enhance their educational experience and work-readiness in the field of spatial information science. The GIS software used is ArcGIS. Students enrolling in this unit must have access to a computer with the Windows operating system. Mac or Linux system will not be supported.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Apply appropriate GIS raster analyses to derive useful information for making informed decisions
  • ULO2: Design and implement a suitable model for environmental applications using remotely sensed data
  • ULO3: Demonstrate an understanding of the advantages and limitations of spatial analyses and remote sensing systems
  • ULO4: Communicate geographic information effectively using maps, reports and presentations

General Assessment Information

This unit does not have a Hurdle Requirement.  

Late Assessment Submission Penalty 

From 1 July 2022, Students enrolled in Session based units with written assessments will have the following university standard late penalty applied. Please see https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/assessments for more information. 

 Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of '0' will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern. 

 For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.  

 

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted 

In this unit, late submissions will accepted as follows: 

  • Assessments 1, 2 and 3 - YES, Standard Late Penalty applies
  • Final exam - NO, unless Special Consideration is Granted

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Literature Review Report 10% No 14 Aug 2022
Project for Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation 30% No 2 Oct 2022
GIS Modelling using Raster Data 20% No 30 Oct 2022
Final Exam 40% No Exam weeks

Literature Review Report

Assessment Type 1: Literature review
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 14 Aug 2022
Weighting: 10%

 

In this assignment, students are asked to conduct a literature review on a specific application of remote sensing.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Communicate geographic information effectively using maps, reports and presentations

Project for Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation

Assessment Type 1: Project
Indicative Time on Task 2: 26 hours
Due: 2 Oct 2022
Weighting: 30%

 

This project brings together what students learned through lectures and practicals and applies remote sensing and its methods to an application nominated by students. Students will present their findings using both oral presentation and report.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Design and implement a suitable model for environmental applications using remotely sensed data
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the advantages and limitations of spatial analyses and remote sensing systems
  • Communicate geographic information effectively using maps, reports and presentations

GIS Modelling using Raster Data

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 30 Oct 2022
Weighting: 20%

 

Students will undertake a multi-criteria analysis using GIS and gain experience with a range of GIS techniques on raster analyses and modelling for site selections.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply appropriate GIS raster analyses to derive useful information for making informed decisions
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the advantages and limitations of spatial analyses and remote sensing systems

Final Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Exam weeks
Weighting: 40%

 

Final exam covering the unit content.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply appropriate GIS raster analyses to derive useful information for making informed decisions
  • Design and implement a suitable model for environmental applications using remotely sensed data
  • Communicate geographic information effectively using maps, reports and presentations

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Lecture program

There is one lecture per week. Please check lecture timetable and room location at https://timetables.mq.edu.au Zoom link of lectures will be provided in iLearn page of the unit. The recordings of lectures will be made available via Echo360 after each class.

 

Practical program

There is one three-hour practical class from weeks 1 to 12 for ALL students. Please check prac timetable and location (including online session) at the Macquarie University Timetables website: https://timetables.mq.edu.au; Zoom links will be provided to the students enrolled in online classes. ESRI ArcGIS software, and the remote sensing software, ENVI, are used in this unit. Both software will be accessible via AppStream at https://mq.okta.com/ There is NO on-campus session.

Unit Schedule

Week Topic
1 Introduction to the unit and recap
2 Fundamental of Remote Sensing
3 Spectral Indices
4 Classifications
5 Light Detection and Arranging (LiDAR) and applications
6 Radar (Microwave) Remote Sensing and applications Part 1
7 Radar (Microwave) Remote Sensing and applications Part 2
Break  
8 GIS Modelling – Site Selection
9 GIS Modelling – Bushfire Risk Modelling Part 1
10 GIS Modelling – Bushfire Risk Modelling Part 2
11 GIS Modelling – Bushfire Risk Modelling Part 3
12 Outlook of Earth Observation Programs
13 Unit Summary

 

The order of topics may be changed.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2022.03 of the Handbook