Maps Introduction – Course Hub: GeoVisMaps

I have always loved learning about new things and have tried to gain a widespread knowledge of a diverse set of topics. The saying that knowledge is power has always resonated with me and I believe that studying a wide array of subjects is a good way to attain this. This being said, the maps and geovisualization course really appealed to my interest in attaining more knowledge. We use maps on a weekly basis in today’s society as google maps and other mapping programs have allowed people to search for whatever institution or place in which they want to travel. I personally use google maps to travel to and from surrounding food places, banks, stores, or whatever else serves my needs. This is such a big part of my life that I found it very interesting that there is a course that teaches the art of map making. I have no prior knowledge of GIS or any other software that allows for mapping and have never even considered it to be a possibility for me to learn. This is precisely why I took this course. It will allow me to gain a further understanding of how mapping works and introduce me to software that I have never before used. I am a business major and while mapping has little to do with my finance and management concentrations as I currently understand it, I think I will discover that GIS will help me in the business world. After all, I believe that an understanding of how different processes work and a further knowledge of various topics can aid in any field of study. I would like to see the correlations between business and mapping in this course and be able to apply these correlations in the future. I also think mapping is just a cool topic to have knowledge in because it has such widespread uses and not many people have an understanding of the topic. I also think the data collection piece that is involved with mapping will be useful in my field of study. Mapping requires data that is applied to maps and I hope to gain a further understanding of how to turn raw data into a useful finished product. Statistical analysis is a big part of mapping in this course so I hope to increase my skills in analysis and critical thinking by taking this course. I have always been a big history buff when it comes to how things were created and the creator’s background. I hope this course will teach me some history of map making and how it has progressed and evolved over time. I also learn best my doing hands on activities and am a visual learner. I think this course will allow me to learn about maps by creating them and using hands on activities to give me experience in map making.

mp2qh says:

January 14, 2016 at 10:56 am

I think the intersection of business and map-making will be interesting. As a geography major, I can promise that understanding maps is always a good skill to have. Knowing what goes into maps, geovisualizations, and other geospatial technology will definitely be helpful in the future if you’re in a position where you’re working with geographers on collaborative projects.
–Marissa

Makenzie Parent says:

January 14, 2016 at 11:11 am

I too am a business major and I expect to be a little lost at times during this semester in this course. I agree that mapping is an interesting topic and look forward to understanding how this course can be applied to the business world.

Justin Madron says:

January 18, 2016 at 10:47 am

Hi, Tyler–

Welcome to class. Great to hear you are excited to learning new things and have an open mind about new topics. Also, we will be doing a lot of hands on labs and activities so you will be right at home. Having basic cartography skills is very important in any field and as you mentioned, we use it in every aspect of our lives. Look forward to having you in class.