GEOG 370 Quantitative Methods in Geography

Course Information

Instructor: Matthew Haffner, PhD
Semester: Spring 2024
Classroom: Phillips 275 (see below)
Class hours: MWF 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Credits: 3
Format: Lecture

Instructor Information

Email: haffnerm@uwec.edu
Web: https://geohaff.com
What to call me: Dr. Haffner
Office: 254 Phillips Hall
Office hours:
- Monday 1:00 - 3:00
- Tuesday 1:00 - 3:00

Course Description

An introduction to spatial/quantitative methods in geography. Topics include central tendency, mean center, probability, regression, spatial autocorrelation, and geographically weighted regression.

Course Goals and Objectives

The objective of the course the achievement of a conceptual understanding and applied familiarity with the use of basic and intermediate statistical techniques in geographic research. Examples will be drawn from temporal and spatial relationships in human and physical geography, and the student will find the material applicable to many disciplines.

A key characteristic of geographic research is that the questions posed and the data analyzed involve spatial properties such as location, distance, geographical orientation, or spatial scale. Application of conventional statistical methods to spatial data can (and often will) lead to unwarranted inferences. Hence, special attention is devoted to the powers, limitations, and hazard of applying some traditional statistical procedures to spatial data.

This course will utilize several software packages including R, GeoDa, and ArcGIS, and QGIS. All necessary course material will be posted to the course website or Canvas.

Course Materials

Required texts

Rogerson, Peter. 2015. Statistical methods for geography: A student’s guide (4th edition). Sage publications: Los Angeles, CA.

Grading

If it is not clear why points were taken off any assessment, first refer to the rubric (if there is one). After that, if it is still unclear, email me to set up a short meeting! I don’t want students to remain in the dark about why they are receiving less than full credit. Usually a quick meeting right after class or during office hours is enough time for an explanation.

You may dispute your grade on any individual item for up to two weeks after it has been graded. After this, the grade is final. There is no extra credit in the class, so if you are not getting the grade that you want, you must come talk to me as soon as possible to discuss strategies for improving future grades.

The standard grading scale of the university will be used for assigning grades. Requesting a grade that was not earned is considered an academic integrity violation.

Grading scale

Grade	Upper	Lower
A	100	93
A-	93	90
B+	90	87
B	87	83
B-	83	80
C+	80	77
C	77	73
C-	73	70
D+	70	67
D	67	63
D-	63	60

Weighting

Item	Weight
Reflections	10
Labs	40
Exams	50

Reflections

Reflections will pertain to assigned readings, videos, prompts created by the instructor, and small portions of the week’s lab. Occasionally, these reflections will be completed during class, and sometimes reflections will simply require you to complete part of a weekly lab in order to help keep the ball rolling throughout the week and prevent cramming. Other times, these will require short responses to get you thinking about the material outside of class. Reflections are due at 3:00 PM on Tuesdays. This will give me time to review the content outside of class so that we can discuss it on Wednesday. Unlike labs, the assignment dropbox will close at the same time that the assignment is due (i.e. no extension).

Labs

Labs will focus on applications of the course material. I encourage students to work together on the labs as long as all parties involved are learning the material. All questions about the labs must be posted to the class Discord chat rather than sent through email. I often receive many duplicate questions by email, and this ensures that I only have to respond to each question once. Labs are due on Friday at 5:00 PM, and even though there is a generous late policy, I likely won’t be able to respond to questions after 5:00 PM on Friday or on the weekends.

Exams

Exams must be completed on your own and will be taken in class. You will need to study for the exams by practicing questions rather than just by looking at the material. Exams will be comprised of a combination of multiple choice, short answer, computation, and essay questions.

Course Policies

Attendance

Each day you will complete a short survey on Canvas at the end of class which will function as your attendance record. Keeping an appropriate attendance record is required by the university, and it can play an important role in the administration of financial aid, especially in the case of unexpected withdrawal from classes. Though no points will be deducted if you miss class, attendance and participation are vital to succeeding in the course.

You are responsible for the material discussed in class if you are not in attendance, even if you are participating in an official university activity. Lectures will be recorded and made available for those who cannot attend class. While these are not restricted to certain students, the recordings are designed only for authorized absences and review. These are not designed to be a replacement for attending class in person. Lectures will be posted to the Zoom tab on Canvas. I often forget to make them visible since there is no way to do so automatically; if you do not see a lecture available, kindly let me know.

Though lectures are recorded, there is no remote synchronous viewing option. From past experience, having that option available has drastically decreased attendance.

Due to the interactive and technical nature of the course, all students should sit next to at least one other student. I.e., you should not sit alone where you cannot collaborate with others.

Communication

If you have a question on a lab (or a general question related to software), post it in the class Discord chat.
In email communication, use GEOG 370 as the subject heading, but remember – for technical questions and issues on the labs, use the class Discord chat.
Check your email multiple times a day, everyday.
If you have a question about course policies, please check the syllabus before emailing me. Ctrl-f is your friend.

Working with others

I strongly encourage you to work with others on everything except for the Exams, provided that everyone is learning and no one is simply sharing answers with others. At times you will encounter errors, and it will be immensely helpful for you to view the screens of other students to diagnose and fix errors.

Software Access

You will have several options for accessing software.

Use the lab computers in P275 and P268. While you may need to install an R package from time time, the core software packages will always be available in these labs. You will also be able to access these labs in person outside of class using the code provided by the instructor.
Access the Virtual Labs at https://virtual.uwec.edu . Enter your UWEC credentials and select GA Virtual Labs. Then, you must enter the 6 digit code provided by Duo Mobile to log in. Additionally, if you receive an error accessing the virtual lab, clear your browser’s cache and try again.
Download and install the software on your own computer. R, RStudio, and GeoDa are free and open source! R and RStudio are also cross platform, meaning that they can be installed on Windows, Mac, and most GNU/Linux distributions. You can find the software programs here:
- R
- RStudio Desktop (open source license)
- ArcGIS Desktop (only available on Windows; email Martin Goettl for instructions)
- GeoDa

The only software that you cannot download for free on your own is ArcGIS desktop.

Troubleshooting

Statistical and GIS work can be tedious, and it is sometimes difficult to figure out how to solve your problem. It often takes persistence, so experiment with as many different approaches as you can. If you get stuck, follow the steps below before coming to me with a question:

Ensure that you have read the step thoroughly and followed it’s instructions correctly. Minor deviations from instructions can result in unintended results.
Google it! Chances are that others have had the same problems as you at some point. There are great GIS and statistical help resources available on the internet, notably GIS Stack Exchange and Cross Validated.
Unfortunately, most desktop GIS programs have a wealth of bugs. Often times saving your work, closing the program, and restarting fixes technical issues.
Post a question in the class Discord chat. Check here periodically and help other students if you can.

When you ask me a question, note that I will ask you what you’ve tried so far, and I will encourage you to follow the steps above first if you haven’t done so already. It’s not that I don’t want to help students; it’s that developing your statistical problem solving skills is much more valuable than simply giving you the answer.

Late work

All items are due on the date specified on the schedule (usually Fridays) at 5:00 PM. Late work is not accepted in this course. However, there is a 48 hour extension period in which material may be turned in without penalty. After this extension period, the Canvas drop box will close and will not be reopened. Don’t get into the habit of abusing the extension time! There will not be consideration of any additional extension time over the weekend for technical issues, travel, having to take a roommate to urgent care, or other reasons.

That said, each student is eligible for one “mulligan” assessment throughout the semester. This means that you can turn in one assessment after its dropbox is closed and still receive full credit. The mulligan dropbox closes at 5:00 PM on the last class period of the university calendar before finals week. This will usually be the Friday before finals week. If you use the mulligan option, be sure the title of the assessment is clearly visible.

This late policy applies to all assessments with the exception of reflections. Since the reflections are short, only worth a small portion of your grade, and I plan to periodically discuss them in class the day immediately after they are due, they need to be turned in by the due date without extension.

Classroom etiquette

The following rules apply to all class periods:

Come to class prepared having read the assigned readings and watched the assigned videos.
I ask that you do not pack up your materials until class is dismissed for the day. If we reach the end of class and I have not stopped lecturing, kindly let me know by raising your hand.
I encourage you to challenge my ideas as long as you do so respectfully.
I do not make presentation files available digitally, so during lectures it is expected that you will rigorously take notes on the presentation content, demonstrations, and anything written on the drawing pad.
Do not talk with fellow classmates during lectures.
No photographs may be taken in class.
Disruptive behavior will result in being dismissed from class for the day.
Do not use cell phones during lecture.

These policies are in place for a number of reasons:

Research indicates that writing notes by hand results in improved processing of information, greater classroom performance,¹ and fewer distractions.² Conversely, students who use laptops in class are less satisfied with their education³ and perform worse.⁴ ⁵
My experience has shown that attendance rates are higher when notes are not made available online.
I frequently make adjustments to my slides up until just before the lecture starts, which results in students in not having the same lecture material as what I have in my slides if I provide them for students to print off.
I attempt to structure my slides in a way such that they are not sufficient on their own; they complement my lectures. In my view, making slides available encourages students to merely fill-in-the-blanks. Students should be taking notes throughout the lecture on information that is spoken, written on the drawing pad, and embedded on the slides.
Taking notes on a keyboard may be efficient for recording text, but in this course we will regularly draw charts, diagrams, and maps which lend themselves much better to freehand note taking.
Laptop use is highly distracting to me as an instructor. If I see that someone has their eyes glued their laptop than my lectures, I usually assume that they are playing World of Warcraft, which makes me want to play World of Warcraft, which in turn greatly impairs my ability to lecture.
Cell phone use is similarly distracting. If I see a student on their phone, I assume the lecture lacks entertainment value, which impairs my ability to lecture effectively.
Taking a break from your cell phone is a healthy practice that most people could use much more of. Our brains were not designed for the continual dopamine rush that cellar notifications and social media provide. Take a break from your phone for an hour while in this class!

Stress management and well-being

Stress Management & Well-being: College can be hard. Everyone can benefit from placing their personal well-being as a top priority throughout the semester. Should you want some emotional support for any reason, you can access FREE counseling services (even one short session to problem-solve solutions) from the UWEC Counseling Services on campus. They are providing a variety of online and in-person services, including some virtual wellness workshops. Call them at 836-5521, stop by Vicki Lord Larson Hall room 2122, or check out the website to make an appointment: https://www.uwec.edu/counseling-services/.

Students also have FREE access to UW System Mental Health Support through Mantra health – a telehealth service available 24/7 days a week (call or text: 888-531-2142 or go online at: app.mantrahealth.com; sign up using your UWEC email address). You can also reach out to the WI-branch of the national crisis/emotional support text line by texting ‘HOPELINE’ to 741 741 or use the national suicide prevention lifeline: 988 Please use these resources to support your mental well-being and success as a Blugold!

COVID-19 precautions

This class will adhere to UWEC COVID-19 policies and guidelines as found here https://www.uwec.edu/coronavirus-updates/.

Students with disabilities

Any student who has a disability and is in need of classroom accommodations should contact the instructor and the Services for Students with Disabilities Office in Centennial Hall 2106 at the beginning of the semester. I will work you to find appropriate accommodations.

Non-native speakers of English

Students who are non-native speakers of English may request extended test-taking time (time and a half). To determine eligibility, English proficiency is evaluated by the Academic Skills Center (for U. S. permanent residents/citizens) or by the Department of Languages (for international students). Students approved for the accommodation are given a verification form to present to their course instructors. Students must provide verification during each semester at least one week before the test for which accommodation is needed. Verification is valid for one semester.

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) indicates that students have a right to see their records and that you cannot release any information about them to a third party without written permission from the student that clearly spells out what type of information may be released. In other words, if your parents email me and ask me about your grades, I’m not going to tell them anything! For more information, see here.

Dropping or withdrawing from class

The last day to drop full semester fall courses with no record is September 19. Instructions for doing so are available here.

The last day to file withdrawal from full semester fall courses with a “W” on your record is November 14. Instructions for doing so are available here.

For a full list of relevant dates, see here.

Academic integrity

As described in the Blugold Student Conduct Code under student academic misconduct, ‘Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for the respect of others’ academic endeavors. These student responsibilities are important, and deviations from these responsibilities have consequences. The disciplinary procedures and penalties for academic misconduct are described on the UW-Eau Claire Dean of Students web site: https://www.uwec.edu/kb/article/blugold-student-conduct-code/. Additionally, requesting to a receive a grade that was not earned is considered an academic integrity violation.

Distribution of class notes

I do not consent to having notes from my class uploaded to the internet, including commercial note-selling websites such as StudySoup. Some companies target students and solicit course material acting as if they are working in coordination with colleges and universities, but that is not true for this class. This means that you do not have the right to provide your notes to anyone else or to make any commercial use of them without express prior permission from me. Unless you are a qualified disabled student, you do not have the right to record my lectures. Inappropriate use of notes may be in violation of the Blugold Conduct Code and sanctions will be pursued accordingly.