Course Description

Course Impact

This course is designed to help each student better understand how to read and interpret maps, use online mapping tools, and utilize community mapping methods in development projects. These skills can be very helpful in working with marginalized communities. ​However, mapping can not only help communities, but can also harm them.  It is important to understand the ways that maps can harm people, in order to help them in the best ways possible!​

Course Expectations

​By the end of this course, the student will have the opportunity to create a "digital story­telling" video, using a cellphone, video camera and/or a camcorder and free online software.

Course Approach and methods

Lecture notes and audio/video presentations will be made available to the student at the beginning of each course week. The student is encouraged to participate in weekly discussion posts (available on the Discussion Board at the beginning of each week).

Each week may include an audio lecture, lecture slides, and a 'read first' weekly explanation of what will be covered. It is important to review all of the material in each week, as you will need the information from the previous week to understand the current week. Course material for each week will be made available for the student to see on the week it is due.

The student has the option of submitting any assignments to the instructor in the week it is assigned, or to submit all assignments together at the end of the course. We are encouraging students to work together as a group for the final digital storytelling assignment. If you chose this option, please make sure to list all the people in your group, and what each person did to contribute to the presentation.

Please pay special attention to the lecture slides for Week 1, as this week has all of the information you will need to complete this course.

Proposed Timeline

Week:

1. Introduction to Community Mapping
2. Introduction to Virtual Mapping, Applications, and Research Ethics
3. Understanding Cartography
4. Navigate Google Earth & Use Available Tools to Create Printable & Shareable Area Maps
5. Digital Storytelling As a Form of Community Mapping
6. Conducting Field Mapping Research, Care of Research Equipment, and Keeping Field Notes

evaluation

• 40% Final Digital Storytelling Assignment
  
• 30% Weekly Assignments and/or Quizzes
  
• 15% Field Mapping Research Notes
  
• 15% Completion of Weekly Readings and Participation in Online Discussion Board