GIS AND REMOTE SENSING

Expected learning outcomes: The course aims to provide an in-depth level of specific knowledge for the development of disciplinary and professional skills in the field of new technologies for the territory and the environment, through modern concepts, methods and tools for managing territorial information.

Knowledge and understanding: Through lectures and practical exercises, students will acquire the necessary skills for the representation and analysis of territorial data using GIS tools, for precision agriculture applications based on the use of remote sensing data, for the analysis of the territory and of the landscape, for the environmental and landscape sustainability of rural buildings. The basic theoretical knowledge relating to Geographic Information Systems and the knowledge necessary to extract environmental information from remote sensing images in order to use them in Geographic Information Systems will be provided. During the course, knowledge about the use of GIS software (ArcGIS by ESRI, QGIS) for the management of vector and raster geographic data, the execution of basic spatial analysis, thematic representation and data printing will also be provided. 

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: At the end of the course the student will be able to use advanced tools for the representation and analysis of spatial data using GIS tools and remote sensing data.

Autonomy of judgment: In the applications for the management of territorial information, the student will be able to make technical choices related to the GIS tools available. This autonomy will be developed during the exercises that include various applications of the studied GIS tools and the use of remote sensing images.

Communication skills: The student will acquire the technical language, both in English and in Italian, related to modern technologies for the representation and management of territorial information.

Learning skills: The in-depth specific knowledge, acquired during the course, will allow the student to autonomously expand their knowledge on the representation and analysis of territorial data using GIS tools, through the advanced use of the reference manual, which contains the description of further tools besides those analysed during the course; the student  will also be able to acquire further knowledge from the suggested books and from the scientific literature of the sector. In addition, the seminar activities organised within the course will allow the student to increase knowledge on the most modern application aspects of the discipline.

The didactic methods adopted include lectures and exercises in the computer lab.

The course includes 28 hours of frontal lessons and 28 hours of practical lessons (discussion of case studies and guided tours, reports, essays, individual or group research carried out by students, educational field experiences, seminars). If measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic should be incremented lectures could be held online or in mixed mode.

Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

As a guarantee of equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on their specific needs and on teaching objectives of the discipline. It is also possible to ask the departmental contacts of CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or DSAs), in the persons of professor Anna De Angelis.

Notes on cartographic representation. Introduction to GIS: definitions, components, functions. Devices and file types in GIS. The data and data sources in GIS. The scale in GIS. The concept of georeferencing. The data model. The concept of topology. The DBMS. The analysis of the data. Spatial analysis and analysis based on attributes. The thematic representation. Practice using ArcGIS and QGIS: file management commands, commands to change settings, control data management, and attributes; management commands operations on the data, commands related to data analysis, controls related to thematic classifications of data, display commands, thematic data, commands related to printing data. Remote sensing: concepts, principles and definitions; sensors and satellites; notes on visual interpretation and image processing.

1. Liu J.G., Mason P.J. 2009. Image Processing and GIS for Remote Sensing: Techniques and Applications. Wiley Blackwell.
2. Emanuela Caiaffa. 2012. ECDL GIS. La rappresentazione cartografica e i fondamenti del GIS. McGraw-Hill
3. Niccolò Dainelli. 2011. L’osservazione della Terra – Telerilevamento. Dario Flaccovio Editore.
4. ArcGIS (ESRI) Handbook

The exam consists of an oral part on the topics covered in the theoretical lessons and in the discussion of the exercises developed during the exercises.

In the oral exam, the relevance of the answers to the questions asked, the quality of the contents, the ability to connect with other topics covered by the program and with the exercises developed, the ability to report examples, the property of technical language and the ability will be assessed. student's overall expressiveness.

Verification of learning can also be carried out electronically, should the conditions require it.

 The vote follows the following scheme:

Unsuitable

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Important shortcomings. Significant inaccuracies

Analysis and synthesis skills: Irrelevant. Frequent generalizations. Inability to synthesize

Use of references: Completely inappropriate

18-20

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: At the threshold level. Obvious imperfections

Ability to analyze and synthesize: Just enough skills

Use of references: As appropriate

21-23

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Routine knowledge 

Analysis and synthesis skills: capable of correct analysis and synthesis. Argue logically and consistently

Use of references: Use standard references

24-26

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Good knowledge

Analysis and synthesis skills: good analysis and synthesis skills. The arguments are expressed consistently

Use of references: Use standard references

27-29

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Knowledge more than good

Ability to analyze and synthesize: considerable abilities of analysis and synthesis

Use of references: Has explored the topics

30-30L

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Excellent knowledge

Ability to analyze and synthesize: considerable abilities of analysis and synthesis.

Use of references: Important insights.

Definition of GIS, and comparison with other systems.

The concept of georeferencing.

The concept of topology.

Raster data and vector data.

Main concepts of remote sensing.

Types of satellite sensors.

Types of Resolution of a multispectral image.

The spectral signatures.

The vegetation indices.