11.520 : A Workshop on Geographic Information Systems  
  11.188 : Urban Planning and Social Science Laboratory

REQUIREMENTS Students will be expected to complete weekly lab exercises plus three homework sets covering readings and basic GIS skills. Students will also complete one in-class test and a small project of the student's choosing that draws on the skills taught in the class. This project will be presented to the class in an oral presentation and a brief written report. The project should require about the same effort as one of the homework sets. Due dates for these requirements are given in the schedule below. The GIS exercises will use ArcView GIS software on Athena workstations. GRADING Lab Exercises (collectively) 25% Three Homework Sets (collectively) 30% In-Class, Open-Book Test 23% Small Project 18% Class Participation 4% Please include your name and Athena username on all assignments, tests, etc., including those turned in electronically. We need this information to identify your work easily. You will be marked down (e.g., a deduction of 2 points per item on a test) if you do not include them. LATENESS POLICY All assignments with be submitted online using the Stellar website for the class. Turning in assignments promptly is important both for keeping current with the subject matter, which is cumulative, and to keep all students on a level playing field. Hence, we have adopted a strict policy towards credit for assignments that is turned in late. We will consider requests for extensions due to extenuating circumstances on a case-by-case basis, but please do not count on such requests being granted. Lab exercises are typically due one week after the corresponding lab. A late lab exercise will be accepted up until one week after the original due date for a loss of one grade (e.g., a "check" becomes a "check-minus"). After that, late assignments will receive no credit and will not be accepted. Late problem sets will have two points deducted for each day (weekends and holidays count for a single day) that it is turned in after the due date. Hence, a problem set turned in three days late would lose 6 points. If it would have earned 90 points if turned in on time, it would receive only 84 points under these conditions. Regardless,after two weeks, no problem sets will be accepted if the answers have been posted. Final project write-ups are due on the last day of classes, Wednesday, December 12. Write-ups turned in after Friday, December 14, will lose 5 points. No project write-ups will be accepted after Monday, December 17.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Plagiarism and cheating are both academic crimes. For this class, it is helpful and okay to discuss lab exercises and problem sets (but not tests) with other classmates, but the results and discussion that you turn in should be your own work and not anything copied from another person or paper. Never (1) turn in an assignment that you did not write yourself, (2) turn in an assignment for this class that you previously turned in for another class, or (3) cheat on an exam. If you do so, it may result in a failing grade for the class, and possibly even suspension from the college. Please see me if you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism. Anyone caught cheating on an exam will be reported to the provost in line with recognized university procedures.   Last modified on 7 September, 2010. Back to the 11.520 Home Page. Back to the CRON Home Page. Please send comments about this page to the 11.520/11.188 class staff <11.520staff@mit.edu>.