Data analysis and analytics. Uncover insights and transform your organisation.

This GIS introductory course will show you fundamental Geographic Information Systems (GIS) skills. Learning GIS will take place using both “industry standard” software suite ESRI ArcGIS Pro and its free, open-source alternative QGIS. You will learn spatial data types, prepare ArcMap documents, import/export spatial data, apply geoprocessing tools and create beautiful maps.

In the digital age, understanding spatial data is critical in making informed business decisions. Generating insights from location data requires special tools – GIS. By combining spatial information, computer technology, and geography, GIS enables analysts, managers, and researchers to create intuitive knowledge capturing the spatial dimension.

By the end of the course, you will have solid mapping and spatial analytics skills. Regardless of your skill level, you will gain a newfound confidence using ArcGIS Pro and QGIS.

Your instructor, Paul Yacobellis, will guide your learning. He brings private, public, and academic GIS experience. He will show you step-by-step how to utilise spatial data and GIS.

Aims

This course aims to provide a hands-on introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) using industry-standard software, ESRI ArcGIS Pro and QGIS. We want to empower you to confidently work with spatial data and GIS software.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• describe what a Geographic Information System (GIS) is
• operate ArcGIS Pro and QGIS software packages
• work with spatial data
• differential between .shp, .gdb, and raster files
• make beautiful and informative maps
• geoprocess spatial data using spatial joins, intersections, and overlays
• find, download, and use ABS statistical geography.

Content

• Geographic Information Systems
• ESRI ArcGIS Pro software
• QGIS 3.1
• Types of spatial data – vector and raster
• File types - .shp vs geodatabase
• Projection coordinate systems
• Geoprocessing and spatial data manipulation techniques
• Creating maps using principles of cartography

Intended audience

Analysts, business professionals, managers, IT knowledge workers and lifelong learners looking to master spatial data will find Introduction to GIS advantageous.

Prerequisites

While no programming is required for this class, some basic proficiency working with data is required.

Delivery mode

Face-to-face, presenter-taught training in a computer lab.

Delivery style

Taught over one day, through a series of concepts, examples, problem exercises, and in-class knowledge challenges. The material is presented so that participants of varying backgrounds, skills and abilities can all move together in a brisk but comfortable learning pace.

Utilising principles of productivity, efficiency, and time management, the course material and timeline is structured to optimise learning.

Materials

All course materials and files are available electronically (via Dropbox). Printing services are not provided.

Additional information

This course uses the following software, supplied in CCE’s computer lab:

• ESRI ArcGIS Pro*
• QGIS

*Note: ArcGIS Pro is ESRI’s latest GIS software platform, replacing ArcGIS Desktop 10.x.