This course is for people who know something about data analysis and want to learn how the special capabilities of spatial data analysis provide deeper understanding. You'll get free access to the full analytical capabilities of ArcGIS Online, Esri's cloud-based mapping and analytics platform.
Goals
- Understand why location really matters in a wide range of business and policy decisions.
- Understand some of the distinguishing characteristics that make spatial data special.
- Learn how to identify and describe uses of several spatial analysis techniques.
- Gain hands-on experience with authentic spatial analysis workflows in a cloud-based mapping environment.
Course Syllabus
Section 1
Geography Matters
This lesson introduces spatial analysis and all the different ways that location affects our lives. It identifies the tools and data used to explore spatial questions and problems.
Section 2
Understanding and Comparing Places
Different locations host different physical and cultural features and populations. Locations can be described and summarized with attributes and can be compared to one another.
Section 3
Determining How Places are Related
How you arrange your data affects how you understand locations. Choosing the appropriate scale and combining meaningful data sets can help reveal relationships.
Section 4
Finding the Best Locations and Paths
Topology defines spatial relationships between features. Querying these relationships along with specific attributes helps find optimal locations for activities, structures and routes.
Section 5
Detecting and Quantifying Patterns
Information on the distribution patterns of a phenomenon can guide policies that encourage positive activities and deter negative ones.
Section 6
Making Predictions
Models help predict the situation in locations where data is not available and help analysts understand the underlying causes of patterns.
