Getting started
Quick links
We’ve covered the following modules so far this semester:
- Spatial Leaders Podcast (just for some fun and context)
- Some review topics coming into Spatial Networks
- Intro to using spreadsheets as a sandbox tool for spatial applications (review for some)
- Intro to browser-based coding as a sandbox tool (review for some)
- A geodetic modeling and estimation framework for spatial networks
- Our first few networks and a review of parametric least squares for spatial networks
- Why gravity matters and an intro to pre-analysis for geospatial networks
- Local measures of precision and accuracy of coordinates in spatial networks (for Quiz 3)
- Introduction to the reduction of observations for geospatial networks (for Quiz 3)
- Network quality assessment (for Quiz 4)
- Class Project: Applications of and state of the art in geodetic networks (for Quiz 4)
- On datums and the design of spatial and geospatial networks (for Quiz 4)
I’ll keep this list up to date as we go, but be sure to also consult the activity schedule below for details about the timing of this material within each of the learning cycles and relative both to the quizzes and the following tightly integrated labs:
- Lab 1: Some tools and fundamentals for geomatics and spatial networks
- Lab 2: Key observation equations for spatial networks + Their linearization and implementation
- Lab 3: Preanalysis and ‘brute force’ iterative design of a trilateration network
- Lab 4: Geometric reductions and a network adjustment
You can also cruise over and review all of the material at any time from our earlier course on Probability, Statistics, and Estimation for Spatial Applications
Schedule and guidance for a typical week
This is a template schedule for a typical week. I’m sharing it for discussion on our first day, and as general guidance after that.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Mon (self-paced) | In a typical week we won’t be meeting during the Monday and Friday lecture periods. They are self-paced work days. Being self-paced means that the content of the online materials is designed so that it’s always available and you can cover it at any time of day that works for you. It replaces a stereotypical lecture where you get into a room and the teacher shows you stuff on PowerPoint slides while you copy things down. You should use this time to go through the learning goals, review and learn from the course material, and work on any labs and self-assessment problems that have been published. You’re responsible for covering that content and for using it to build your own set of notes and model problem solutions that you can refer to in our Wednesday sessions and, in turn, to help you ace the quizzes and do well on the labs. Consult the activity schedule for details about what’s been assigned and what to be working on. | Your goal on Mondays should be to cover the assigned content before Wednesday’s in-person session. |
| Wed at 9 (Lec) | Discussion-based lecture: On Wednesdays we will normally meet together (online). The invitation to the video call will come via D2L. The agenda for these sessions will vary but expect it to be something like the following: 1) Welcome back + housekeeping + check-in; 2) Instructor-led discussions, examples, and/or mini-lectures; 3) Clarifying questions; 4) Look-ahead to what’s coming. Don’t expect a PowerPoint slide show here either. I’ll have a whiteboard and pen ready to tackle and clarify concepts as we may need, but this is meant to help us bring things up a level and to reinforce the content already made available online that you should have covered before the session. | Attend class. Be fully caught up and prepared ahead of time for our discussions. |
| Fri (self-paced) | New cycle begins: The next cycle of content will normally be made available on or before Fridays. Fridays are self-paced work days. Use the time to go through and learn the course materials and to work on the related self-assessment problems and labs. | By now you should be finished everything that was published in the last cycle. Your goal should be to make a plan for the work you’ll do before the next Wednesday. Our quizzes also take place on some Fridays (see the activity schedule). |
| Fri at 2 (Lab) | These sessions are for our labs. Generally each lab runs for 2-3 weeks. It’s handed out and discussed in the first of those sessions and then supported by your TA in the subsequent sessions. | Labs are due on some Fridays (see the activity schedule) |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle before next Wednesday |
|---|
| Areas in which you should focus each week will be summarized in this space. |
About
You’ve landed on my “emergency remote teaching” materials delivered in Fall 2020 in response to the COVID-19 prevention measures we all face. I’ve tried to go beyond remote lecturing over Zoom to deliver a set of resources that can provide a meaningful stand-alone learning experience for any nascent engineer or other person wanting to pick up the topic. The materials have also been designed to help enable a facilitated and engaging learning experience when combined with other teaching and learning activities, whether still online or as a mix of online and face-to-face experiences in the future. Everything you find here is made available completely for free through this Creative Commons license. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any feedback at all as I continue to improve things, or if I can help you with your own learning. Thanks for being here!
Activity schedule
If you’re learning this material in one of my university classes, then this is your teaching and learning activity schedule. Think of it as the definitive reference for what we’ll be doing / did every day. Refer to it for links to the online textbook materials and how they related to our in-person sessions and the course assessments. Collapse or expand each date range for details. Check it daily to stay current.
Sep 8-15: Welcome and getting our feet under us
Welcome! This is our first week together. We’ll be getting to know each other a little, and you’ll learn what the course is all about and what it’s like to take a class with me. There’s nothing formally due on the first day or so, but don’t miss it – we’ll be covering some pretty important stuff, you’ll have some work to do to get your feet under you, and we’ll formally begin our learning about spatial and geomatics networks.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Sep 9 (Lec) | This is our first class! We’ll spend some time to get introduced to this course, to help you get to know what it’s like to take a course from me. and to discuss how we’ll work together through a combination of remote and in-person sessions. I’ll also want to hear from you on how best to support your learning. | Nothing’s due yet, but be sure not to miss it. |
| Fri Sep 11 (self-paced) | First cycle begins: By today I will release the first set of self-paced work for you to work on between now and our session next Wednesday. See the table below for details. | Get started ASAP. |
| Fri Sep 11 (Lab) | No lab this first week | |
| Mon Sep 14 (self-paced) | Use today to continue working and to get yourself ready for the upcoming sessions. |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle before next Wednesday |
|---|
| Review the course outline in detail. |
| Sign into this course website and get access to our online textbook materials. Be sure to use the directions I sent to you via D2L. You can check that you’ve done this correctly by making sure that you’re enrolled in this setup module. |
| Watch / listen to at least one episode of this podcast, which introduces you to some leaders in our field and the kind of work they do. |
| If you haven’t had me as a teacher before, then watch the video at the bottom of the same page to get bit of an introduction to me and our field. |
| Review the following two modules, the contents of which you should already be familiar with from earlier courses. If you’re up to speed on these then you should be in good shape for our first lab which will be released in the next learning cycle: Intro to using spreadsheets as a sandbox tool for spatial applications and Intro to browser-based coding as a sandbox tool for spatial applications |
Sep 16-22: Lab 1 and some review
Welcome back! This week will bring our first full learning cycle to an end and launch the second one. Be engaged. Get the pattern down. Ask questions if you have any. Get and stay on top of things. Look at the review materials if you need to. Jump on the lab as soon as it comes out.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Sep 16 (Lec) | We’ll meet together today with the following goals: 1) Welcome back + housekeeping + check-in; 2) Instructor-facilitated discussion about how the labs will work and how they will be marked; 3) Clarifying questions; 4) Look-ahead to what’s coming. Lab 1 will be released today, i.e. a few days earlier than our upcoming Friday session. | By today you should aim to finish all of the self-paced work from last week and be ready to move to closing out your notes before we begin our next cycle on Friday. |
| Fri Sep 18 (self-paced) | Second cycle begins: Focus on the second set of self-paced work between now and next Friday. See the table below for details. | Get started ASAP. |
| Fri Sep 18 (Lab) | This session will be a drop-in led by our TA for any support you need as you get started on the lab. | |
| Mon Sep 21 (self-paced) | Use today to continue working on the self-paced work below and to get yourself ready for the upcoming sessions. |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle before next Wednesday |
|---|
| Your main focus this cycle should be on Lab 1: Some tools and fundamentals for geomatics and spatial networks |
| Here are the review topics some of you requested. They are optional but meant to help if you’re looking to refresh: Some review topics coming into Spatial Networks |
Sep 23-29: Our first few networks + Observation equations for spatial networks
This week we’ll close out the second learning cycle by finishing Lab 1 and any of the review you chose to dig into. And we will start our second learning cycle where the focus is on starting to apply what you should know about parametric least squares to the networks context. We’ll also begin digging into the content of this course and how our key modeling and estimation framework compares to the one you were introduced to back in probability, statistics and estimation.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Sep 23 8 am (Lec) | Today our TA will run an extra session for those who might be interested, covering: 1) Template forking; 2) Team space guidelines; 3) Drop-in support. | |
| Wed Sep 23 9 am (Lec) | We’ll meet together today with the following goals: 1) Check in + housekeeping; 2) Instructor-facilitated discussion about how the labs will work and how they will be marked; 3) Clarifying questions; 4) Look-ahead to what’s coming. I will speak about the lab schedule for the course and about how Lab 2 is designed to tie into and support the content we will be learning in the coming cycle. | By today you should aim to finish all of the self-paced work from last week and be ready to move to closing out your notes before we begin our next cycle on Friday. |
| Thu Sep 24 | Lab 1 is due by 11:59 pm via D2L dropbox. | |
| Fri Sep 25 (self-paced) | Third cycle begins: Turn your focus to the self-paced work found in the table below. | Get started ASAP. |
| Fri Sep 25 (Lab) | This lab session will be a drop-in session for anyone still needing support from our TA, e.g. if you have chosen to use a grace day for Lab 1 or if you have other questions you want to explore with him. This preview of Lab 2 is available to you but the lab won’t be formally launched or discussed until next week. You can use this time to have a look at it though and to dig into the self-paced work. | |
| Mon Sep 28 (self-paced) | Use today to continue working on the self-paced work below and to get yourself ready for the upcoming sessions. |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle before next Wednesday |
|---|
| Here’s the first self-paced module for this learning cycle: A geodetic modeling and estimation framework for spatial networks |
| Here’s the second self-paced module for this cycle: Our first few networks and a review of parametric least squares for spatial networks |
| And here’s a preview of Lab 2 which ties closely to the material you’re studying in this cycle. As we’ll discuss next week, different parts of this lab are due on different dates which are posted on this page under “Key dates”. |
Sep 30 – Oct 6: Going deeper with the content and Lab 2
Your focus this week should be on the self-paced modules handed out last week (and shared again below) and on Part 1 of Lab 2. These will help you meet the deadlines for that lab and prepare for Quiz 1.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Sep 30 (Lec) | You’ve had a preview of Lab 2 since last week but today I will speak about it and how it will be assessed. We’ll also do our regular check-in, clarifying questions and look-ahead. | You should be working through the self-paced work from last week and working on Part 1 of Lab 2 |
| Fri Oct 2 (self-paced) | Third cycle begins: Continue with the self-paced work found in the table below. | |
| Fri Oct 2 (Lab) | This lab session will be a drop-in for Part 1 of Lab 2. | |
| Mon Oct 5 (self-paced) | Use today to continue working on the self-paced work below which aims to get you ready for the upcoming Quiz. |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle before next Wednesday |
|---|
| Continue with this self-paced module: A geodetic modeling and estimation framework for spatial networks |
| Continue with this self-paced module: Our first few networks and a review of parametric least squares for spatial networks |
| Work on Part 1 of Lab 2 which ties closely to that material. |
Oct 7-13: Quiz 1 and transitioning to Parts 2 and 3 of Lab 2
Your focus this cycle should be on the self-paced modules already handed out and on finishing Part 1 of Lab 2 – all to prepare you for Quiz 1. We’ll also move to next steps, including new content and Parts 2 and 3 of Lab 2.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Oct 7 (Lec) | Today we’ll do our regular check-in, clarifying questions and look-ahead. My focus will be on discussing the upcoming quiz, especially since it will be delivered remotely. You should be working through the self-paced work from last week and finishing up Part 1 of Lab 2 in preparation for Quiz 1. | Even if you haven’t started Part 3 of the lab yet, be sure to get your team details to our TA. See the email to be sent and see here for further details. |
| Thu Oct 8 | Part 1 of Lab 2 is due at 11:59 pm | |
| Fri Oct 9 (self-paced) | Quiz 1 will be handed out via D2L at the start of our regularly scheduled class period today. See the directions to be shared by email and on D2L. Today also marks the start of our fifth learning cycle, although I will wait until after the quiz closes to launch the new material. | |
| Fri Oct 9 (Lab) | This lab session will be a drop-in for Parts 2 and 3 of Lab 2. | |
| Sat Oct 10 | Quiz 1 due at 9 am | |
| Mon Oct 12 (self-paced) | Use today to continue working and to get yourself ready for the upcoming sessions. |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle before next Wednesday |
|---|
| The focus coming into this cycle continues to be on this self-paced module: Our first few networks and a review of parametric least squares for spatial networks |
| You should come out of this cycle working on Parts 2 and 3 of Lab 2 which tie closely to that material. |
Oct 14-20: Finishing off Lab 2 and preparing for Lab 3
In this learning cycle, you will finish Lab 2 and we will move on to the materials required for Lab 3 on the topics of geodetic modeling and network design.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Oct 14 (Lec) | Today we’ll do our regular check-in, clarifying questions and look-ahead. I will debrief the quiz and provide general feedback. | There’s nothing specifically due today. |
| Fri Oct 16 (self-paced) | Today marks the start of our sixth learning cycle. By today I will release the next set of self-paced work and the self-assessment problems to be worked on before next Friday. See below for details. | |
| Fri Oct 16 (Lab) | This lab session will be the last drop-in for Parts 2 and 3 of Lab 2. | |
Moved to Oct 22 | Parts 2 and 3 of Lab 2 are due at 11:59 pm. | |
| Mon Oct 19 (self-paced) | Use today to continue working and to get yourself ready for the upcoming sessions. | Today will be our first Quality Circle meeting for this class. Please see D2L for details and for the names of your class reps. Again, the goal of the Quality Circle meeting is for me to learn from the class (via the reps) how I can make your learning experience as good as possible. Any feedback and ideas at all are welcome and appreciated. |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle before next Wednesday |
|---|
| As it may support your work on Parts 2 and 3 of Lab 2, a focus coming into this cycle continues to be on this self-paced module: Our first few networks and a review of parametric least squares for spatial networks |
| You can also begin working on the following topic for which you are responsible for Quiz 2 and which helps set the stage for Lab 3: Why gravity matters and an intro to pre-analysis for geospatial networks |
Oct 21-27: Why gravity matters + Pre-analysis for geospatial networks + Launching Lab 3
In this learning cycle, we will revisit the geodetic model we saw earlier as a vehicle for exploring the concepts of gravity, the geoid, height systems, least squares estimation, and pre-analysis for network design.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Oct 21 (Lec) | Today we’ll do our regular check-in, clarifying questions and look-ahead. I will discuss the newly released module that rounds out what you need to know for Quiz 2 and helps set the stage for Lab 3. I will also debrief the Quality Circle meeting that took place Monday and share other feedback and ideas I’ve received. | There’s nothing specifically due today, but be sure to have had a look at the related material. |
| Thu Oct 22 | The due date for Parts 2 and 3 of Lab 2 was moved to 11:59 pm tonight. | |
| Fri Oct 23 (self-paced) | Today marks the start of our seventh learning cycle. See the self-paced materials below for details. | |
| Fri Oct 23 (Lab) | This lab session will be a drop-in session for Lab 3. | |
| Mon Oct 26 (self-paced) | Use today to continue working and to get yourself ready for the upcoming sessions and to work on the lab. |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle before next Wednesday |
|---|
| As it supports your work for Quiz 2 and Lab 3, your focus should be on this self-paced module: Why gravity matters and an intro to pre-analysis for geospatial networks |
Oct 28 – Nov 3: Measures of precision and accuracy of coordinates + Quiz 2
In this learning cycle, you should be working on Lab 3 and preparing for Quiz 2. I’ll also be launching a new module on the topic of measures of precision and accuracy of coordinates for spatial networks that relates to both of these.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Oct 28 (Lec) | Today we’ll do our regular check-in, clarifying questions, and look-ahead. I will also take any questions related to the material that supports Lab 3 and Quiz 2 (which takes place on Friday). | There’s nothing specifically due today, but be sure to have had a look at the related material. |
| Fri Oct 30 (self-paced) | Quiz 2 will be handed out via D2L at the start of our regularly scheduled class period today. See the directions to be shared by email and on D2L. Today marks the start of our eighth learning cycle. See the self-paced materials below for details. | |
| Fri Oct 30 (Lab) | This will be a drop-in session for Lab 3. | |
| Mon Oct 26 (self-paced) | Use today to continue working and to get yourself ready for the upcoming sessions. |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle this cycle |
|---|
| As it supports your work for Quiz 2 and Lab 3, your focus should be on this self-paced module: Why gravity matters and an intro to pre-analysis for geospatial networks and the related self-assessment problems which are a great way to prepare for the quiz. |
| Here is the second module for this period that also relates to Lab 3: Local measures of position and accuracy of coordinates in spatial networks |
Nov 4-17: Reduction of observations + Lab 3 due + Launch of Class Project (+ Term break)
This learning cycle will be a little different. It’s two weeks long because it includes our term break. As you will see, it rounds out the material to be tested on Quiz 3 and launches the class project. You’re also required to hand in Lab 3 which you’ve had since Oct 16. We’ll keep the in-person sessions going either side of the break.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 4 (Lec) | Today we’ll meet to launch this portion of the course. I’ll speak to the related modules and answer any questions you have about what’s expected and how to prepare for Quiz 3. I’ll also launch the Class Project which is due Dec 1 and helps you prepare for our last quiz. | There’s nothing specifically due today, but be sure to have had a look at the related material. |
| Fri Nov 6 (self-paced) | Today marks the start of our ninth learning cycle. See the self-paced materials below for details. | |
| Fri Nov 6 (Lab) | This will be a last drop-in session for Lab 3. | Lab 3 is due today at 11:59 pm. |
| Nov 8-14 | This is the term break period. There are no classes on campus so it is by nature a self-paced portion of our time together. | |
| Mon Nov 16 (self-paced) | Use today to continue working and to get yourself ready for the upcoming sessions and quiz. |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle this cycle |
|---|
| Here are the modules for this learning cycle and on which Quiz 3 will be based: Local measures of precision and accuracy of coordinates in spatial networks and Introduction to the reduction of observations for geospatial networks. The latter also relates to Lab 4. |
Nov 18-24: Quiz 3 + Lab 4 + Network quality assessment
In this cycle you will write Quiz 3. I will also launch Lab 4 and our next module that provides an introduction to network quality assessment.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 18 (Lec) | Today we’ll do our regular check-in, clarifying questions, and look-ahead. I will share a few comments on Quiz 2 which was returned since we last met. I will launch Lab 4 (which is due Dec 4). I will also take questions related to either Quiz 3 (which takes place Friday) or the Class Project (which was launched on Nov 4 and is due Dec 1). | There’s nothing specifically due today, but you should be preparing for Quiz 3 which takes place Friday. |
| Fri Nov 20 (self-paced) | Quiz 3 will be handed out via D2L at the start of our regularly scheduled class period today. See the directions to be shared by email and on D2L. Today also marks the start of our next learning cycle. See below for the related self-paced work. | |
| Fri Nov 20 (Lab) | This will be a drop-in session for Lab 4. | |
| Mon Nov 23 (self-paced) | Use today to continue working and to get yourself ready for the upcoming sessions. |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle this cycle |
|---|
| Your first focus this week should be on preparing for Quiz 3 which is on the following modules: Local measures of precision and accuracy of coordinates in spatial networks and Introduction to the reduction of observations for geospatial networks |
| And here is our next module on Network quality assessment |
Nov 25 – Dec 1: Lab 4 + Datums and network design
In this cycle you will be working on Lab 4 and on the module on Network quality assessment, and I will launch our last module on the topic of Datums and the design of spatial and geospatial networks.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 25 (Lec) | Today we’ll do our regular check-in, clarifying questions, and look-ahead. I will share a few comments on Quiz 3, the solution to which is found here. I will answer questions on Lab 4 (which is due Dec 4) and the Class Project (which is due Dec 1). | There’s nothing specifically due today, but you should be working on Lab 4 and preparing for Quiz 4. |
| Fri Nov 27 (self-paced) | Today marks the start of our next learning cycle. See below for the related self-paced work. | |
| Fri Nov 27 (Lab) | This will be a drop-in session for Lab 4. | |
| Mon Nov 30 (self-paced) | Use today to continue working and to get yourself ready for the upcoming sessions. |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle this cycle |
|---|
| You should begin this cycle by staying focused on this module Network quality assessment |
| And here is our final module: On datums and the design of spatial and geospatial networks |
Dec 2-9: Datums and network design + Quiz 4 + That’s a wrap!
This is our last learning cycle.
| Date | Activities and topics | Things due or required |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Dec 2 (Lec) | Today we’ll do our regular check-in, clarifying questions, and look-ahead. I will share a few comments on the upcoming Quiz 4 and on Lab 4. | There’s nothing specifically due today, but you should be working on Lab 4 and preparing for Quiz 4. |
| Fri Dec 4 (self-paced) | No class today. Use the time to work on the remaining materials. | |
| Fri Dec 4 (Lab) | This will be the last drop-in session for Lab 4. | Lab 4 due at 11:59 pm. |
| Mon Dec 7 (self-paced) | Use today to continue working and to get yourself ready for the upcoming quiz. | |
| Wed Dec 9 | This is the last day of classes. I will launch Quiz 4 to you which will be in the same style and format as always. |
| Summary of the self-paced work to tackle this cycle |
|---|
| You should working on the modules for Quiz 4: Network quality assessment |
| And: On datums and the design of spatial and geospatial networks |
| And on the notes your class created as part of the Class Project, which I will share by email and on D2L. |
Watch this spot for the rest of the schedule to roll out and for links to the rest of the online textbook materials as they are released.
Welcome!
Alex Bruton, PhD, PEng, MBA
(You can access the earlier course I mention at any time right here.)
Key dates
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Sep 9 | First day of class! |
| Sep 24 | Lab 1 due by 11:59 pm |
| Oct 8 | Part 1 of Lab 2 due by 11:59 pm |
| Quiz 1 | |
| Oct 19 | Quality Circle meeting |
| Parts 2 and 3 of Lab 2 due by 11:59 pm | |
| Quiz 2 | |
| Lab 3 due by 11:59 pm | |
| Nov 20 | Quiz 3 |
| Dec 1 | Class Project due by 11:59 pm |
| Lab 4 due by 11:59 pm | |
| Dec 9 | Quiz 4 |
Note: We will discuss these dates in class and any required changes will be discussed and announced ahead of time.
Note: All times and dates are in the mountain time zone.