Introduction to the Course

The world of information is massive, complex, dynamic and multi-dimensional. The synthesis of information visually - coherently and accurately in the form of often flat, static graphs and charts, maps, photos, videos, and text - is challenging, yet vital to comprehending the world we live in.

In the first half of this course, students will learn about visual communication, perception and cognition; and map reading, analysis and interpretation activities and tasks. With this background, students will then be able to understand effective cartographic communication, and translate this into the design of cartographic and other visual products.

In the second half of this course, students will explore the effect of the web on the study and practice of cartography by examining a variety of on-line maps, infographics, and community mapping portals. Students will also have the opportunity to learn techniques for visualizing historical data, methods for mapping health data, and how to teach mapping and spatial concepts to children.