by Jennifer Strang

What is a ‘Lunchless Learn’, you may ask? It’s a hands-on tutorial, held around lunchtime, open to all on campus – without the food.

A GIS, or Geographic Information System, is “a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, integrating, manipulating, analyzing and displaying data relating to positions on earth’s surface.” In other words, it’s an easy and fun way to look at the world differently.

This series will give you a taste of what GIS is and how it can be used. These sessions are meant to be self-contained. After the intro session, take only the topics that are important/interest you.

This year, the Lunchless Learns are being taught using two different software packages – ArcGIS Pro and QGIS.  ArcGIS Pro is currently the leading commercial GIS Software that is available only using the Windows platform. QGIS is an open source software that is available across many platforms (demo is shown on a Windows platform).  The content of both sessions is the same, only the software is different.

In order to run the ArcGIS Pro sessions, you will need to use either a Dalhousie Windows machine (in the library or lab), have the software downloaded on your own machine, or run it on VLab (ArcGIS).  If you are not familiar with VLab, please check out https://dalu.sharepoint.com/sites/software prior to the start of the session.

In order to run the sessions in QGIS you must have QGIS loaded on the machine you’ll be working on. QGIS software can be downloaded for many platforms from https://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html.

Please register for each session you are interested in. In advance of the session, you will receive an email containing data that you will need to use during the session.

1. QGIS – Intro: First Encounters of the GIS Kind: Tuesday, September 27/1–2:30 p.m.
2. ArcGIS Pro Intro: First Encounters of the GIS Kind: Wednesday, September 28/1–2:30 p.m.
3. QGIS Data: So You Want to Make a Map – Where and How to find data: Tuesday, October 4/1–2:30 p.m.
4. ArcGIS Pro Data: So You Want to Make a Map – Where and How to Find Data: Wednesday, October 5/1–2:30 p.m.
5. QGIS Raster: How to Become a Raster Master: Tuesday, October 11/1–2:30 p.m.
6. ArcGIS Pro Raster: How to Become a Raster Master: Wednesday, October 12/1–2:30 p.m.
7. QGIS Cartography: Maps – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Tuesday, October 18/1–2:30 p.m.
8. ArcGIS Pro Cartography: Maps – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Wednesday, October 19/1–2:30 p.m.

If you have any questions please email  jennifer.strang@dal.ca