You will know how to
1. make useful maps for various uses
2. utilize existing geographical data using GIS
3. produce and collect your own geographical data
4. find relevant data in big GIS-databases
5. produce clever spatial insights by GIS analysis
6. communicate with digital maps

Not required

- open source databases with geographical information
- GIS-applications
- presentation of GIS-material

Bioeconomy is largely based on spatial data concerning the quantity and quality of various resources. Professionals within the bioeconomy sector often have to make decisions where spatial thinking ability is necessary. Therefore GIS (Geographical Information Systems, paikkatietojärjestelmät) can be seen as an important decision support system tool for planning and monitoring of ecosystem services, the built environment, transport services, etc.

This online course is an introduction to GIS, primarily for students in the bioeconomy and environmental sectors. You will learn how to use tools and methods that helps you handle, visualize, analyze and share geographical information in your work.

The course is practice oriented and includes a number of exercises, based on open data and open source software that the student can download for free. As a general rule, exercises will result in maps, some of which are to be uploaded to Moodle in PDF format for evaluation and feed-back from the teacher.