Unit Outline

Everything on earth and in space has a location, and in modern society we use spatial information (i.e. positions) to understand the world around us and our place in it. The rise of easily-accessible location data via Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) has changed the way we live and significantly influenced how decisions are made, from the personal to corporate and government levels. Positioning via satellite has now become an indispensable tool in many industries and across scientific disciplines. As a result, individuals with expertise in GNSS positioning and applications are in high demand and will play a crucial role in advancing the economy, technology, industry and science.

Successful completion of this unit will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of GNSS theory and applications. You will learn about the underlying principles and operation of GNSS positioning including signal transmission, reception, and processing. You will also gain an understanding of the various sources of errors and biases in GNSS measurements and learn how to mitigate them during data collection and analysis. When working with GNSS data it is crucial that coordinate datums and transformations are well understood and correctly applied and so, at the beginning of the semester, we will also review the theory of coordinate definition and transformation. In the weekly hands-on activities and practical classes, students will develop skills in data collection and analysis to achieve different levels of positioning accuracy, from centimeter-level for surveying and geodesy applications to meter-level for navigation and mapping applications. You will also gain an understanding of the choices that are often required to be made between maintaining accuracy and precision, versus efficiency and cost when undertaking spatial data collection and analysis. Upon completion of this unit, you will have gained the skills and knowledge necessary to evaluate and select appropriate GNSS data collection and correction methodologies across a range of applications.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Explain the relationship between GNSS theory and the accuracy of coordinated data.
2	Evaluate coordinate definitions and transformations relevant to working with GNSS data.
3	Develop professional methodologies for the collection, analysis and presentation of of GNSS data.
4	Appraise GNSS survey outcomes in a scientific manner.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	KGG539

Alterations as a result of student feedback

Changed from 3 to 2 Quizzes.

Added extra time for case-study.

Moved coordinates assignment earlier in semester.

Added extra Fieldwork time.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Coordinates Assignment	Week 7	10 %	LO2
Assessment Task 2:	RTK-GNSS data collection and analysis	Week 8	15 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	GNSS Case Study	Week 13	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 4:	Static GNSS data collections and analysis	Week 13	25 %	LO1, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 5:	GNSS Quizzes	Refer to Assessment Description	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Coordinates Assignment

Task Description:

This assessment will develop your skills in understanding, interpreting and performing mathematical analyses on coordinate data. You will demonstrate understanding of the coordinate datums that are most commonly used in Australia, why they are important and how they are defined and implemented. Individual answers to specific computational and written answer questions will be submitted.

Task Length:

Approximately 7 computational and written questions relating to coordinate computation and definition.

Due Date:

Week 7 (19/Apr/2026)

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Evaluate coordinate computations using standard methodology	LO2
2	Explain the coordinate datums relevant to working with GNSS coordinate data.	LO2

Assessment Task 2: RTK-GNSS data collection and analysis

Task Description:

This assessment will develop your skills in using equipment and software commonly employed in RTK_GNSS surveys and extend your ability to present survey results in a scientific format.

You will be given a real-world client brief and undertake fieldwork, data processing and data analysis to meet that brief. This assessment task includes undertaking 3 - 6hrs of fieldwork to collect satellite positioning data on the Sandy Bay campus plus 6 - 9 hrs of data processing and analysis using specialist software.

Your report will describe the design, analysis and outcomes of a simple mapping exercise to collect and present data at a level of accuracy required for the majority of satellite positioning surveys. Much of the work required for this report will be conducted during practical classes in the first half of semester.

Task Length:

You will submit a scientific report summarising the work completed in practical classes - approximately 4 - 8 pages in length (written analysis, tables and figures).

Due Date:

Week 8 (26/Apr/2026)

Weight:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Employ GNSS data collection methodologies for a given scenario.	LO3
2	Analyse GNSS survey data in a scientific manner.	LO1, LO4
3	Communicate coordinate data in a scientific manner.	LO2, LO4

Assessment Task 3: GNSS Case Study

Task Description:

You will be provided with a real-world scenario involving collecting and analysing satellite positioning data for a specific purpose. From the information provided and your knowledge of satellite positioning you will develop a work-plan for the given task and provide justification of your plan with respect to theory. The test will be held in-person but delivered online (i.e. you will need to attend campus to sit the test) and you will have 1.5-hours to complete it in week 13.

Task Length:

1.5 hour in-person, invigilated, closed-book case study analysis of a given example scenario. Submission of a work plan (including justification against theory) will be required

Due Date:

Week 13 (27/May/2026)

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Develop GNSS field and analytical procedures for a given scenario.	LO2, LO3
2	Justify the selection of GNSS field and processing methodologies.	LO1
3	Explain the relationship between methodology and outcomes for GNSS surveys.	LO1

Assessment Task 4: Static GNSS data collections and analysis

Task Description:

This assessment will develop your skills in using equipment and software commonly employed in static GNSS surveys and extend your ability to present survey results in a scientific format. You will undertake fieldwork, data processing and analysis to assess the changes in static survey outcomes when a range of different observation and processing variables are applied. This assessment task includes undertaking 3hrs of fieldwork to collect satellite positioning data on the Sandy Bay campus plus 9 hrs of data processing and analysis using specialist software. This report will will describe the design, analysis and outcomes of a static GNSS survey to collect and present data at a level of accuracy required for scientific and high-precision applications. Much of the work required for this report will be conducted during practical classes in the second half of semester.

Task Length:

You will submit a scientific report summarising the work completed in practical classes - approximately 6-10 pages in length (numerical and written analysis, tables and figures).

Due Date:

Week 13 (29/May/2026)

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Employ field methodologies to collect static GNSS data.	LO3
2	Communicate the outcomes of satellite positioning surveys using written, numerical and visual aids.	LO4
3	Appraise the impact of a range of variables on the quality of results from satellite positioning surveys.	LO1, LO4
4	Develop processing methodologies to extract information from satellite positioning data.	LO3

Assessment Task 5: GNSS Quizzes

Task Description:

Throughout semester you will be required to complete 2 closed-book, invigilated online quizzes. Each quiz will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions relating to the unit curriculum from the preceding weeks. Students will be assessed on satellite positioning technical knowledge and understanding of coordinate systems. Quizzes will be held during tutorial class sessions in weeks 6 and 12. Each quiz is worth 15% of your overall mark.

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Lane 1 tasks in this unit are the 2x in-person Quizzes and 1x Case Study test.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.