290701 VU Conceptual Modelling and Programming (2026S)

This class will introduce students to conceptual modeling and programming, focusing on spatial and geographic data and modeling domain problems in (human and physical) geography, transportation studies, urban studies, and so forth.

Prior programming knowledge is not required, but the class is moving at a rapid pace, starting from the very basics, such as variables and control structures, to more advanced topics, including graphical user interfaces, animations, user interaction, basic data structures, cellular automata, and spatial analytics more broadly.

The class will focus on object-oriented modeling and programming using Java, but most materials will generalize to modern programming languages, be they C++ or Python.

While this is a hands-on, coding-intensive class that should prepare students for both industry and academic needs, its ultimate aim is to help students understand the path from a concrete domain problem to its computational implementation, e.g., from understanding the spread of disease to the data structures, models, methods, graphical interfaces, and so forth, to simulate this spread on a computer.

For each session a (short) theoretical block will be followed by in-class programming in small teams and finish with a discussion of results. While AI-guided software engineering will play an increasing role in the future, the class aims at providing GIS/SDS, humans geography, and physical geography students a first understanding of topics such as:

1. Data Types, Operators, and Control Statements
2. Classes, Objects, and Methods
3. Variables, Classes, Methods, and their Scope
4. Inheritance and Polymorphism
5. Interfaces and Encapsulation
6. Complexity in Modeling
7. Graphical User Interfaces
8. Model-View-Controller
9. Basic Input/Output and Networking
10. Exception Handling