Education/Visualisation

The representation of remote sensing in schools does not correspond at all to the importance of this key technology in scientific and business applications. Although integrated in a growing number of federal curricula in Germany, satellite images are implemented only hesitantly into geography education. The presumed complexity of earth observation techniques together with a lack of experience leads to a discouragement of teachers. The use of satellite imagery in the classroom is therefore often limited to the interpretation of analogue images in school books. The project "Learning to understand the Earth - Using modern satellite image technology for earth observation for adolescents" (Space4Geography) presents a web-based learning environment which seeks encouraging and facilitating the application of remote sensing methods in school.

This aim is achieved by putting emphasis on real geographical events in a problem-oriented learning framework rather than the theory of remote sensing. In ten learning modules dealing with key issues of geography education, students from 5^th to 13^th grade are confronted with a geographical problem (e.g. the California Drought, flooding in Germany, deforestation of the Peru rainforest). In the course of the modules, they learn about the background of the given issue in separate knowledge units presenting multimodal information (texts, pictures, animations, interactive maps, videos) in an up-to-date web layout. The learning success is assessed in interactive tasks. The difficulty of key contents within the learning modules is automatically adapted to the students’ level based on the score achieved in tasks. Using the integrated web-based remote sensing software “BLIF”, the students are then enabled to independently work with original high-resolution satellite images to solve the problem. The necessary analysis steps for these processes are explained on a very basic level to keep the students’ focus on the overarching geographical storyline. After successful module completion, each student receives an individual certificate.

The curricula relevance of the module topics as well as the length of the modules, which equals 90 minutes or one double lesson in Germany, guarantee an easy integration of the learning environment in class. Neither teacher training nor any infrastructure further than a tablet or personal computer with internet access is needed. After registration, teachers are granted access to an internal area where they can manage their classes and supervise their students’ learning progress, score and working time in the learning modules.

The oral presentation will cover the technical objectives of the 'Education in Earth Observation for Bulgarian Secondary Schools' (EEOBSS) project developed under the first Call under ESA PECS in Bulgaria. The Project main objective is providing for Earth Observation (EO) education to Bulgarian secondary schools. The main technical objectives of the proposal are directed to: 1) Development of EO lecture material for the secondary schools in Bulgaria; and 2) Promotion of EO to young people: demonstration and social communication activities. These form two of the Project's work packages. The objectives are planned to be met through implementation of several tasks connected with EO curriculum development for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, testing in class, an EO summer school, an open day and exhibition, social media and local media broadcasts, and a project website with an eLearning platform. After the implementation of the Project it is expected manifold impacts directed as with school and university education development - through free use of EO lecture materials, as with creating a niche for such education in Bulgarian secondary-school education. This is expected to help future generation to orient themselves for their career path in an environment of big and open satellite data and products within the emerging European Space market. The presentation will also cover the status of the project activities connected with the EO curriculum development.

As the leading provider of distance education in New Zealand, Massey University has not only experienced staff, but also the resources and know-how to deliver online courses at all levels. These may include certificates of proficiency for single subjects, undergraduate courses leading to degrees, and postgraduate courses taken as part of diplomas, masterates and doctorates.

In subjects related to Earth Observation, the following four courses are presently available: GIS and Remote Sensing, Applied Remote Sensing, Environmental GIS and Environmental Remote Sensing. Each of these papers is offered in both internal (on campus) and distance modes so that the experience gained in teaching them internally can be used to develop and improve the online version. Both internal and distance students have access to the same online components which include lecture notes, PowerPoint presentations, video tutorials, reference materials (book chapters, conference proceedings, theses and journal articles), links to other relevant websites, data, exercises and model answers.

Three modules from these courses will be described and the content displayed using a live link.

Digital imagery and image enhancement…

In GIS and Remote Sensing (year 2 of a 3-year B Sc).

A simple image is created from 12 numbers arranged in a 4x3 matrix. Various flags are displayed by changing these numbers using different techniques.

The histograms of a single band from a satellite image are compared before and after enhancement; raw, linear stretch, histogram equalisation.

Downloading free satellite imagery…

In Applied Remote Sensing (post graduate diploma course)

How to acquire full datasets for Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2, and high resolution quicklooks for SPOT, Quickbird and Worldview. Orthopohotos in the public domain, historic to present day, are also investigated.

Monitoring Chlorophyll-a in New Zealand coastal waters…

In Environmental Remote Sensing (post graduate paper for M Sc)

Time series products are created. These are derived primarily from MODIS and processed on the fly by Giovanni, the bridge between data and science, at NASA’s Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Centre.

Whether it is gender violence or the refugee problem or the Zika crisis in Latin
America, progress in international development is often challenged by multiple
interdependent factors. Mitigating these factors requires behavior change that
can be harnessed through continuous learning. In January 2016, the World Bank
Group launched the Open Learning Campus (OLC), a free, networked, highly
participative global learning commons. Here, diverse stakeholders - policy
makers, practitioners, partners WB staff and the public at large - can learn at
their own pace and access the knowledge they need, in versatile formats-from
bite-sized lessons to full-length courses to peer-to-peer conversations. In the
OLC, development lessons to tackle vexing challenges in water, health, energy,
education etc are captured from across the global and made available at your
fingertips just-in-time, This presentation will focus on experiences so far and
a look ahead, including partnership opportunities.

Radar remote sensing has a long and prosper tradition in the Earth observation sciences. Past, present and future satellite missions provide vast amounts of data for the analysis of the condition and development of the Earth surface as well as natural and anthropogenic habitats. The application of radar data is rife in nearly all fields of geoscientific research, decision making and the creation of commercial geographic products.

The project SAR-EDU is a joint education initiative of the Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena (FSU), the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and numerous partners in radar-related scientific institutions. In a previous project phase two main cornerstones for education in the field of applied radar remote sensing were established. Since 2013 the FSU is hosting a yearly summer school on applied radar remote sensing. Furthermore DLR and FSU published the SAR-EDU learning portal in late 2014 (https://saredu.dlr.de). This web portal is designed to provide access to a vast range of teaching material regarding the basics, methods and applications for radar remote sensing.

In the recent project phase it is planned to equip the existing web portal with further interactive functionality in order to create a vital online community for radar remote sensing education. The teaching material is available under a creative commons license (CC BY-SA 4.0) allowing for the usage, adaption and distribution of the material.

Future visions for this education platform include the creation of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC)  and innovative ways to provide, share and communicate application oriented SAR knowledge.