Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

3D geovisualization methods, concepts and theory. Bridges conventional geographic visualization with emerging 3D methods. Emphasizes user-centered design and cognitive implications.

COURSE DETAILS:

GEOG 356 REMOTE SPECIAL EDITION FOR FALL 2020 😊 ! SEE ADDITIONAL DESCRIPTIONS OF REMOTE COURSE LOGISTICS (Note: this longer course outline is designed to help provide maximum detail/context to support your success!)

Course Description       
Emerging technologies are changing the way we generate digital representations of geographic spaces.

Modern methods of 3D data acquisition (i.e. 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry) have become industry standards, delivering powerful 3D characterizations of geographic space and revealing new opportunities to create 3D analytical geovisualizations.  3D spatial data proficiency is going to become a critical skill as industry and science adopt game engines, virtual environments and mixed reality interfaces as new spatial interface standards.

This course trains students how to design and build analytical 3D geovisualizations for applied geographic problems, using 3D data, analysis, visualization and interfaces. This course prepares students for an emerging new world of geovisual analysis and communication in GIScience. In fact several GEOG356 students have been hired by companies in the 3D geospatial information and interface sector already!

In GEOG 356, we will explore a range of contemporary and emerging 3D visualization technologies for geovisualization and critically review their properties and potential in geospatial applications. You will learn how to capture geographic phenomena in 3D using a range of methods, including: 3D scanning; Structure-from-Motion (SfM); LiDAR and UAVs (drones). We will explore the workflows needed to build 3D GIS and 3D geographic virtual environments from these data types. I will show you how to design and build a variety of 3D geovisualizations using a range of analysis and simulation methods. You will get to experience 3D data visualizations (including your own). We will consider all of these experiences through the perspectives of geovisualization, GIScience, spatial cognition, and spatial interface research – at a time when 3D surveying and emerging virtual and mixed reality geovisual platforms are in need of 3D GIScience specialists.

Newly reworked for 2020, GEOG 356 provides students of many backgrounds with an introduction to the rapidly emerging fields of 3D geographic visualization and 3D GIScience, gaining first-hand experience with 3D data and its use, 3D geovisual analysis and simulation. Students will be introduced to thinking about spatial problems and phenomena in three dimensions. We will explore the capabilities of 3D data capture, 3D representation, 3D spatial analysis and simulation, interaction and interpretation of 3D visualizations.

We will explore questions such as: How do we design and perform 3D spatial data surveys using laser scanners, drones, and underwater sensors? What types of data do they produce? What can we do with these data? What sorts of analysis, and simulations are possible? What new forms of 3D geovisualization can we implement? How can 3D data, representation, visualization and analysis be applied to challenges in fields that span the whole spectrum of spatial phenomena? How are these emerging technologies and methods defining future 3D GIScience?

Students will be guided through 3D geovisual GIScience skill-building activities – focused through applied problem-solving contexts tuned to students who take this course. These may include: environmental change; social science; human dynamics; urban development; archaeology and cultural heritage; Earth science; natural hazards; data from Mars; and many more!

Objectives of Course Content
This class is designed as an accessible, experiential course for a wide range of students – organized in a modular format. Lectures and labs will be used flexibly to introduce and demonstrate 3D concepts, data, methods, visual analysis and interface technologies. Assignments have been newly designed to be achievable in students’ busy schedules, while delivering training and experience with 3D data, visualization and interaction.

In week 1, students will be polled, in order to tune content and activities to their interests and objectives.

Students will learn how to design and produce 3D visualizations for presentation and communication of spatial phenomena to academic and public audiences. students will learn how to generate, process and use 3D data from laser scanning, UAVs (drones) and other platforms. Students will learn how to generate 3D representations of a variety of spatial phenomena, using a range of 3D data formats. Students will learn how to perform 3D spatial analyses and simulations.

Students in this course will be supported by assigned readings, discussion, position papers, hands-on exercises, demonstrations of 3D methods and interface technologies, and applied examples.

COURSE ORGANIZATION
For Fall 2020, due to COVID-19, GEOG 356 will be delivered in a new, remote format: A weekly online video Episode to introduce concepts, methods, demonstrations.; a weekly Unpack the Episode discussion session; a video introduction and instructions at the start of each training module - for hands-on training in methods, labs and course assignments, and demonstrations.; weekly group video Q&A with a TA.  Lectures and labs will be used flexibly to introduce and demonstrate 3D concepts, data, methods, visual analysis and interface technologies.

COURSE COMPONENTS (see next page for more detail)                                                                         

Weekly remote video Episodes

Weekly Unpack the Episode live video discussion/Q&A

Weekly Lab video exercise introduction and instructions

Weekly Remote Lab Q&A with TA

Online mini quizzes (as part of assignment grade)

Online course exam (see below)

Final project

COURSE LOGISTICS FOR MEANINGFUL REMOTE LEARNING EXPERIENCES                                         

IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW GEOG 356 WILL WORK REMOTELY: During Fall 2020, Federal and Provincial guidelines require us to adapt conventional formats to a remote delivery format. While this remoteness is critical to keeping everyone safe and healthy, I am determined that this course can and will be meaningful, engaging, and worthwhile for all students and their education/training. In the following sections, the scope of the course components, and how they will work remotely, are described…

 

REMOTE LECTURES, LABS AND EXAMS                                                                                                      

Lectures as weekly Episodes

In order to maximize the ability of all students to connect with and experience lecture material as a narrative from me, rather than online PDF notes, my lecture materials will be made available as weekly video ‘episodes’. These episodes will allow students to benefit from a narrative of 3D data, 3D GIScience and 3D Geovisualization ideas, concepts, methods and perspective. In each episode, 3D data, 3D GIScience, and 3D geovisualization concepts, methods will be introduced, explained, demonstrated, discussed and sometimes critiqued. You will also be introduced to applied 3D data/GIScience/3D geovisualization workflows, through presentation of applied projects, including discussion of project management skills.

Producing lectures as online videos, means that they will be accessible/downloadable from our online class platform (Canvas), allowing asynchronous viewing/ playback/pausing/viewing/review control for everyone, to suit each student’s personal schedule.

Note that we are also going to try some very innovative, first-of-their-kind ways to experience/deliver some of the content on 3D data, 3D GIScience and 3D geovisualization!

Weekly live discussion in Unpack the Episode

It is also essential, however, that you (my students!) can benefit from live discussion and clarification of lecture topics and questions. Therefore, I will also host weekly ‘Unpack the Episode’ live video discussion. These meetings will be held during GEOG 356’s scheduled ‘lecture time’. These meetings will use Canvas BB collaborate Ultra, and/or Zoom.

Remote Labs

Once a week you will have assigned lab training activities, where you will work through a sequence of exercises that introduce you to: 3D data generation and manipulation; 3D data processing and analysis; 3D simulation; 3D geovisual analysis; 3D GIS software use. Labs are intended as a technical apprenticeship in a repertoire of 3D data, analysis, simulation and visualization methods, running parallel to lectures, and informed by the ideas, concepts and perspectives discussed in lecture. Labs will begin in Week 2. In Week 1, we will poll students to check on resources (including personal/off-campus computing access) to participate in and complete labs, so that we can identify and put in place a plan for maximum student experience, and success.

UNDERSTANDING THE FORMAT OF REMOTE LABS IN FALL 2020 Each topic/training module in lab will be kicked off with a video introduction/presentation by your TA. (This video will also serve as an instructional reference and be made accessible on Canvas). Accompanying the video, will be a set of digital notes providing instructions to follow for each training module. Some guidelines will be very step-by-step, while others will intentionally challenge you to figure out solutions to problems. All meaningful training and experience! Each week, your TA will hold remote video Q&A in support of lab work, lab section-by-section. Note that this will be conducted in the most efficient way possible – preferably as specific topics/questions presented to groups of students requesting support. We reserve the right to modify the format of these instructional materials/resources if, through the process of remote lab delivery, we perceive there to be more effective ways to maximize student experiences, and TA time efficiency.

 

UNDERSTANDING THE LOGISTICS OF REMOTE COMPUTING IN LABS IN FALL 2020: Normally, these labs are conducted as in-person sessions in physical computing labs, with software installed on PCs. In this new remote context, computing will have to be done remotely. There are 2 options to achieve this: Option 1: student uses off-campus computer to access SFU computing labs (and installed GIS/3D software), via internet. Option 2: students download and install a local copies of software on their personal machine. We will tune the lab/training to students’ computing/access context, using primarily open-source software and cloud processing as much as possible. We will discuss each student’s computing situation with them in Week 1, to determine best course of action for maximum positive experience in this class.

 

UNDERSTANDING THE LOGISTICS OF REMOTE EXAMS and QUIZZES IN FALL 2020 Quizzes and exams will both be administered remotely, through Canvas. The schedule will be synchronous (i.e. typically during the respective scheduled class timeslot or within an assignment cycle).

 

FINAL PROJECT                                                                                                                                            

A key component of this course will be the production of a small portfolio-quality applied GIS project. The final project enables you to integrate and demonstrate the GIS skills/methods (and GIScience thinking) you have learned, focused through one of a collection of applied thematic topics (designed/tuned to the interests of students in the course). Proactive planning and time management are important to produce a great project. Deliverables will be submitted digitally.

EXPECTATIONS                                                                                                                                             

Technological expectations:
Given the need for remote computing in the ongoing COVID-19 situation, students should thoroughly evaluate the computing resources (computer; internet access and bandwidth) that they will have access to for Fall 2020. See details above. We will poll students in Week 1 to make sure everyone has a feasible arrangement with which to successfully access/perform lab work.

Student conduct and integrity:
We expect all students to hold themselves to the highest standards of scholarly practice and integrity. Your work should be completed by YOU and nobody else. We reserve the right to use plagiarism detection software. Here’s why you should not attempt to cheat in this remote course. Even if you get away with cheating on tests or deliverables now, it WILL come back to bite you in the future, when, despite getting a good grade in this or other remote courses, you don’t ‘know your stuff’ when it is put to the test in future courses, job interviews, or jobs. Do yourself a favor - thrive in this course through your own effort, a positive attitude, and with maximum integrity.

Recommended familiarity
For maximum benefit, students should be familiar and comfortable with the Windows desktop environment especially using files and folders in Windows and navigating to folders and files from within specific applications; we expect students to have a working knowledge of either ArcGIS or QGIS. You will be using a range of tools, converting data and moving them between different software packages.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Students completing this course, students will be:

1. a) knowledgeable about how emerging geovisualization technologies raise new opportunities for representing and visualizing geographic spaces;
2. b) experienced in the planning, design, field strategy and implications of 3D spatial data capture, using 3D laser scanning (LiDAR); UAVs (Drones); Structure-from-Motion (SfM); and other 3D capture technologies;
3. c) experienced in a range of 3D geovisualization technologies (incl. 3D GIS; 3D game engines repurposed to spatial analysis and visualization);
4. d) trained in how to design and implement 3D geovisualizations of their own;
5. e) able to combine 2D and 3D spatial analysis with interactive 3D visualization systems;
6. f) trained in multi-platform workflow to develop analytical 3D geovisualizations;
7. g) trained in spatial project design and management skills;
8. h) able to integrate 3D spatial data and geovisualization methods and thinking into their future work.

Grading

Materials

RECOMMENDED READING: