期刊名称：ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
印刷版ISSN：2194-9042
电子版ISSN：2194-9050
出版年度：2005
卷号：XXXVI-6/W30
出版社：Copernicus Publications
摘要：This paper presents the results of three seven-week distance education courses entitled The Use of Remote Sensing for Environmental Studies for Undergraduate Professors. In Brazil distance learning has become a crucial tool for broadening education outreach to its territory and making available quality programs and materials to different audiences. Among selection criteria, student geographic location was one of the most important. Students residing far away from the Brazilian Institute for Space Research (INPE) headquarters had preference, because they have less chances of attending courses at INPE and less access to information. The main goal of these introductory courses is to diffuse the use of remote sensing as part of the curriculum and pedagogical resource to teaching science topics in universities. The objective is to create collaborative learning opportunities through on-line courses for in-service college educators fostering their continuing professional development, reinforcing the importance of applying new technologies and encouraging them to disseminate what they have learned among students and colleagues. A free distance education software called Teleduc has been used to support these web-based courses. It has facilitated the interaction among students with different backgrounds (Geography, Geology, Agronomy etc.) creating a rich cooperative environment. Hands-on exercises have been made available through specially structured tutorials and selected datasets. Students are encouraged to use SPRING (INPE's image processing free software) and gather data for their own study areas among the several public sources available (CBERS and LANDSAT images, digital maps, SRTM topographic data etc.). The outcome of these courses has been extremely positive. It turns out that on-line courses meet the need for flexible and interactive training enabling students to increase their knowledge and dissemination skills. Our group intends to keep improving and encouraging the creation of more advanced distance courses such as remote sensing applied to Hydrosphere, Agriculture, and Urban Studies.
