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Teaching Geoinformatics: Teaching Geoinformatics: Computer Science PerspectiveComputer Science Perspective

Ann Quiroz GatesProfessor and Chair

Department of Computer ScienceThe University of Texas at El Paso

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OrganizationOrganization

Computer Science PerspectiveGeoscience PerspectiveOpen Discussion

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OverviewOverview

Approaches Software Engineering: A Project-Driven

Approach Example Projects Challenges

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Session GoalsSession Goals

Acquire ideas on how to integrate geoinformatics into Geoscience and Computing curricula

Learn about an approach to develop cross-disciplinary software projects

Have fun!

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QuestionQuestion

What approaches can be used to introduce geoinformatics into the classroom?

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Suggested Approaches-1Suggested Approaches-1 Integrate geoinformatics components into courses

– TeraGrid Education, Outreach, and Training• Discover Data: Incorporate scientific data into curriculum• Data Bridge: Organize data in common file formats and visualizehttp://www.teragrid.org/eot/resources_edu.html

– Digital Library for Earth Systems Education• Earth Exploration Toolkit• Discover our Earth

http://www.dlese.org/educators/usingdata.html

– NCSA: Cybereducationhttp://education.ncsa.uiuc.edu/

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Suggested Approaches-2Suggested Approaches-2

Integrate tutorials into course, e.g., Kepler Develop exercises around GEON portal and

others Collaborate with faculty from Computer

Science, Information Technology/Systems, or Software Engineering programs– Offer courses that are cross listed across

departments– Include guest speakers in course– Become involved in project-driven courses

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QuestionsQuestions

How do you develop complex software systems?

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Waterfall ModelWaterfall Model

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Incremental ModelIncremental Model

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Where does the client fit in?Where does the client fit in?

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UTEP’s Software Engineering Course UTEP’s Software Engineering Course A Project-Driven ApproachA Project-Driven Approach

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Course Overview-1Course Overview-1

Teach and apply software engineering methods, tools, and techniques

Work with an actual customer to develop a product

Prepare documentation in adherence to IEEE standards

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Course Overview-2Course Overview-2

Two-semester (32-week) required course Approximately 30 seniors enrolled Instructor-selected teams consisting of 5

students Students: limited background in SE

principles, methods, and process

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Cross-Disciplinary FeaturesCross-Disciplinary Features

High interaction with clients (e.g., geoscientist and graduate students) to define requirements

Guest speakers used to provide background Experts used to critique prototypes and

validate deliverables Experts provide feedback to students at the

end-of-semester presentations

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Course BenefitsCourse Benefits

Students learn how to interact with people from different disciplines

Students develop cross-disciplinary knowledge The course results in a working prototype that

can be adopted and deployed GEON Perspective

– Prepare students who can work on cross-disciplinary projects in the geo-science domain

– Contribute to the geo-science toolkit– Promote the field of geoinformatics

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Master-Apprenticeship Learning Master-Apprenticeship Learning CycleCycle

Phase 1: Individual Phase 2: Team

Client

Create (Revise) Deliverable

Review; Master-

Apprentice Work Session

DraftDeliverableFeedback

FeedbackApply

ResultsKnowledge

Assess

Learn

Final Deliverable

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Master-Apprenticeship Learning Master-Apprenticeship Learning CycleCycle

Phase 1: Individual Phase 2: Team

Client

Create (Revise) Deliverable

Review; Master-

Apprentice Work Session

DraftDeliverableFeedback

FeedbackApply

ResultsKnowledge

Assess

Learn

Final Deliverable

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Master-Apprenticeship Learning Master-Apprenticeship Learning CycleCycle

Phase 1: Individual Phase 2: Team

Client

Create (Revise) Deliverable

Review; Master-

Apprentice Work Session

DraftDeliverableFeedback

FeedbackApply

ResultsKnowledge

Assess

Learn

Final Deliverable

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Deliverables: SE1Deliverables: SE1

Interview report Feasibility report Software Requirements Specification Interface prototype Analysis diagrams and models

– Use Case diagrams– Scenarios– Class diagrams– State transition diagrams– Dataflow diagrams

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Deliverables: SE2Deliverables: SE2

Configuration management plan Design document Test plans “Contracted” software

Funded students complete software development after the course completes

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Effective TeamsEffective Teams

Students must leave course with demonstrated abilities to work in teams.

Teams must be monitored. Basis: cooperative paradigm

– Positive interdependence– Promotive interaction– Individual accountability– Teach team skills– Group processing

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Creating TeamsCreating Teams

Goal: heterogeneous teams Process

– Submit application letter and resumé– Present in-class workshop on personality

types – Create set of equally capable teams of 5

• Consider position preferences and expertise• Consider grades, work, and extracurricular

experience• Balance teams wrt diversity considering culture,

gender, and personality

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Team SkillsTeam Skills

Develop basic leadership skills• Setting agendas• Assigning roles in meetings• Clarifying assignment• Defining tasks and timelines• Ensuring progress is made and deadlines are met

Maintain meeting minutes and task assignment sheets

Model and teach team skills

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Individual AccountabilityIndividual Accountability

Observe student behavior when project teams are working.

Create and maintain team notebooks– Meeting records– E-mail trail– Rough drafts

Submit statement of work– Document individual, subgroup, and team work– Signed by all members

Question each member during presentations

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Group ProcessingGroup Processing

Request after each deliverable Ask questions such as:

– Did you complete your task on time?– How did you encourage participation from another

team member?– What is working well in your team?– What needs to be improved in your team?

Consolidate and share anonymous responses Identify problems and skills that resolve them

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Projects: Gravity Data Repository Projects: Gravity Data Repository System (GDRP)-1System (GDRP)-1 Need for GDRP

– Accumulated gravity measurements stored at numerous research centers around world

– Effort seeks to establish a combined database Relevance of gravity data

– Important source of geophysical and geological information

– Geophysical models are designed to fit gravity measurement and used to generate models of lithospheric structure

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Projects: Gravity Data Repository Projects: Gravity Data Repository System (GDRP)-2System (GDRP)-2

Relevance con’t– Measurements used by

geologists, scientists, oil and mineral exploration companies, environmental consultants

Features of GDRP– Gravity data warehouse– Upload and download

validated data– Collection of tools

• Access data• Visualize data• Manipulate data

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Projects: Seismic Waves Rock Projects: Seismic Waves Rock Correlation System (SWRoCS)-1Correlation System (SWRoCS)-1 Need for SWRoCS

– Earthscope and Geoinformatics initiatives call for better access of data on physical properties of rocks and minerals

– Understanding of how properties vary with temperature and pressure

Relevance– Required to interpret geophysical data– Facilitates integrated analysis of different types of

data

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Projects: Seismic Waves Rock Projects: Seismic Waves Rock Correlation System (SWRoCS)-2Correlation System (SWRoCS)-2 Features of SWRoCS

– Identify rock based on mineral composition or seismic properties

– Determine physical properties of named rock

– Experiment with related seismic properties of rocks

– Extend knowledge base– Navigate ontologies– View general information

Limitations– Restricted to intrusive

igneous rocks and component minerals

– Properties: S-wave velocity, density, % anisotropy

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Projects: Seismic TomographyProjects: Seismic Tomography

Overview:– Facilitates construction

and experimentation of 3-D structure of Earth

– Calculates 2-D or 3-D models using travel-time tomography algorithm of Hole and first-arrival travel times and rays using Vidale’s finite difference solution

User

DB System

Tools

Create Data Model

Enter Data

Store Data

View Model

SeismicT3

<<include>>

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ChallengesChallenges

Establishing collaboration Time investment Communication gap

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ContactContact

E-mail: agates@utep.eduSE Websites:

http://www.courses.utep.edu/CS4310FS

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Breakout SessionBreakout Session

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Reusable Course ComponentsReusable Course Components

What would be useful for you?– Presentation material– Pre-requisite knowledge– Learning objectives– Exercises/projects– Handouts– Exam questions– Resources for background

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ExerciseExercise

Brainstorm on ideas for a software project related to geoinformatics

Rules– Each group member, in turn, states an idea.

NO idea is criticized.– As ideas are generated, write each one on a

flipchart. Don’t abbreviate or interpret.– Ideas are generated in turn until each person

passes.

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Uncertainty and Knowledge Uncertainty and Knowledge Representation in Geoinfomatics-1Representation in Geoinfomatics-1 Offered in spring 2004 by Vladik Kreinovich Attended by 13 graduate CS students Course objectives

– to learn general techniques of representing and processing uncertainty and

– to learn how to use these techniques in geoinformatics (using geospatial applications)

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Uncertainty and Knowledge Uncertainty and Knowledge Representation in Geoinfomatics-2Representation in Geoinfomatics-2

Topics– Motivation for estimating and processing

uncertainty– Techniques for estimating uncertainty of the

results of data processing– Techniques for representing and processing

expert uncertainty– Geospatial applications in uncertainty: methods

for detecting outliers and duplicates– Determination of geospatial characteristics based

on measurement results