iEarth Education Research Publication Series

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Project: "Geo-Mod: A new way of teaching geoscientific methods to students and staff"

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Authors: Sara M. Cohen, Peter Betlem, Nil Rodes

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Funding from iEarth: 100 000 NOK in 2022

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The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is widely used in geosciences. The photogrammetry workflow consists of three main stages: data acquisition, data processing, and data analysis. In order to standardize this process, we created the Geo-MOD series, an online open-source reference work published in GitHub pages. These interactive modules cover the three main stages of geoscientific photogrammetry and provide a step-by-step guide to help you successfully acquire, process, analyze, and publish your structure-from-motion data. Moreover, the modules implement and encourage active student co-creation.

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The first tutorial, Geo-UAV, covers all the necessary aspects for a safe, legal, and efficient data acquisition process. The second tutorial, Geo-SfM, which was already developed, provides guidance for processing and analysis of the photogrammetry data. Finally, we implemented a few sections on how to publish the 3D models online and share the results, as well as involved our students to contribute and revise the modules.

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To test the use of these new teaching resources and the co-creation possibilities, we conducted an in-person course at The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) from June 19-24, 2023. The Geo-MOD course was offered to 10 students, as well as scientific and technical staff at UNIS who were interested in learning or enhancing their skills in using UAV-based photogrammetry for geoscientific use, including the generation of 3D, terrain and elevation models. Students learned about flight regulations and became certified European A1/A3 drone pilots. They also planned a survey for UAV-based data acquisition of an outcrop in Todalen, acquired geoscientific data in the field, and processed it in the lab. Some of the results are available online in the geo-mod Sketchfab account.

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After completing the course, the students were awarded a certificate that verifies their ability to acquire, analyze, and share scientific information on their own. Moreover, the participants shared their feedback on the course and the digital tools used. They gave an average rating of 9.3 out of 10, expressing their overall satisfaction with the experience. We have also been asked for follow-up courses, which we most certainly look forward to!

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Read the iEarth Education Research Publication on Geo-MOD here