Integrating Continental-Scale Ecological Data Into University Courses:
’s Online Learning Portal
Leah Wasser, Wendy Gram, Liz Goehring, Colin Williams * National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) - Boulder, CO Email:
[email protected]
Background: Big Data Challenges & Opportunities “Big Data” are increasingly available through the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and other ecological observatories across the globe (e.g. Australia’s TERN). However, integrating big data into university classrooms is challenging. New and potentially unfamiliar data types and formats and associated large file sizes require new data analysis and processing skills and tools and an understanding of best methods. These methods may be challenging to integrate into University classrooms. There is a need to
NEONdataskills.org
data driven activities
code and data subsets included
In addition to free ecological data, the NEON web portal will include tools and resources that facilitate the use of big data in science and education. Visit us online to view some of the content being develop currently. The entire site is free and open to be used and contributed to. NEONdataskills is built using GitHub pages.
develop effective teaching resources, including presentations and engaging supporting media that support teaching of key data concepts and methods.
background materials & resources included.
About NEON Higher Education
use and contribute - github
NEON education will support the use of NEON data. • Facilitate NEON data classroom use (Videos, Online Modules, Workshops) • Train next generation scientists: data analysis skills (Workshops, Graduate Course, Internship, REU) • Provide real world experiences for students (Internship, REU) • Build a Community Around NEON relevant science (Conference sessions)
Methods: Module Products The online education portal will provide faculty and students with data & presentation resources needed to teach big data skills including: • Graphics, animations for presentation & classroom instruction. • Analysis activities use open source tools. Data are provided.
Animated Data Concept Videos youtube.com/neonbetaedu Following the flipped classroom model - short animated youtube videos, developed with experts in
Ensure Scientific Integrity
video topic areas, teach key
All materials will undergo scientific
data concepts.
Python
content review by relevant field
Use and Contribute!
specialists.
• Review Materials as they are developed • Suggest new, high priority topics to be developed
Free Data: National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) NEON will collect ecological data across the United States for 30 years, using consistent, standardized methods. These freely available data support understanding of continentaland global scale ecological change. NEON’s education program will facilitate the use of NEON data in the classroom.
• Identify existing materials that support module development. Videos are developed in collaboration with members of the science community to ensure information integrity.
Topics • LiDAR data, Flux Measurements, HDF5, Raster vs. Vector Data • Remote Sensing, R, Python, And more!
Flux
Vegetation Change
Measurements
HDF5 Aquatic Integrity
MetaData Remote Sensing
Data Method Topic Data Process Topic Ecology / Science Topic
© 2014 National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc. All rights reserved. The National Ecological Observatory Network is a project sponsored by the National Science Foundation and managed under cooperative agreement by NEON, Inc. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under the following grants: EF-1029808, EF-1138160, EF-1150319 and DBI-0752017. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
