Géomatique | EPFL Graph Search

La géomatique regroupe l'ensemble des outils et méthodes permettant d'acquérir, de représenter, d'analyser et d'intégrer des données géographiques. La géomatique consiste donc en au moins trois activités distinctes : collecte, traitement et diffusion des données géographiques. Le mot « géomatique » est issu de la contraction des termes « géographie » et « informatique ». La géomatique est étroitement liée à l'information géographique, qui est la représentation d'un objet ou d'un phénomène localisé dans l'espace. Le domaine de la géomatique englobe les SIG et les dépasse. Les professionnels travaillant à l'étude de la géomatique et de ses logiciels sont appelés des géomaticiens (chef de projet ou ingénieur en système d'information géographique, administrateur SIG, technicien cartographe ou en traitement des données, gestionnaire de bases de données spatiales, architecte SIG…). Histoire Le terme « géomatique » a été proposé à la fin des années 1960 par le scientifique fran

Enhancement of e-learning in geomatics by the integration of dynamic mathematics' tools

Arnaud Deshogues, Pierre-Yves Gilliéron

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) has introduced a Learning Management System (LMS) based on Moodle. This trend was a source of motivation for our teaching staff who have initiated a project called Exomatic for the enhancement of the basic course in geomatics attended by 200 students from the civil and environmental sections. The basic concept of Exomatic is a collection of on-line exercises with dynamic graphical figures and smart calculus tools linked together. This platform allows a fully automated correction and evaluation process of the exercises, is appreciated by the teachers thus can save precious time. Exomatic is mainly based on the interconnection of different resources gathered in a common web interface in order to simplify the tasks for the creation of exercise datasets and for the calculus provided by the students. This paper attempts to describe the technical structure of Exomatic and its performance, with a particular focus on the use of the dynamic mathematics software Geogebra. This tool is efficient for the graphical representation of geometrical features (e.g. resection, orientation). The paper will highlight the improvement of the users’ interface in the e learning environment and underlines the importance of graphic tools for better comprehension, and the usefulness of online resources in present education. It will also present the different open source materials employed in the development of this shareable resource, which can be integrated in other geomatic courses (e.g. photogrammetry and remote sensing). Exomatic has demonstrated the effectiveness of online dynamics resources in teaching the basic geomatic course.

ISPRS2010

Enhancement of Geomatics Education by Using Internet Based Techniques

Arnaud Deshogues, Pierre-Yves Gilliéron, Bertrand Merminod

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) has introduced the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) in 2005. Since then, the number of teachers and users has increased rapidly. With more than 350 active courses hosted on Moodle for this autumn semester, its utility is not to be demonstrated anymore. In 2006, the Geodetic Engineering Laboratory (TOPO) has introduced its on-line undergraduate topography course, with more than 26000 connections during the last semester for 160 students. In accordance with EPFL's guidelines (E-Learning Strategy [1])1, and with the support of the Funding Programme for Teaching and Learning, TOPO has developed an e-learning platform, fully integrated into a LMS, for the first course in geomatics. The motivation behind this is to move from teaching and learning in a traditional way to a more interactive way: personalized exercises are completed by students on the Internet and are automatically corrected with help facilities. This concept of e-learning, called Exomatic, stimulates the students to be more autonomous in their learning of, and training in, topographic data processing and analysis. The main module of Exomatic is composed of the generation of Internet-based exercises, the presentation of personalized data in a smart user interface, a collection of answers in HTML form, automated corrections and a smart calculator with graphical hints provided by Geogebra. The system provides evaluations for students and statistical feedback for the teacher on student performance and progress. The objective is to improve the autonomy of students and to facilitate the preparation and corrections of exercises for teachers and assistants. Exomatic is a standard Moodle module, and can potentially be shared by a wider community. This paper presents the structure of the programme and its integration into the course content. Its implementation in the LMS and a first assessment by the students are presented.

2010

Geomatics E-learning with Exomatic: Implementation and Assessment

Arnaud Deshogues, Pierre-Yves Gilliéron

The Geodetic Engineering Laboratory (TOPO) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) has introduced e- learning into its undergraduate topography course. The Centre for Research and Support of Training and its Technologies (CRAFT) has introduced the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) to facilitate this. TOPO has developed and introduced online exercises as an alternative to its traditional classroom-based teaching methods. The motivation behind this is to move from teaching and learning in a traditional way to an interactive way; personalized exercises are completed by students on the Internet and are corrected automatically with online help facilities available. The project behind this concept, called Exomatic, is aimed at encouraging the students to be more autonomous in their learning of, and training in, geomatics data processing and analysis. Exomatic uses the scripting language PHP combined with a MySQL database. This allows for the integration of Exomatic in the Moodle LMS already used in TOPO courses. The main functions of Exomatic are the generation of Internet accessed exercises, the presentation of personalized data, a collection of answers in HTML form, automated corrections and hints for individual users. The system provides evaluations for students and statistical feedback for the professor on student performance and progress. The objective of Exomatic is to improve the autonomy of students and facilitate the preparation and correction of exercises for teachers and teaching assistants. The ultimate aim is for Exomatic to be a component in the LMS of the EPFL, with the ambition of sharing Exomatic as a standard Moodle module for use by the wider community. This paper will present the structure of Exomatic, the implementation of interactive exercises and its integration in the LMS. More than a hundred students have participated in the Exomatic project to prepare for their first exam. The evaluation of progress in the exercises shows a linear improvement from the students’ first and latest attempts. An online questionnaire on the acceptance of Exomatic by the users has been presented to the students. This will precisely evaluate the progress made by the students, the way they use this service and their acceptance of this learning process. The results and analysis of this evaluation, along with a discussion of the project, are presented in this paper.

IATED2009

Enhancement of Geomatics Education by Using Internet Based Techniques

Arnaud Deshogues, Pierre-Yves Gilliéron, Bertrand Merminod

2010

Geomatics E-learning with Exomatic: Implementation and Assessment

Arnaud Deshogues, Pierre-Yves Gilliéron

IATED2009