Message-ID: <A9137AD372BFD1119DAF080009EE5D03140243@www.wn.org> Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 15:50:37 -0500 From: Jim Durbin <mailto:jim@WN.ORG> Subject: FW: Satellite Imagery & Human Rights course online To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
Sorry for any cross posting.> ---------------------- Forwarded by Christopher
> Simpson/simpson/Faculty/SOC/AmericanU on 08/05/98 01:32 PM
> ---------------------------
>
> American University's School of Communication is offering a free,
> online,
> hands-on course on:
>
> Satellite Imagery and Human Rights.
>
> This is a non-technical introduction to practical uses of satellite
> imagery
> for journalists and news organizations; NGO and grassroots leaders;
> local,
> provincial and tribal leaders and resource managers; persons with a
> professional interest in international affairs; and similar
> non-engineers
> who can make good use of this emerging technology. We?ll emphasize
> grassroots verification of environmental and arms control treaties, as
> well
> as techniques for monitoring largescale human rights crisis.
> Participation
> or auditing the online sessions is free.
>
> The course includes lectures and projects in geographic information
> systems (GIS) delivered from Portugal?s Universidade Nova de Lisboa,
> prominent guest speakers and an opportunity for original work that
> pushes
> the state of the art. A summary of course session topics is provided
> below.
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> Persons interested in applying for participation please send:
> Name________________
> Address, including institution name_________________
> telephone______________
> fax___________________
> E-mail________________
> A very brief summary of your professional or educational experience
> that
> may be relevant to the course content. A line or two is
> adequate._________________________________________________
>
> Send your information to:
> Prof. Christopher Simpson at mailto:simpson@american.edu
> ---------------------------------------------------
> Live webcast time: 8:30 am to 11:10 am EST Thursdays, from September 3
> through December 3, 1998. Recorded class sessions will be available
> for
> download at times to be announced.
>
> The course language will be English. Prerequisites are basic computer
> and
> WWW literacy.
>
> Class lectures and resources will be offered via the WWW using
> streaming
> audio, whiteboard and ftp software that can be downloaded without cost
> from
> the WWW. A 486 Pentium computer and a 28.8 link to the WWW are the
> minimum necessary hardware for satisfactory online participation.
> Faster processors and web links are desirable. However, course
> presentations will be recorded and can be downloaded and used at your
> convenience using more basic computer equipment.
>
> American University honors students and certain graduate students will
> be
> taking the course for academic credit. Online observers will _not_
> receive
> course credit. However, you are welcome to participate fully in the
> course,
> lectures and discussions, especially when your professional or
> academic
> experience contributes to class discussion and insights.
>
> Important Legal Notes:
> The WWW version of this course is shared as a public service by
> American
> University?s School of Communication. Every effort is made to provide
> an
> excellent educational experience. For obvious reasons, however,
> American
> University and its School of Communication make no warantees whatever
> concerning the course or its contents to persons who choose to observe
> or
> participate in this event online, nor does the university and the
> school
> assume any responsibility whatever for actions, statements or claims
> made
> by online observers and participants. ONLINE OBSERVATION OR
> PARTICIPATION
> DOES NOT LEAD TO ACADEMIC CREDIT FROM AMERICAN UNIVERSITY.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Summary of Class Schedule
>
>
> Sept. 3: Review of course goals and assignments; outline of
> communication
> techniques we?ll use to stay in touch with one another and with other
> participants around the world... Assignment of term projects and
> project
> teams... Initial discussion of remote sensing and GIS.
>
> Sept. 10: Introduction to online satellite imagery indexes... AVHRR
> and
> weather imagery.... First discussion of image interpretation.
>
> Sept. 17: Q&A concerning term paper proposals.... The civil MS IIRS
> rating
> scale for imagery.... Spectral bands and an introduction to gathering
> information on human rights, arms control or pollution from outside
> the
> spectrum of visible light.... Brainstorming on signatures that may
> reveal
> or suggest information relevant to your project.
>
> Sept. 24: Guest lecture by Dino Brugioni, formerly the CIA?s chief
> expert
> for briefing U.S. presidents and other policy makers on
> photoreconnaissance. Q&A.... More brain food: checking out J-Track
> online
> as it traces the path of particular satellites.
>
> Oct. 1: Discussion of your learning checklists and a review of course
> thus
> far.
>
> Oct. 8: GIS overview courtesy of GASA at the Universitdade Nova de
> Lisboa,
> Portugal. Class session includes: Introduction to basic types of
> geographic
> information products and to how they can be used to analyze as well as
> illustrate a controversial issue.... ?Draping? images or other
> geographic
> information over digital information about elevation to create
> three-dimensional models. Includes illustrative examples.
>
> Oct. 15: GIS overview courtesy of GASA. Why comparisons are usually
> necessary to get the most benefit from geographic information....
> Introduction to the use of GIS in environmental justice and resource
> management controversies..... Additional guest speaker.
>
> Oct. 22: GIS overview courtesy of GASA. Tracking urban sprawl using
> GIS....
> Documenting ?toxic alleys? or clusters of particularly dangerous
> pollution.... Using the GASA GIserver (
> http://gasa.dcea.fct.unl.pt/inovagis/giserver/).... How ?fly-through?
> 3-D
> mo
> models helped negotiate a cease fire in Bosnia.
>
> Oct. 29: Satellites, orbits, & revisit times.... In-class work on
> midterm
> reports.
>
> Nov. 5: In-class work on the midterm report on your term project.
>
> Nov. 12: Presentation of Midterm reports and international online
> discussion of presentations.... Discussion of how to locate free or
> low-cost satellite imagery and geographic information.
>
> Nov. 19: Feedback from the professor and problem solving on your term
> project.... In-class work time.... Quick introduction to Power Point
> or
> similar software useful for illustrating your term project lecture.
> (It?s
> really easy).
>
> Nov. 24: (Tuesday) The class session that would usually take place
> Thursday
> will be held on Tuesday due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. This session
> will
> include identification of the specific tasks necessary to complete the
> term
> project, some in-class work time, and the beginning of the course
> review
> needed to prepare for the final exam.
>
> Dec. 3: In-class and international presentation of completed term
> projects.
> Discussion. Course review.
>
> Dec. 17: Final Exam.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------