Mini short course: Teaching Field Methods of High Precision Positioning with Static and Kinematic GPS/GNSS

Tuesday November 17, 2020

12-2 pm PT | 1-3 pm MT | 2-4 pm CT | 3-5 pm ET | 8-10 pm UTC

Capacity reached. Registration closed.

Please consider watching the webinar Integrating GPS, SfM, and TLS into Geoscience Field Courses as an alternative way to learn about the module.

This course is part of the GETSI Virtual Mini Short Course Series.

Instructors

Benjamin Crosby (Idaho State University)
Beth Pratt-Sitaula (UNAVCO)

Mini-course Description

This mini-course will give instructors a chance to learn about the High Precision Positioning with Static and Kinematic GPS/GNSS module, which contains resources for both in-the-field and online teaching with field data. It will also overview the opportunity to borrow teaching sets of GPS receivers for real-time kinematic surveying (1 base station, 4 rovers). The mini-course includes interactive opportunities for instructors to actually work through parts of student exercises, discuss ideas with peers, and work on implementation planning. $50 stipend* for completion of the course and short implementation plan.

In the module, students learn the fundamentals of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, a more universal term than GPS) and how high-precision positioning enables geoscientists to track changes in the surface of the earth that would otherwise be imperceptible. It is field-focused, minimizing lectures and computer work and maximizing student time spent designing and implementing surveys as well as analyzing the new data. Prepared data sets are available for courses unableto collect data directly from the field.

Mini-course elements

  • Watch ~7 minute video (MP4 Video 10.4MB Oct20 20) prior to the first mini-course you attend.
  • Participate in the full 2-hour session.
    (If you are unable to attend the mini-course at its scheduled time, we recommend watching the webinar related to teaching the same module: Integrating GPS, SfM, and TLS into Geoscience Field Courses.)
  • Complete an Implementation Planning Form by the end of Sunday following the mini-course (expected time ~20-30 minutes; you will have some time near the end of the 2-hour session but may need to take a bit of additional time to complete your plan and feedback)
  • $50 stipend* for participants who complete the Implementation Planning Form by the deadline (Sunday November 22) . Must be US citizen or permanent resident to receive a stipend; however, others are welcome to participate without compensation.

Audience

The mini-courses are intended for undergraduate instructors: college and university faculty (including adjunct), post-docs expecting to teach soon, and graduate students with teaching or TAing responsibilities. You may attend multiple mini-courses and receive the $50 stipend for each. Maximum of 50 registrants per mini-course so please only sign up if you intend to attend.

If you are interested in borrowing the GPS equipment for use in the field with students in spring 2021, we recommend that you have some experience with GPS surveying already. The receivers in the equipment loan pool are Emlid ReachRS2. Once the pandemic restrictions are reduced again, the GETSI project will be having in-person short courses to facilitate the learning for less GPS-experienced instructors. Equipment loans must be requested and are subject to availability.

Goals

By the end of this mini-course, participants will:

  • Learn about teaching GPS/GNSS to students in the field and through prepared data sets
  • Access online teaching resources presented in the short course
  • Analyze teaching module for components relevant to their teaching
  • Start implementation plan for use of teaching resources

*Must be US citizen or permanent resident to receive a stipend; however others are welcome to participate without compensation.
You may attend multiple mini-courses. Stipends will be compiled and sent out after the end of the term during which the mini-course was held.

Files for the course

All the resources described in the mini-course are available in the High Precision Positioning with Static and Kinematic GPS/GNSS module. The technical slides shown during the mini-course are pulled from the presentations in the different module units. However, we have included the exact presentation as given during the course in case you wish to refer to it. The mini-course itself was not recorded because the breakout session are not conducive to recording. Teaching Field Methods of High Precision Positioning Mini-course Presentation (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 27.8MB Dec1 20)

Questions

Beth Pratt-Sitaula - prattsitaula AT unavco.org