Comparing the Use of Virtual Models vs. Fieldwork in Developing Geomatics Skills in Undergraduate Engineering Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Undergraduate students enrolled in Civil Engineering, Architecture, and Urban Planning (CAU) must develop competencies in Geomatics and Topography (G&T) as part of their learning process. During this time, theoretical concepts are traditionally taught with field practice using specialized tools such as a theodolite, laser level, and total station. Due to the environmental restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional field practice (TFP) was suspended, preventing access to equipment and study areas. The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Virtual Reality (VR), have been explored in the last decade for educational purposes. This paper studies the benefits of using these tools for developing G&T skills. This research aimed to assess students' learning outcomes using a traditional G&T teaching method and a new methodology based on Virtual Field Practice (VFP) for CAU students. The methodology provides a virtual study area for the CAU student by integrating point clouds derived from photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning. It also assesses their learning results and compares them against a control group using a validated instrument. Findings suggest continuing with fieldwork for a greater understanding and correct application of G&T concepts by students, and using virtual models as an efficient way to complement the acquisition of spatial information in the teaching-learning process. Until the publication of this article, we found no evidence in the literature at the undergraduate level of applying exercises like those proposed. © 2023 IEEE.

Beyond Continuity of Instruction-Innovating a Geomatics Course Using Problem-based Learning and Open-source Software

Geomatics, with an emphasis on developing students' competencies in Geographic Information Systems, is a technology-intensive course. During the Spring 2020 semester, The Citadel shifted to online continuity of instruction after midterms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Geomatics instructor was faced with ensuring academic continuity and quality without remote student access to licensed GIS software. The instructor pivoted to use of QGIS, an open-source software, and a carefully-scaffolded project to equip students with essential GIS skills. Test 3 included two equally-weighted parts: (1) conceptual GIS questions and (2) a new open-ended project, which required students to use GIS to investigate a real-world scenario. Synchronous and asynchronous support was provided to afford students the flexibility needed to manage home commitments and technology challenges. Nevertheless, students' potential for increased (even unmanageable) cognitive load was high, due to the new modality, pedagogy and software. We investigated the impacts of the post-pandemic Geomatics course on students' cognitive load and academic performance through the lens of Cognitive Load Theory, which asserts that cognitive overload can hinder learning. Based on students' NASA Task Load Index scores, Test 3 workload was on par with their face-to-face engineering courses and lower than their online engineering courses. We expect that the cognitive load associated with the project and new software was manageable and not a barrier to learning. Performance on the project was substantially higher than on the closed-ended Test 3 questions, which supports that the project-based approach was integral to helping students achieve GIS competencies. Final exam performance was lower than in previous years, which may suggest that the mid-semester modality shift impacted their ability to fully synthesize material from the semester. Future course offerings will use the project to provide students with authentic engagement with GIS and real-world topics, while QGIS will remain an option for remote instruction. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2021

Implementing a Virtual Surveying Lab

In 2020, the COVID pandemic forced educators to pivot to an online teaching modality in the middle of spring semester. In preparation for a summer offering of a surveying and geomatics class, faculty chose to develop a virtual laboratory that could provide a quality, virtual learning experience for students that would fully meet the course learning outcomes. The resulting virtual laboratory centered on a series of videos that put the student in a second-person perspective of a note-taker on a survey crew. The modules built around these videos not only allowed for a fully virtual delivery of the laboratory, with students participating from as far away as Saudi Arabia, they also ensured full participation of every student, something that live survey labs sometimes lack. This paper describes the virtual lab in contrast with a traditional in-person laboratory. Students in the virtual lab reported that it contributed more to their learning than did students in the traditional laboratory. Recommendations for improving the laboratory and incorporating it into a post-COVID curriculum are proposed, including the potential for addressing accessibility constraints on the in-person lab and as a supplemental learning resource. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2021