Hana Svatoňová

Visualization of landscape changes and threatening environmental processes using a digital landscape model

Visualizations supported by new geoinformation technologies prove to be appropriate tools for presenting and sharing the research results by professional and general public. The object of the research was to evaluate the benefits of visualizations for the non- expert users. The subject of evaluation was: the success rate of interpreting the information; forming of a realistic idea of the unknown landscape; and the preference of the users during selection of the appropriate visualization for the purpose of solving the task. The tasks concerned: assessing the current situation and changes of the landscape; assessing the erosion in the landscape; and the ways of their visualizing. To prepare and process the landscape visualizations, it was necessary to select areas that allow tracking of land use changes and representative environmental processes. Then the digital landscape model was created and a number of visualizations were generated. The results of visualization testing show that the users prefer maps to orthophotos, they are able to formulate correct statements concerning the landscape with the help of visualizations, and that the simulated fly throughs represent a very suitable tool supporting formation of a realistic ideas about the landscape.

Children observe the Digital Earth from above: How they read aerial and satellite images

Digital aerial and satellite images depicting the Earth surface are not secret anymore and they are easily available for general public. Publishing of aerial and satellite images provoke the questions how the non-experts or the amateur groups can interpret these images, how they are able to cope with vertical or oblique images, with their colour, missing lettering, etc. The paper presents the results of the research of the above mentioned questions where the respondents were the Czech pupils and student at the age of about eleven, fifteen and nineteen years. These results are aimed at the effective exploitation of aerial and satellite images in teaching, they represent also information for imagery producers and distributors. A nontraditional view on the Earth surface from above using aerial or satellite images is one of the opportunities to discover the beauty of the Earth.

Cognitive Aspects of Interpretation of Image Data

Interpretation of image data (one of the basic geographic skills—Řeznickova et al., Standards and research in geography education. Current trends and international issues, pp 37–49, 2014) is a complex of complicated intellectual operations, which is based on visual perception (for example, when working with a map, then we can talk about mapping skills—Hanus and Marada, Geografie 119(4):406–422, 2014). The theoretical part of the study summarizes the scientific knowledge of processes of visual perception applied in the process of visual interpretation of satellite, aircraft and map image data. The author presents partial phases of image data interpreting process: from the initial recording of the image to detection, identification and objects classification. The complexity of the cognitive process with regard to biological and psychological characteristics of the individual are highlighted. The research section presents the results of image data interpretation research according to gender of individuals/research respondents. The research results show (1) a consistent success rate and (2) a consistent speed of problem solving when dealing with image data of aerial and satellite images. The results were slightly surprising with respect to research results concerning map interpretation where respondents attain different degrees of success rate depending on gender.

Reading satellite images, aerial photos and maps: Development of cartographic and visual literacy

Digital aerial and satellite images are easily accessible for public use and frequently employed in social media. The widespread publishing of aerial and satellite images has raised questions about how non-experts interpret these images, how they are able to interpret orthogonal and oblique images and true-colour and not-true-colour images and how they contend with an absence of text or object descriptions in these documents. Research participants (11-, 15- and 19-year-old students) were asked to solve spatial tasks in images and maps of various types. Differences in the efficiency of task solution regarding various types of source documents were analysed, and the generated scores were evaluated according to the participants’ age and gender. Schoolchildren and students were asked to provide their opinions on the difficulty of reading the various image types and their preference for either maps or images as a source for acquiring information. From our study we conclude that: 1. Age has an impact on the efficiency of image and map interpretation. Younger students, for example, 11-year-olds are better at handling tasks in images, while for 15-year-olds the difference between handling tasks in images and maps is much smaller. Lastly, 19-year-old students can better solve tasks in maps. 2. The efficiency of interpretation varies based on gender and source material. The efficiency of solving tasks in aerial images is comparable. Eleven-year-old girls can handle tasks in maps better than boys of the same age. In the groups comprised of 15- and 19-year-olds, the boys are much more successful. 3. The results of the evaluation of objective efficiency regarding image and map interpretation correspond with the subjective preference for maps or images: 11-year-old students prefer images; 19-year-old students prefer maps. 4. Not-true-colour images are subjectively considered very difficult to interpret, but objective results do not confirm this. Students achieved higher scores for tasks in not-true-colour images than in true-colour images. The purpose of this research is to discover effective teaching methods in geography and to support the integration of aerial and satellite images in education.

Social Aspects of Teaching: Subjective Preconditions and Objective Evaluation of Interpretation of Image Data

Between both learning and teaching processes, there is an ongoing relationship showing specific teaching and bidirectional relationships between teachers and their students. The teachers can influence their communication and interactions with students in a very favourable or, on the contrary, unfavourable way. Speaking about the area of attitudes and values shaping the relationship between teachers and their pupils, the article focuses on the part of subjective assumptions concerning pupils’ progress when working with specific materials—aerial and satellite image and map interpretation. The survey respondents were primary school teachers and primary school students aged 11 and 15. Teachers and pupils’ subjective assumptions were mutually compared; subjective assumptions were compared with objective data—the test results concerning pupils’ work with image data. The survey has proved that (1) there is a strong correlation between the teachers’ assumptions concerning the difficulty to interpret an image by themselves and the assumption concerning the difficulties encountered by their pupils; (2) the pupils’ assumption concerning the difficulty when working with some material (satellite images in false colours) significantly differs from the objective success rate: students expect very difficult tasks whereas they are actually very successful; (3) the teachers and students differ about their opinion concerning the use of satellite and aerial images during the teaching process; the teachers declare a higher level of significance than students; (4) the teachers expect the satellite and aerial image data to be far more attractive than the pupils expect.

New Trends in Obtaining Geographical Information: Interpretation of Satellite Data

Visual interpretation of satellite data is a new trend of obtaining geographical information for the common populations. Research participants (11, 15 and 19 years old students) were asked to solve spatial tasks on both true and false colour images. Differences in the efficiency of task solving regarding various types of source documents were analyzed. The generated scores were evaluated according to the participants’ age and gender. The research results show that young non–experts interpret satellite data in false and true colour successfully.