Adapting the CoastWatch satellite course to the COVID-19 life

Abstract:

The NOAA CoastWatch/OceanWatch/PolarWatch program has been conducting a 3-day in-person training course about ocean satellite data since 2006. The course was developed by the CoastWatch West Coast node to familiarize NOAA/university researchers and students with ocean satellite data and the tools available to work with the data using a mix of lectures, tutorials and hands-on computer work on individual projects. The goal of the training is to give participants the skills to include satellite data in their own research using their choice of software (e.g. R, python, ArcGIS). Since 2018, the course has been conducted at each one of the CoastWatch program’s regional nodes.

Following stay-at-home orders, all 2020 in-person classes were canceled, and CoastWatch staff mobilized to redesign the training materials for online delivery. We chose a “flipped classroom” approach, where students will first interact and learn new material on their own and at their own pace using online course materials (tutorials, instructional videos, exercises). Interactive learning will take place via instructor-facilitated asynchronous forum discussions and live office hours. This more flexible format should be less conducive to “conference-call burnout”. Pre- and post-course participant surveys will be included to provide metrics on course effectiveness. The course will conclude with “lightning talks” where participants briefly describe their progress on individual projects.

The redesigned course will be tested in Fall 2020 with participants from the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center in Honolulu, HI. Here we will present results and lessons learned and our plans to expand our efforts to include a broader audience for the course.

Online resources can be accessed here: https://coastwatch.gitbook.io/satellite-course/