Strategies for The
Introduction of Remote Sensing in the Educational Curriculum in India
AbsractA.K. Gupta, V Jayaraman and M.G. Chandrasekhar ISRO Headquarters, Antariksh Bavan, Bangalore-560 094 In India usefulness of remote sensing techniques and space technology had been realized as early as in 1960’s. Since then during 1970’s and 1980’s a larfe number of experiments and researches focused towards dising and development of satellites and sensors, space communication, data processing and management and eventual utilization of remote sensing data (both aerial and satellite) in management and monitoring of natural resources have been conducted and self reliance achieved in the field of remote sensing and satellite communication. India is the only developing country which has two operational remote sensing satellites, providing high quality remote sensing data for remote sensing users in the country. In India, remote sensing data has such as crops, forests, water resources, minerals, land use/land cover of remote sensing has received a tremendous boost over the last 5 years, Trained manpower necessary to process and interpret remote sensing data for different applications has been developed through well designed remote sensing training courses and network of remote sensing training centres spread over the country. Till 1985-86, in India, remote sensing has been taught only in few selected universities at post graduate level as part of subjects such as geology, civil engineering, etc. With the increased awareness about the subject, now at least 12 universities offer post graduate level specialized degree courses such as M.Tech., M.Sc. Tech, M.Phil, Post Graduate Diploma and Doctoral Degrees, etc., in remote sensing for students from a variety of thematic backgrounds. Today, about 60 universities and colleges do teach remote sensing at post graduate and graduate levels as part of the subjects such as agriculture, soils, oceanography, marine sciences, geology, geography, forestry; civil engineering, water resources and computer applications, etc. Administrators, resource managers and working level resource scientists in most of the government departments are today aware of the potentials of remote sensing technology and many of them are able to independently work with the remote sensing data. In view of increasing awareness about the remote sensing technology in the country and to realize complete benefits of due place in the text books educational curriculum. In India, recently the need for formal education of remote sensing at schools, colleges and universities has been realized. Efforts have been made jointly by the Department of Space and Department of Education for the introduction of remote sensing education at school and college levels. The text books are being brought out giving typical Indian examples as case studies. Strategies involved in introduction of remote sensing in educational curriculum in India are discussed in the paper. Introduction India is the sixth largest country in terms of area (3.28 million sq. km.) with varies physiographic settings such as mountain chains, plateaus, plains, oceans, deserts, in the world after China with a population of over 800 million people. The country mainly agrarian in nature is rich in natural resources viz. forests, mineral resources, water resources, ocean resources, soils and agricultural resources, Optimal development and scientific exploitation of natural resources of the country needs up-to-data and timely information about acreage, status of natural resources, physiographic settings and environmental conditions present in the area. Conventional approximation about natural resources. Satellite based remote sensing surveys provide repetitive and synoptic information over the same area with a frequency ranging from few days to few weeks. In India remote sensing technology is being used for almost a decade in the operational management of natural resources/disasters, viz, crops, forests, mineral resources, water resources, ocean resources, ocean resources, floods, cyclones, droughts, etc. Recently 149 districts have been taken up by the Department of Space under Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD) for the preparation of Integrated Development plans for priority watersheds in the identified districts for immediate implementation. Under this study, data on natural resources of selected watersheds/districts generated form remote sensing methods and available conventionally is integrated using GIS methods and area specific developmental plans and treatment packages are generated for sustainable agricultural development in the area. Once operational utilization of remote sensing in natural resources management has been realized in the country it becomes utmost essential that country is becomes utmost essential that remote sensing education is imparted to the students in the classrooms. India has drawn up a well defined plan for introduction of remote sensing in educational curriculum. The strategies involved are discussed in the paper. Need for Introduction of Remote Sensing in Education Though remote sensing applications have been operationalised in many of the natural resource application area, the formal education in remote sensing is mostly limited to few subjects such as geology, geography, cartography, etc., at Post Graduate level in few selected universities. At school and graduate levels largely at present remote sensing do not find a place in the curriculum. Some of the engineering institutions and agricultural universities do teach remote sensing to graduate students of civil engineering and agriculture and offer elective courses in remote sensing. In view of the increasing awareness about the remote sensing technology it is important that students must be aware about the technology and its potentials. It is therefore necessary that remote sensing technology must be introduced in the educational curriculum. Formal education in remote sensing is also important in view of promotion of remote sensing among the personnel indirectly associated at various capacities with the utilization of remote sensing such as administrators, resource planers, etc. it is also felt that introduction or remote sensing in educational curriculum will be effective as a long term means to meet the trained manpower requirement in the field of remote sensing. Strategy for Introduction of Remote Sensing in Education It is proposed to introduce remote sensing in curriculum at various educational levels (Primary to post Graduate) in appropriate doses without loading the students. In primary and junior classes instead of remote sensing being taught as separate chapters/lessons it would be appropriate to link remote sensing related concepts with lessons where basic concepts used in remote sensing are dealt with, for example at primary levels air photos and satellite images may be introduced with lessons in natural sciences/geography environment to explain different earth features such as rivers, mountains, volcanoes, seas, lagoons, coastal features, crops, forests, wastelands, etc. Concepts, of multistage remote sensing (low altitude and high altitudes photography, satellite imaging, etc.) and concepts of 3D vision, etc. be introduced at junior level (i.e. class 6-8). Fundamentals of aerial photography, concepts of geometric projections, scale concepts of geometric projections, scale concept in aerial photography, working of camera systems electromagnetic spectrum and concepts of spectral bands, windows, interaction of EMR with objects, spectral behaviour of different objects, etc. could be dealt at the higher secondary levels (class 9-10) with small exercises dealing with air photos and satellite date under subjects viz., physics, natural sciences, geography, etc. Introduction of sensor system, different number systems (binary, decimal, octal, etc.), vector and raster formats of data in computers, resolution concepts in satellite remote sensing data, films used in aerial photography, methods of film processing, interaction of EMR with atmosphere and sensor system, atmospheric corrections, basis concepts of image processing and computer processing etc. may from part of senior secondary education (XIth and XIIth standard) science subjects with adequate tutorials, laboratory and practical exercises. Concepts of field data collection in remote sensing must also be introduced at this level itself with excursions to nearby areas. Systematic knowledge about various data types and sensor system, satellite data collection mechanism’s detector system, data formats, azimuth, sun elevation, orbits, sun synchronous and geosynchronous, remote sensing data formats, image processing and GIS system’s image processing techniques and their applications, statistical methods used in image processing with adequate laboratory and tutorial/practical exercises dealing with image processing and interpretation of PC based system, etc., may form a part/chapters at graduate level in subjects such as physics, geography, botany, agriculture, atmospheric sciences and mathematics, etc. At post graduate level a full paper on remote sensing providing detailed knowledge about remote sensing and its applications, digital image processing techniques, computer programming, GIS, modeling concepts artificial intelligence, pattern, recognition, classification techniques, state-of-art knowledge on various senor systems, hardware and software with optional project work may form part of the course. Further in authors view, it is necessary that the concepts of remote sensing may be talked about under the chapters where concerned items re discussed for example concepts of number systems botany, decimal octal, etc. must be dealt as part of mathematics. Also concepts of image processing/enhancement techniques may form part of matrix and vector algebra with exercises designed to solve elementary problems of image processing such as rationing, stretching, filtering, igen vector derivation for remote sensing data, atmospheric corrections, etc. Similarly map projection system’s scale, resolution, concepts of aerial photography and satellite imaging etc., could be taught s part of cartography in subject of geography or in case where this subject is optional the same could be taught as part of relevant chapters in biology or physics. Tec. Most of the fundamentals of remote sensing are concerned mainly with physics, optics, etc., hence may be taught under physics under relevant chapters. It is envisaged that after post graduation the students should be able to work with remote sensing data independently with out any necessity for further training. Analysis of Infrastructure Requirements TV instructional programmes with talkback facility made available for students would be very useful in this direction. Libraries with good number of books on remote sensing, establishment of remote sensing laboratories with at least bare minimum infrastructure and remote sensing data products would be essential for teaching of remote sensing at senior secondary and further higher levels, availability of PC based image processing systems, would be desirable for senior secondary level and essential for Graduate and Post Graduate level remote sensing laboratories. As in India, most of the schools and colleges/universities do not have enough funds to afford purchase of remote sensing data products, etc., in order to provide necessary thrust for remote sensing education in schools and colleges, it may be necessary that a separate charging policy at must cheaper rates is evolved for sale of remote sensing data products for educational purposes as being followed by some of the foreign companies such as EOSAT (US) and NRSC (UK), etc. Need for Special Training Courses for University Faculty/School Teachers There are about 131 universities in India (including 26 agricultural universities) wherein remote sensing can be introduced as a part of the subjects viz., agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fisheries, civil engineering, physics, botany, zoology, geography, geology, town and country planning atmospheric sciences and computer applications, etc. there are about 1700 University departments where in the above subjects are taught at PG level. To introduce remote sensing in all the universities at Post Graduate level alone, there is a need to train at least one person per department. This calls for training of 1700 teachers. At present the available trained manpower in the remote sensing field is around 300, thus, leaving a gap of 1400 persons, to fill this gap. To accomplish it in a span of 10 years there is a need to train 140 persons/year. Introduction of remote sensing in senior secondary level in schools with CBSE Syllabus alone need about 100 teachers to be trained every year. It is recommended that special remote sensing training courses for university faculty/school teachers be organized on a priority mode. The importance of education about remote sensing has been realized in the recent years and concerted efforts are being in made to introduce the same in different steps in the curriculum. Department of space, Government of India is making efforts with different agencies of central and state Government , concerned with education to introduction of remote sensing in educational senior secondary (10+2 level) and graduate level engineering and post graduate level science subjects has been worked out jointly by DOS and Department of Education/ University Grants commission. Summer/winter schools with a duration of 6 weeks are being conducted b the Department of Space indifferent themes of remote sensing applications to train the teaching faculty from universities, Similarly two weeks training courses in remote sensing are being organized for training of school teachers teaching subjects physics biology and geography . Efforts are being made to update text books of various subjects with remote sensing contents in a phased manner. Future Challenges in Remote Sensing Education With increased awareness about the environment and the fact that remote sensing is the only technologically viable solution for monitoring the same, newer sensors are being planned in various international missions. Use of these complementary and supplementary data need information. Also with rapid advancements in chip technology in computers and related sensor technologies remote sensing is being extended to cober wide range of electromagnetic spectrum with narrower spectral bands and very high spatial resolution. New challenges have been posed for the user community to process and analyze date that will be flowing out of the imaging spectrometers and a variety of microwave sensors loke SAR. Scatterometer, altimeters, etc. in different polarizations, frequencies, look angles etc. The training and education in remote sensing should cope up with this exploding technological revolution calling for appropriate strategies to upgrade the teaching aids, both in schools potential of remote sensing technology in the years to come. Acknowledgement Authors are thankful to Ms. B Rjamani for secretarial assistance in preparation of the paper. References
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