eLearning in the Context of Earth Observation Best Practices, The EO College and the first MOOC on Radar Remote Sensing

Abstract

In order to produce meaningful e-learning offers for the Earth observation (EO) sector, it is important to describe the heritage the educational tools and material that is utilized nowadays. This chapter gives some fundamental definitions of terms that are widely used in the field of online education. Furthermore, a historic overview of MOOCs is given and the context of e-Learning initiatives in the field of EO, especially with radar data is analysed.

Full text

E-LEARNING IN THE CONTEXT OF
EARTH OBSERVATION
BEST PRACTICES, THE EO COLLEGE AND
THE FIRST MOOC ON RADAR REMOTE SENSING
ROBERT ECKARDT, MIKHAIL URBAZAEV, JONAS EBERLE, CARSTEN PATHE &
CHRISTIANE SCHMULLIUS
Earth Observation Services GmbH
|
Maelzerstrasse 3
07745 Jena, Germany

Content
1
Context ................................................................................................................... 4
Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 4
1.1.1
E-learning .......................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1.2
Online learning .................................................................................................................................. 4
1.1.3
OER (Open Educational Resources) ................................................................................................... 4
1.1.4
MOOC ................................................................................................................................................ 4
Development of MOOCS ................................................................................................ 5
1.2.1
Disruptive vs. sustaining innovations ................................................................................................ 5
E-Learning in the context of Earth Observation ............................................................... 7
1.3.1
Examples of available educational resources for EO......................................................................... 8
1.3.2
Examples of available educational resources for EO with Radar .................................................... 14
2
Basics of online course design ............................................................................... 16
Basics of Learning ........................................................................................................ 16
2.1.1
Information theory .......................................................................................................................... 16
2.1.2
Deductions for E-Learning environments ........................................................................................ 17
2.1.3
Learning theory ............................................................................................................................... 18
2.1.4
Implications for the design of learning content .............................................................................. 20
Design Basics ............................................................................................................... 21
2.2.1
Language & writing ......................................................................................................................... 21
2.2.2
Visual Design basics ......................................................................................................................... 22
Engaging the online learner ......................................................................................... 25
2.3.1
The Roles of teachers and the learners ........................................................................................... 28
2.3.2
Collaborative Learning .................................................................................................................... 29
2.3.3
Performance evaluation, assessment & feedback .......................................................................... 29
Course structure .......................................................................................................... 31
2.4.1
Learning outcomes .......................................................................................................................... 31
2.4.2
Course syllabus ................................................................................................................................ 31
2.4.3
Course outline ................................................................................................................................. 32
3
Issues and challenges ............................................................................................ 33
Sustainability, Quality & Completion rates ................................................................... 33
Bridging the digital divide ............................................................................................ 34

4
The EO College ...................................................................................................... 37
Concept and Vision ...................................................................................................... 37
Technical Implementation ........................................................................................... 39
4.2.1
Community ...................................................................................................................................... 40
4.2.2
E-learning ........................................................................................................................................ 43
4.2.3
Assessment & Feedback .................................................................................................................. 49
4.2.4
Page metrics .................................................................................................................................... 50
5
Echoes in Space .................................................................................................... 52
Course content ............................................................................................................ 52
Statistics ...................................................................................................................... 55
5.2.1
User Statistics .................................................................................................................................. 55
5.2.2
Course Statistics .............................................................................................................................. 61
5.2.3
YouTube .......................................................................................................................................... 62
User Feedback ............................................................................................................. 64
6
Future development ideas..................................................................................... 71
7
References ............................................................................................................ 73

4
1 Context
In order to produce meaningful e-learning offers for the Earth observation (EO) sector, it is important
to describe the heritage the educational tools and material that is utilized nowadays. This chapter gives
some fundamental definitions of terms that are widely used in the field of online education.
Furthermore, a historic overview of MOOCs is given and the context of e-Learning initiatives in the
field of EO, especially with radar data is analysed.
Definitions
The recent developments in technology-enhanced learning are manifold. The demand for, as well as
the availability of, different formats and platforms is growing exponentially. Therefore, the definition
of some key concepts seems appropriate.
1.1.1 E-learning
E-Learning can be defined as instructions provided by means of a digital device (such as Computer,
Tablets, Smartphones etc.). Courses based on E-Learning include, both, content (i.e. information) and
instructional methods (i.e. pedagogy) to enable the learning of set content (Clark and Mayer, 2016).
1.1.2 Online learning
Online learning refers to E-Learning that is facilitated/distributed over the internet. In many cases
online learning provides the possibility of synchronous or asynchronous communication tools
alongside with the E-learning material.
1.1.3 OER (Open Educational Resources)
According to (Atkins, Brown and Hammond, 2007) “OER are teaching, learning, and research resources
that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that
permits their free use or re-purposing by others”. This definition is strongly linked to the use of special
licenses to provide intellectual property as a public good (such as Creative Commons Licenses, MIT
License or GNU General Public License (GPL)).
1.1.4 MOOC
According to (Yousef, Chatti and Schroeder, 2014), a MOOC has the following characteristics.
• Massive: Massiveness indicates the number of course participants, or rather the potential of
the course and its technical environment to allow for a large number of participants.
• Open: Openness in the context of learning material refers to the provision of the course
material regardless of the location, age, gender, income, ideology or level of education. It also
implies the access to the course free of charge.
• Online: Online refers to the provision of the course over the internet, allowing for a global
accessibility.

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• Course: The term course refers to a unit of teaching. It describes a set of learning experiences
within a specified time frame (Boettcher and Conrad, 2010). In the framework of MOOCs it
implies the existence of a curriculum, a certain structure of educational resources (e.g. OER),
tools and assessments.
Development of MOOCS
MOOCs are one of the major trends in higher education. The term was coined in 2008 as it was used
to describe the online course “Connectivism and Connective Knowledge (CCK08)” by the university of
Manitoba. This new form or learning was adapted by the university of Stanford in three further courses
in 2011. Based on the success of these courses two of the main MOOC platforms emerged, namely
Udacity and Coursera and thereby levelling the ground for the success and the momentum that the
development of MOOC gained ever since (Yousef, Chatti and Schroeder, 2014; Margaryan, Bianco and
Littlejohn, 2015).
The emergence of MOOCs is rooted in an ongoing development towards open education (cf. Figure 1),
based on the principle ideas that (1) knowledge is a public good and (2) emerging technologies (e.g.
computers and the internet) provide the opportunity to share, sort, use and reuse it (Smith and
Casserly, 2006). These frameworks are in tune with the UN Millennium Goals to achieve a basic
education for every citizen of the Earth (United Nations, 2015).
Figure 1: Milestones in the open education development (redrawn after (Aydin, 2016)).
1.2.1 Disruptive vs. sustaining innovations
There is an ongoing debate in the literature about the usefulness and value of MOOCs as well as their
impact on higher education (Brown and Adler, 2008; SCHROEDER, CSISZAR and MORISETTE, 2008;
deWaard et al., 2011; Daniel, 2012; Mehaffy, 2012; Yuan et al., 2013; Diaz, Brown and Pelletier, 2013;
Purser, Towndrow and Aranguiz, 2013; Onah, Sinclair and Boyatt, 2014; Brahimi and Sarirete, 2015;
Fidalgo-Blanco, Sein-Echaluce and Garcia-Peñalvo, 2015; Kapur et al., 2017). Although, by now, MOOCs
still make only a small fraction of higher education offers, their emergence has led to a lively discussion

6
regarding fundamental topics, such as teaching, access to information, learning outcomes,
credentialing, cost, learning communities etc. Research about the impact and value of MOOC is still in
a very early stage. One part of the research community believes that MOOCs have a disruptive power
on the entire system of higher education. According to disruptive innovation theory, innovation occurs
if organizations step out of traditional paradigms, set up prototypes and experiments and conceive
‘lessons learned’ that can lead to progress (Bower and Christensen, 1995). By that point of view,
MOOCs are already acting as a disruptive force by driving a process of reconsideration of the current
teaching and learning models of and the perception of information in an online/digital environment
(Diaz, Brown and Pelletier, 2013; Yuan et al., 2013). In some cases MOOCs are perceived as a threat
for existing higher education systems (Finkle and Masters, 2014).
Existing literature is indicating that MOOCs follow the Hype Cycle model for emerging technologies, as
displayed in Figure 2 and Figure 3. According to this Hype Cycle theory, after a new technology is
triggered, expectations (and therefore interest) rise quickly and fall just as fast after problems and
issues with this technology become apparent. According to the findings of e.g. (Poelmans and
Wautelet, 2016), the concept of MOOCs is on a way to the trough of disillusionment. A repetition of
the analysis of (Poelmans and Wautelet, 2016) show that there is by no means a significant decrease
in the interest in MOOCs (cf. Figure 4). If any conclusion can be drawn from the time series, it is on the
seasonality of the interest throughout a year, which can help to schedule MOOC deployment.
In the ongoing process, by any means, MOOCs should be seen as a continuation of the open education
movement, as displayed in Figure 1. This perception appears to be the most pragmatic for the work
with MOOCs, for the analysis of their impact, for the development of best practice recommendations
and for the creation of an environment that keeps the promise of a fair, unbiased and equal education
structure for the entire wold.
Figure 2: Hype cycle for emerging technologies (Gartner 2011).

7
Figure 3: Google trend data on the topic ‘MOOC’s indicating that interest is tending
to sink into the 'Trough of Disillusionment' in 2014 (Poelmans and Wautelet, 2016)).
Figure 4: Repetition of the analysis by (Poelmans and Wautelet, 2016) with an analysis period extended to 2008-20017.
(Period of Figure 3 marked in red).
E-Learning in the context of Earth Observation
The field of Earth Observation (EO) is traditionally strongly rooted in the use of (digital) communication
technologies. As a consequence, also various forms of knowledge transmission and educational
resources and tools are available online. The emerging philosophy of ‘Open Science’ is also evident in
all fields of EO (Kapur et al., 2017). One of the driving forces of this development is the Copernicus
program including access to satellite data of the Sentinel missions, free of charge to the end user.
Alongside with the free availability of data goes the emergence of free and open tools for data analysis
(e.g. SNAP, PolSARPro, Bilko, QGIS, SARbian).

8
This helix of open data and tools also triggers other developments. It provides the public with access
to former high-level, scarce technologies and opportunities, creating an increasing demand for
knowledge transfer from long-established experts onto a growing number of students and newcomers
to the field (Brown and Adler, 2008). The creation and distribution of (scientific) knowledge, and
therefore, the contribution of EO to the progress of society, emerges from a trinity of data, tools and
community (see Figure 5). Community describes the passing on of knowledge from teachers and
experienced users to newcomers and students. It hosts discussion and scientific debate whereas
making use of available data and tools to create more knowledge, resulting in new and improved tools
and data sources.
Figure 5: Trinity of EO Data, Tools and Community to foster new and existing knowledge.
1.3.1 Examples of available educational resources for EO
Several MOOCs and online courses were developed in the field of EO. To date, they are mainly focused
on optical remote sensing or with a strong thematic focus. Five examples will be presented in this
chapter, followed by the presentation of resources designed for Radar remote sensing in the
subsequent chapter.

9
1.3.1.1 Monitoring Climate from Space (MOOC)
‘Monitoring Climate from Space’ is the first fully developed MOOC on EO, provided by ESA. The course
comprises a general introduction to topics regarding climate monitoring, presenting tools and methods
as well as the use of data. Resources used in the MOOC are videos, texts, figures and external links.
Exercises with freely available tools are included and the communication of users if enabled on the
online platform.
Figure 6: ESA MOOC: Monitoring Climate from Space
(https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/climate-from-space/)

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1.3.1.2 Earth Observation from Space: The Optical View (MOOC)
‘Earth Observation from Space: The Optical View’ is the follow up MOOC on the successful first MOOC
‘Monitoring Climate from Space’, provided by ESA. The content has a stronger focus on the applications
of optical EO data for environmental monitoring. Using the same types of tools and platform as the
‘Monitoring Climate from Space’ MOOC, ‘Earth Observation from Space: The Optical View’ can be seen
as a follow up designed to target a more specific group of (potential) users of optical EO data.
Figure 7: ESA MOOC: Earth Observation from Space: the Optical View
(https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/optical-earth-observation/)

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1.3.1.3 Monitoring the Oceans from Space (MOOC)
‘Monitoring the Oceans from Space’ is a MOOC produced by EUMETSAT promoting knowledge of EO
methods and applications for the observation of marine regimes, presenting tools and methods as well
as the use of data. Resources used in the MOOC are videos, texts, figures and external links. Exercises
with freely available tools are included and the communication of users if enabled on the online
platform.
Figure 8: EUMETSAT MOOC: Monitoring Oceans from Space
(https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/oceans-from-space/).

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1.3.1.4
Remote Sensing Technology for Disaster Management (MOOC)
The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Working Groups on Capacity Building & Data
Democracy (WGCapD) and Disasters (WGDisasters) offers an online course on Remote Sensing
Technology for Disaster Management (http://ceos.org/meetings/wgcapd-distance-education-2015/).
This course comprises a collection of webinars, i.e. spoken and visual presentations and download links
to the respective presentations as PDF. The resources are collected in a Wiki and available under a
Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Figure 9: CEOS online course: Remote Sensing Technology for Disaster Management
(http://wiki.obt.inpe.br/doku.php?id=webinars-disasters).

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1.3.1.5 LearnEO! (MOOC)
LearnEO! (http://www.learn-eo.org) is an education project funded by ESA to provide open teaching
resources for several fields of EO. The material comprises of practical tutorials and training data to get
a hands-on experience in working with EO data.
Figure 10: ESA Course: LearnEO!
(http://www.learn-eo.org/lessons.php).

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1.3.2 Examples of available educational resources for EO with Radar
There are several examples of online resources, designed to foster the knowledge transfer in the field
of Radar Remote Sensing. Two efforts shall be described here in more detail to illuminate the recent
state of this field with regards to the availability of educational resources.
1.3.2.1 SAR Tutor (xMOOC, Fraunhofer IOSB)
“»SAR-Tutor« is a training software for radar image analysis. Basic principles of radar technology and
in particular the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can be learned. […] Starting from textbook metaphor
to various multimedia and hypertext techniques support the learning process. Interactive sketches and
animations provide space for exploration of the SAR image underlying properties. This is
complemented by an integrated interactive simulator for geometric radar effects. Another key feature
of »SAR-Tutor« are exercises. Educationally distributed tasks allow students to check their own
learning progress. Image interpretation exercises offer practical examples and automatic positive /
negative feedback and improve own assessment of the students learning progress. At the end of the
course students can participate in a quiz. Participants of the quiz are listed in ascending order according
to their performance” (Fraunhofer IOSB, 2008). SAR Tutor can be regarded as mixture of an OER for
self-guided learning based on (interactive) media and an online course, resulting in a product that is
comparable to an online version of a textbook. Despite the fact that it was developed before the term
MOOC was established, SAR tutor is best classified as an early version of an xMOOC (cf. Chapter 2.1.1).
Figure 11: Fraunhofer Course: SAR Tutor
(http://sar-tutor-en.iosb.fraunhofer.de/).

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1.3.2.2 SAR-EDU (OER, University of Jena)
SAR-EDU is a comprehensive collection of OER. With a strong focus on the application of Radar data
and tools in the geosciences. It provides lecture material, tutorials and sample data to learn the basics,
methods and fields of application for radar data. SAR-EDU was originally designed to be a pool of OER
for upcoming faculty teachers and self-learning students, it evolved to a more comprehensive
approach with associated summer schools and workshops.
In a next stage of evolution, a new web platform called EO College was developed, incorporating
technology to host MOOCs, Webinars and other forms of E-Learning, entangled with social
media/community functionality (cf. Chapter 4). In the course of this effort, ‘Echoes in Space’, the first
MOOC on Radar remote sensing was developed (cf. Chapter 5). This chapter served as theoretical basis
for its conception.
Figure 12: SAR-EDU OER.
(https://saredu.dlr.de/unit).

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2 Basics of online course design
The following chapter summarises the fundamentals of required knowledge or the necessities of
consideration respectively. The subchapters are divided into learning theory, design basics, learner
engagement and recommendations for online course structures.
Basics of Learning
2.1.1 Information theory
The theoretical foundation for the transmission and reception of messages or signals and therefore all
forms of knowledge transfer is called information theory. It assumes that messages, consisting, e.g. of
characters (in general, consisting of acoustic, visual, olfactory, gustatory and/or haptic stimuli) are
emitted by a sender via a physical channel and absorbed by a receiver. Both, sender and receiver,
possess a unique repertoire of characters, i.e. their knowledge. The receiver is capable of
understanding the message when the signals sent by the sender are available within its repertoire.
Figure 13 demonstrates this relationship.
Figure 13: Relationship of sender and receiver of a message according to information theory
(redrawn from (Weber, 1990)).
The signals of the sender can only be understood by the receiver if they are (at least partial)
components of its repertoire. Comprehension occurs to the degree the repertoire of the sender (or
rather its message) and the repertoire of the receiver overlap. The repertoire of the receiver grows
with increasing understanding and perceptivity, hence progressively conforms to the repertoire of the
sender. This process of continuous gathering of knowledge and new information can be denoted as
‘process of learning (Weber, 1990).
Figure 14 demonstrates the polarity between new, unanticipated (original) information to familiar,
superfluous (banal) information. The information value is a result of the balance between these poles.
Too much new information leads to a lack of understanding due to excessive demands. Too much
familiar information also generates refusal due to boredom.

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Figure 14: Information value of a message. The curve illustrates the value of a received information for a student. The
optimal value of information is reached in a state of equilibrium between new and familiar information. The
comprehensibility of a message is linked to its redundancy. Total originality is causing incomprehensibility due to excessive
demand, total banality is also causing the absence of learning progress, due to boredom (redrawn from (Weber, 1990)).
2.1.2 Deductions for E-Learning environments
Based on the theoretical aspects of information transmission and reception, a set of variables can be
derived that is relevant for the design of online courses and E-Learning environments.
Certain factors are obvious and can be controlled and optimized easily. Others are less tangible or
impossible to influence by the creator of an online course:
1. Channel
The term channel comprises of the tools used to transport the message. For online courses, the
transmission is conducted via the internet. In that sense the quality of transmission is related to the
speed and reliability of the internet connection on the site of the client (i.e. the student) as well as the
speed and reliability of the server that is providing the course material. Furthermore, the term
‘Channel’ unites all the tools and technologies that are used to transmit a message. This includes
choices of software and tools to present the content of this message.
2. Message
The term message refers to the actual educational content of an online course. It consists of the
underlying pedagogical concepts, the topic itself and the manner in which the tools provided by the
channel are used to present the content.
3. Repertoire of the sender
The term ‘repertoire of the sender’ refers to the knowledge of the teacher, the skills to present set
knowledge and the tools chosen in order to make it understandable for the students. Therefore, it

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reveals a strong link between the actual technical knowledge of the teacher and the ability to construct
a meaningful message.
4. Repertoire of the receiver
The term ‘repertoire of the receiver’ describes the set of skills, knowledge and vocabulary that is
available to the student in order to understand the message sent by the teacher. It is the only variable
that is unknown during the conception and design of an online course and is varying from student to
student. Therefore, it can be identified as the most crucial variable and it needs the most attention in
terms of developing strategies to cope with the unknown skills, knowledge and motivations of the
future course participants.
2.1.3 Learning theory
In the field of online courses and MOOCs there are two major trends in terms of underlying learning
theories or perspectives on learning. On the one hand, behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism;
connectivism on the other hand (cf. Figure 15).
Behaviourism regards learning as an individual response to external stimuli. It grasps the learner as a
rather passive subject and fosters techniques to stimulate and improve learning via proper tools. A
well-known example of classic behaviourism theory is the experiment of conditioning a dog conducted
by Pavlov.
Cognitivism perceives learning as a process of acquiring and storing information. It involves memory
through repetition as well as abstraction through contiguity. Knowledge is stored in the brain in a
certain structure that can be modified and extended by learning.
Constructivism describes the knowledge of an individual as a function of its prior experiences, mental
and cognitive capabilities as well as beliefs and values. Knowledge is therefore the result of the
individual’s perception and interpretation of the world (Mergel, 1998).
Figure 15: Description of different learning theorems (Morrison, 2013).

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The implementation of these learning theories into MOOC concepts results in a mostly centralized,
instructor-oriented structure resembling the classic ex-cathedra teaching with pre-defined lessons,
well-structured courses and clear curriculums. This branch of MOOCs is called xMOOCs (extended
MOOCs). Figure 16 presents an ideal model of an xMOOC.
Figure 16: General concept of a xMOOC (Yousef, Chatti and Schroeder, 2014).
Connectivism is a relatively young learning theory differing from classical theories by the premise that
a human being as a learner is not an isolated individual but part of (a) network(s), consisting of other
human beings and other resources (e.g. computers, libraries etc.). Therefore, it expands the notion of
learning from ‘know how’ plus ‘know what’ by the term ‘know where’. The activity of searching and
selecting information, the meta-learning, therefore, becomes as important as the learning itself.
Connectivism theory is adapted to the world of E- and online learning since it considers the massive
availability of information alongside to official learning documents and takes into account the
capabilities of the social components of the Web 2.0 (Siemens, 2005). The structure of a cMOOC is
represented in Figure 17.
Figure 17: General concept of a cMOOC (Yousef, Chatti and Schroeder, 2014).

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By comparison, xMOOCs and cMOOCs offer some benefits and drawbacks. While an xMOOC allows for
a very well-organised structure that can be predefined, a cMOOC rather depends on the collaboration
and contribution of learners. Its development, quality and quantity of content is unpredictable in the
beginning and will require more administration effort compared to a pre-defined structure.
Collaborative learning on the other hand allows for the creation of a vital community of learners and
future experts (cf. Figure 18).
Figure 18:Comparison of the development of the learning communities in xMOOCs and cMOOCs over time (Caulfield, 2013).
2.1.4 Implications for the design of learning content
One of the most important aspects of learning theory for the design of online courses is the question
which actual content is useful for learners to grasp complex topics. These considerations are the
foundation of a successful engagement of online learners (cf. Chapter 2.3). Reflecting the statements
of chapter 2.1.1, different possible types of messages have to be identified. The type of a message is
defined by the targeted sensory organ of the learner. A medium is a tool that targets a specific sensory
organ in order to transport a message. In terms of e-learning, there is a limited repertoire of senses
and therefore, a limited set of media that can be utilized to transport a message from the teacher to
the student. Based on the findings of (Dale, 1969) different media are more suited than other to create
an sustainable learning experience (cf. Figure 19).
This has several implications for the design of online course content. While text might be the easiest
and cheapest to produce, since it only needs one expert writing down his/her knowledge, it is also the
least effective and sustainable way to transport a message. The graph in Figure 19 shows a clear
relationship between learning success and interactivity of the learning media. To date, most online

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courses still consist of text blocks complemented by graphics. It is apparent from Figure 19 that this is
not the most effective way to transport a message to the online learner. The production of videos is
more time- and cost-intense but appears to be the better choice in terms of learning outcomes.
Modern web technologies allow for the creation of interactive content and should be used extensively
to mimic the best possible interaction of the learner with a certain topic. Part III of this report holds
several analyses on the user demand for specific online media to implement learning content.
Figure 19: The cone of learning after (Dale, 1969), extended with the equivalent online media.
Design Basics
2.2.1 Language & writing
Writing is an essential feature in the creation of online courses. A lot of information is provided via
text. Therefore, some basic principles should apply to the language and writing style. Clear, concise
writing is the key to a good communication and therefore the basis of successful learning (Vai and
Sosulski, 2015). Although obvious, the following advice is relevant:
“A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences. […] This
requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subject
only in outline, but that every word tell” (Strunk in (Vai and Sosulski, 2015).
Orwell (1946) defined a basic set of instructions that is still valid for the writing style in an online
environment:
- “Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
- Never use a long word where a short one will do.
- If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
- Never use the passive where you can use the active.
- Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday
English equivalent.”

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Vai & Sosulski (2015) define a Do and Don’t-list to consider for the creation of text components.
Table 1: Dos and Don'ts for the creation of texts in online courses (Vai and Sosulski, 2015).
Do
Don’t
•
Explain Acronyms
•
Use jargon
•
Explain technical terms
•
Use Colloquialisms
•
Write concise sentences & paragraphs
•
Write in a relaxed, supporting tone
•
Avoid Clichés
2.2.2 Visual Design basics
Above all, a good design for educational material in general follows these three principles:
- Simplicity,
- Clarity,
- Organization.
As already mentioned in chapter 2.1.4, there are several elements of which educational content can
be composed. In the following, some guidelines for the most common types Text, Graphics and
Audio/Video/Multimedia will be described.
Text
An online layout should be open, i.e. uncluttered and including significant amounts of white space,
especially for text blocks. White space is created by line spacing, paragraph spacing and the space left
and/or right of the text blocks.
Short lines and short paragraphs improve the readability of the text. Paragraphs should be aligned left
to increase readability. Typography plays a special role on displays. Text blocks should have simple
typefaces, commonly sans-serif, since they are easier to read on displays. Furthermore, bold and italic
fonts should be uses sparsely since they are harder to read online. They shall only serve to highlight
and emphasize important sections.
Colour
Colour should be handled with care since the transmission of information through text is based on
contrast. Therefore a high contrast increases the readability (cf. Figure 20).

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Figure 20: Colour contrasts (Vai and Sosulski, 2015).
Graphic elements
Graphic elements can help to structure content and to emphasize aspects. One class of structural
elements are bullets and numbers. They are used to highlight elements that can be listed. Numbers
are used to mark sequential steps, such as processes and tasks. Bullets are used to order non-
sequential items that are not prioritized.
Further elements of visual representation are icons and symbols. In general, they should be used to
highlight specific elements. Every Icon or Symbol gains a specific semantic in the design, indicating a
feature, an action or a structural element. These visual elements should be used consistently
throughout the entire course to increase the simplicity, structure and organization of the content.
Audio/Video/Multimedia
One basic prerequisite in the use of audio/video and multimedia is the complementary application of
these media, i.e. when combining audio and visual elements it has to be ensured that they support,
rather than confuse each other.
In contrast to text, spoken language has a temporal dimension. The reader adapts the pace when
reading to his/her needs, but has no control over the pace of spoken language (e.g. in videos or
podcasts). This becomes especially crucial when taking into account the learner’s degree of literacy of
the teaching language. In general, non-native speaker will have more difficulties following an English
(or any other language) speaker than native speakers. Therefore, the following elements can be
advised for spoken language:
- Pause at key moments between discrete elements (much like paragraphs in texts)
- Use short sentences and paragraphs
- Keep the speaking natural (no need to speak slowly, just not too quickly)
- Don’t use scripted speaking if you are not used to, scripted texts can sound artificial (i.e. harder
to understand)
- If applicable, repeat key statements to clarify their importance and support their
understanding

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Text in video and presentation has the same underlying principles than text on a web page.
Furthermore, it has to be seen in context to complementing sound or voice. Presentations with a lot
of text on a slide, complemented by a presenter talking, are a common feature to communicate
information within the scientific community as well as in teaching. The assumption is that the spoken
word and the summary of set words in form of text support each other to communicate the content.
Nevertheless, in reality they compete for attention in the perception of the viewer/learner. Since it is
not possible to read attentively while listening and vice versa, text in (video) presentations shall be
kept to an absolute minimum. It is best used to summarize issues said in the video, after they were
said to provide a visual stimulus complementary to the audio stimulus of voice/spoken language.
In terms of visual interest, several cornerstones have to be considered. First, spoken language is best
supported with simple, clear and relevant visual material. This is especially true for learning topics that
are based on the understanding of certain principles that can be visualized by images, graphics,
equations etc. In order to clearly transport the desired information, it is advisable to avoid “talking
head” video with a continuous shot of the lecturer speaking about a certain topic without any
visualization of set topic. On the other hand, a visual (i.e. emotional) impression of the teacher
speaking is important for the identification and connection of the learners, and therefore for their
engagement.
Interface/Layout
The presentation of online learning material very much depends on and is shaped by the platform that
is used to deliver the material (i.e. the website). In contrast to a book or a sheet of paper, the design
of the content of a website has different possibilities but also different limitations. Considering paper,
the dimensions of the medium are well-defined and known a priori. In contrast, the size of a website
depends on the screen size of the learner’s device. Therefore, a good we design has to be responsive,
i.e. able to adapt to the screen size of the device on which it is viewed.
The need for responsive design is even increased by the fact that nowadays, in general, more websites
are accessed via mobile (smartphones and tablets) devices as compared to desktop PCs (cf. Figure 21).
Therefore, for many web applications, including online course platforms, the design paradigm should
be ‘mobile first’. However, for highly specialized cases that, e.g. need a lot of computing power,
specialized software or substantial coding exercises, a majority of users will still access the website
from their desktop PC (cf. Chapter 5.2.1). Nevertheless, a flexible layout to enable access across all
possible devices is inevitable for a modern online learning platform (deWaard et al., 2011).

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Figure 21: Internet use, mobile vs. desktop devices (The Telegraph, 2016).
Engaging the online learner
The engaging of the learner is one of the most crucial issues in an online environment. Distance-
learning, based on asynchronous communication gateways carries the inherit loss of control and
influence over the personal engagement on the learner’s engagement when compared to the
traditional classroom experience. Therefore, all elements of an online teaching environment have to
be as inviting and motivating as possible. In general, there are four components to online teaching that
can be influenced to create a welcoming and nurturing learning environment (Vai and Sosulski, 2015):
- Presentation,
- Activity,
- Assessment and Feedback,
- Design
The first three design elements concern the content and structure of a course, the latter concerns the
visual and functional presentation of the first. Based on this a set of simple, generic guidelines can be
derived. An engaging online course is:
- Clearly and attractively presented (structure, design),
- Active and hands-on,
- Authentic and meaningful (real world examples),
- Collaborative (learning as social experience),
- Reflective (learning encourages self-observation),
- Responsive (to learning abilities and learner’s preferences)

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In addition to those guidelines, a good course design is characterized by the consideration of different
learning types. (Gardner, 1983) differentiates eight types of intelligence, which, to a certain degree,
correspond to the way a learner perceives information, his/her ability to grasp knowledge and
concepts from a certain medium (e.g. text or video) (Figure 22, Table 2) and extended this concept
later by a ninth type (existential). This ability of grasp translates to a degree of engagement and interest
in the course material. The challenge in course design however, is to provide material that is engaging
to as many of these intelligence characteristics as possible.
Figure 22:: Learning types according to (Gardner, 1983),
Source: https://blog.adioma.com/9-types-of-intelligence-infographic/

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Table 2: Different types of Intelligence according to (Gardner, 1983), Source:
http://www.lvsummerbridge.com/uploads/1/1/8/4/11840812/multiple_intelligences.pdf
Learning type Definition Likes Needs
Linguistic
An ability to analyse information
and create products involving
oral and written language such
as speeches, books, and memos.
Reading, writing, telling
stories, playing word
games
Learning through
spoken and written
words: reading,
listening, speaking and
writing
Logical-
Mathematical
An ability to develop equations
and proofs, make calculations,
and solve abstract problems.
Experimenting,
questioning, figuring out
puzzles, calculating
Learning through
reasoning and problem-
solving: numbers
Spatial
An ability to recognize and
manipulate large-scale and fine-
grained spatial images.
Interested in
conservation and
recycling, gardening,
animals, the outdoors,
weather
Learning through
classification,
categories, and
hierarchies
Musical
An ability to produce,
remember, and make meaning
of different patterns of sound.
Designing, drawing,
visualizing, doodling
Learning visually and
organizing ideas
spatially: think in
images and pictures and
“see” things in one’s
mind
Naturalist
An ability to identify and
distinguish among different
types of plants, animals, and
weather formations that are
found in the natural world.
Dancing, running,
jumping, building,
touching, gesturing
Learning through
interaction with one’s
environment: concrete
experiences
Bodily-Kinaesthetic
An ability to use one’s own body
to create products or solve
problems.
Singing, whistling,
humming, tapping feet
and hands, listening
Learning through songs,
patterns, rhythms,
instruments, and
musical expression.
Interpersonal
An ability to recognize and
understand other people’s
moods, desires, motivations,
and intentions.
Reading, organizing,
relating, manipulating,
mediating
Learning through
Interactions with
others: working
collaboratively and
cooperatively
Intrapersonal
An ability to recognize and
understand his or her own
moods, desires, motivations,
and intentions.
Setting goals,
mediating, dreaming,
being quiet
Learning through
feelings, values, and
attitudes
Existential An ability to reflect inwardly
when learning and interacting
with others. An ability to use
collective values and intuition to
understand others and the
world around them.
Questions about life and
death and beyond,
interest in society and
those around them
Learning by seeing the
big picture. Connects
real world
understandings and
application to new
learning.

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Needless to mention that a MOOC addressing a large number of people with previously unknown
knowledge, skills, interests and learning preferences cannot address the needs of all learning types to
the same degree. Nevertheless, some strategies and guidelines can be followed to enhance the
experience for most learners.
A purely or heavily text-based course emphasizes the linguistic intelligence and deprives other learning
types (e.g. visual learners) of an engaging learning experience. Therefore, the incorporation of visual
elements (images, graphs, video, illustrations, etc.) is highly recommended to include visuals learners.
Furthermore, visual elements support the attention and perception of other learning types too, since
the massive supply of information in the online world increasingly depends on visual stimulation in
order to gain attention and keep learners focused. Modern online teaching should be focused on
hands-on learning. An active learner is an engaged learner. Therefore, the incorporation of tutorials,
practical exercises and interactive visual elements is advisable, if not mandatory. Another key aspect
in the creation of engaging course material is the incorporation of intra- and interpersonal learning
preferences. Intrapersonal learners prefer an isolated assimilation of knowledge, without distractions
by social interaction. Interpersonal learners gather knowledge and ideas through communication,
collaborative work and active information exchange. An engaging online course and an engaging
learning environment respectively enables both learning types to pursue their personal preferences.
2.3.1 The Roles of teachers and the learners
In Online teaching, the roles of both, teachers and learners, differ significantly from the behaviour in
a traditional classroom environment. Whereas in a classroom the teacher is mainly a knowledge
provider and responsible for a structured process of learning (i.e. providing learning material,
stimulating interaction with the material, assessing performances), the role of a teacher in an online
environment shifts towards the provision of a guided experience of self-learning. Instead of a mere
delivery of knowledge, tasks and assessments, the teacher acts as a facilitator in the process of
understanding, idea exchange, discovery of material and the construction of knowledge. As students
will supply complementary material in a collaborative learning environment, the teacher merely
provides feedback and anticipates common issues and challenges (Hattie and Yates, 2014).
In the framework of online courses, learners are responsible for their own progress and learning
outcomes. Alongside the consumption of information, they contribute to the learning of others by
sharing material, opinions, questions, experiences etc. In the succession of their learning process they
interact with the material, other learners and the teacher, but also with the technology that is used to
provide the course. The role of the learner is very variable, requiring different skill sets, according to
the given material or task. The interaction levels for learners can fluctuate from isolated learning (such
as reading or watching videos) to pair or group assignments to interaction in large learning
communities (e.g. forum discussions).

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2.3.2 Collaborative Learning
Collaborative learning is one of the most engaging and effective forms of (online) learning. In a group,
learners are responsible for their own learning as well as partly for the learning of others. Collaboration
stimulates sharing of information and ideas and promotes cooperation.
Vai and Sosulski (2015) define guidelines for the preparation and stimulation of collaborative learning
in smaller online courses that, partly, can be applied to MOOCs:
- Create a safe and supportive culture,
- Provide guidelines and expectations for group activities,
- Indicate responsibilities and roles for students,
- Build a way for learners to assess one another’s performance when working in groups.
2.3.3 Performance evaluation, assessment & feedback
The choice and planning of assessment and feedback mechanisms in an online environment is a
delicate and challenging task. This chapter gives a framework of tools and guidelines to perform an
effective assessment and give meaningful feedback in an online course.
The assessment of a learner’s performance is directly related to the learning outcomes and therefore
to the content of the course. Performance always relates to some form of (objective) measurement of
the learning progress and the work of the learner. Not exclusively, but especially in an online context
a permanent, ongoing assessment and feedback is necessary to
a) Keep the learner engaged and to
b) Ensure the possibility of a learning progress according to the course progression.
An ongoing assessment and feedback gives the learner the opportunity to localize him-/herself
constantly in the learning process and, if necessary, to improve or reinforce their knowledge and skills.
Therefore, assessments shall be provided in small, digestible chunks rather than in erratic but large
assignments. Furthermore, it is important to evaluate the learner’s performance with a variety of
assessment types, since not all skills and progression in knowledge can be measured with the same
evaluation technique.
Any type of assessment is linked to a feedback given to the learner. The feedback to a learner has a
qualitative (i.e. length, complexity and degree of differentiation) and a temporal dimension (i.e.
response time). Qualitatively simple/undifferentiated feedback can be given by automated methods
(e.g. multiple-choice, single-choice quizzes, etc.) on an immediate basis, whereas complex,
personalized feedback from a teacher or an expert (e.g. in form of a written answer or a video
response) has a much longer response time and scale of effort for each individual feedback.
In general, five types of feedback and assessments can be distinguished

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- Teacher feedback
o Expands knowledge and understanding
o Gives guidelines on how to improve and progress
o Corrects mistakes
o Addresses misconceptions
o Motivates learners
- Expert feedback
o Provides real world context to tasks
o Provides a multiplicity of perspectives apart from the teacher’s opinion
o Gives sense of connectedness to an expert community
- Peer-to-peer feedback
o Gives sense of connection of own work to peers
o Helps to develop skills of critical assessment
o Leads to self-reflection of the own work
o Multiple perspectives lead to richer and deeper understanding of a topic/task
o Increases understanding of relevant criteria for a specific work/task
- Self-Assessment
o Provides opportunity for self-reflection
o Reinforces understanding through retrieval
o Provides opportunities to re-focus the learning process
- Automated feedback
o Provides immediate response to precast tests, quizzes & assignments
o Provides scale-independent tools for periodic (self-)assessment
One of the major issues in MOOCs is scalability. This is especially true for the provision of feedback and
assessment. Therefore, varying strategies and tools shall be used depending on the designated scale
of the online course. Whereas for specialized courses with a small audience individual teacher/expert
feedback on essays, group projects or papers are a desirable form of assessment, this is not valid for
MOOCs with hundreds or thousands of participants. MOOCs need the incorporation of extensively
automated feedback, peer-to-peer assessment and community based responses to requests and
questions. Nevertheless, it is as important in MOOCs to set clear grading criteria to manage the
learner’s expectations during the course and give an overview of the learning progress. Therefore,
(automated) results of quizzes, tests and assignments have to be reported back to the learner.

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Course structure
In order to create a well-designed course, there are several key elements that define and describe the
structure of the course. The following elements shall be ordered and communicated as clear and
concise as possible:
- Learning outcomes
- Course syllabus
- Course outline
- Lesson structure
2.4.1 Learning outcomes
Learning Outcomes need to be defined in order to give the learner and the teacher guidelines of the
aim and designated content of the course. They centre on the set of skills the learner is
expected/promised to acquire when taking the course. Learning outcomes characterize as follows:
- Specific
- Clearly and concisely written
- Clarify for learners why they are doing what they are doing
- Provide a framework by:
o Defining the knowledge/skills to be acquired
o Helping to determine the content
o Providing goals
- Help to insure the quality of the course
- Represent an agreement between teacher and learner upon their respective responsibilities
2.4.2 Course syllabus
The syllabus can be regarded as interface between the description of the course content and its
organizational/administrative structure. In smaller-scale specialised courses it is the core document in
terms of organization of course requirements, contact information, technical support, schedule etc.
The syllabus shall include the following elements:
- Course title
- Course description
- Course objectives
- Course outline
- Evaluation plan/scheme
- Grading policy
- Listing of required/recommended reading

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Furthermore, it includes features specific to an online environment with an asynchronous
communication:
- Communication strategy
- Overview of communication tools
- Description of time frame and formats
- Guidelines for participation
- Technical requirements, necessary and recommended (online)-tools, technical support
- Detailed outline with start and end dates for each lesson
2.4.3 Course outline
The course outline provides an overview of the timely sequence and a to-do list of
- Events
- Assignments, if applicable
- Readings
- Activities, if applicable
- Course deliverables, if applicable

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3 Issues and challenges
Despite all the advancements and the success of online courses and especially MOOCs, several issues
remain that need to be solved and improved to provide educational tools of real value. The following
chapter describes some of the key issues and challenges remaining with online courses.
Sustainability, Quality & Completion rates
The impact of an announcement of MOOCs is very high. A lot of interest is generated in short time
spans. On the other hand, the fast fugacity of content, efforts and events is inherent to the online
world and a course can be forgotten quickly, with or without registration. Figure 63 in Chapter 5.2.2
suggests that approximately half of the students who register for a MOOC do not even complete the
very first topic of a course.
Completion rates of MOOCs are very low in general (cf. Figure 64). It needs to be subject to further
research and a clearer systematic approach to define how to properly infer information about the
MOOC quality from completion rates. For example, the completion rate is generally calculated from
the number of registered students. This, however, cannot be a measure of the quality of the course
material and structure since a high percentage of the users who did not complete the course did not
even see any of the material. Therefore, a first step to analyse the quality of an online course has to
be the consideration of completion rates from learners who actually started the course. (Onah, Sinclair
and Boyatt, 2014) report that completion rates can rise up to 45% if only learners are considered that
reached the first assignment of a course.
Creating sustainable online courses is challenging. Sustainability, here, comprises two dimensions.
First, a long-term learning success for the learners. Besides the choice of proper online tools to
transport knowledge (cf. Chapter 2.1), some characteristics of online course design have to be
considered to create a sustainable learning experience. For example, materials have to be accessible
for long periods after the course end to allow for further research and revision.
Second, the method of deployment of a course is very important and critical for its impact on the
community of potential learners. There is an ongoing debate between coffers of self-paced (i.e. always
open) and session-based (i.e. with defined start dates and deadlines) online courses. (Shah, 2015)
reports that ~500% of all courses on the platform Coursera have no definite start date, hence not
informing users when to expect the next course start. Especially for specialised niche platforms, like
the EO College a clear structure for the course deployment is crucial to deliver content to the users in
a meaningful way. Each approach has several benefits and drawbacks. Self-paced learning offers the
possibility to start a course any time, independent from any course schedule. It also allows for a flexible
pace within the course, without fixed deadlines. Maintenance of self-paced courses, on the other hand
is more difficult since administration and updating of material has to be done permanently creating

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also permanent costs. Another drawback of self-paced learning is the uncertainty of meeting other
learners doing the course at the same time. If the course offers discussion forums or chat groups, the
chances for a response are lower than in session-based courses and also the response time will
increase. The lack of deadlines can also function as a demotivation to finish assignments for some
users. Another benefit of session-based approaches is the possibility to update and revise content
between two runs of a course in a consistent way (Shah, 2015).
Another important aspect of quality assurance is assessment. Most countries possess quality
assurance agencies for higher education (Daniel, 2012). The quality of online courses should be
evaluated just as rigid and precisely as other educational offers. Evaluation mechanisms should be
implemented (if not existing yet) in such national quality assurance agencies or should be set up for
online courses specifically.
Bridging the digital divide
Today, information and communication technology is spanning the entire globe. Seemingly the entire
knowledge of mankind is available at any time to anybody. This impression often neglects the still
existing differences and inequalities in access and usage of set technologies. The term ‘digital divide’
refers to disparities of access to and literacy of the usage of online information technologies based on
demographic factors such as location, race, ethnicity, income, education or gender.
3.2.1.1 Access
The world’s economic disparities are also manifested in the access to (broadband) internet
connections (cf. Figure 23). Disregarding these disparities will lead to an increase of inequalities on
several levels. Providing online education without strategies to tackle these issues will foster the
education of already educated, leading to economic advantages for the already economically favoured
individuals in the countries of the developed world. Therefore, providing free and open learning
material must also include methods for an equal and fair chance to access these materials. This can be
achieved by, for example, providing offline versions of courses to be utilized in areas with computers
but no/bad internet access. Furthermore, the usage of free and open tools and data plays a key role
to equalize the chances of usage disregarding economic capabilities to purchase data/tools. Further
strategies could include the implementation of central institutions (e.g. libraries, schools, education
institutes) in developing countries that provide access to courses (i.e. classroom experience for online
courses). Another essential tool for an improved access to learning material is the translation of
(English) material into several languages, such as Spanish, French or Chinese.

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Figure 23: Internet population and penetration (Oxford Internet Institute (OII)).
3.2.1.2 Digital literacy
Digital literacy is one major crux in the framework of E-Learning. Offers to learn skills and to acquire
knowledge over the internet come with very special prerequisites. Learners must be able to properly
use the devices they choose to access e-learning content. Furthermore, they must be able to switch
between very different environments and software packages almost instantaneously in order to follow
courses. Getting around in an online environment requires a very special set of skills (cf. Figure 24) that
enables users to navigate, do research and evaluate the validity of content.
If not taken care of, the lack of digital literacy amongst certain potential user groups can lead to an
excessive demand by an educational offer. Users, then, cannot participate in the learning process due
to their inability to consume and use the offer. Therefore, an undiscerning handling of this issue can
lead to the widening of the digital divide, for example, between the ‘Digital Natives’ and older
generations that were not exposed to the use of digital devices since their early childhood.
It will be necessary to provide additional offers to get potential learners used to the requirements and
challenges of learning in an online environment in order to properly enable them to later learn by
themselves in these environments. Furthermore, the conception and design needs a strong focus on
usability of online tools to reduce the barrier of using an education offer as much as possible. These
two areas bare great potential for improvement on the path to making E-learning accessible to
anybody.

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Figure 24: Skill set digital literacy (redrawn after Hague and Payton (2010)).
Further moral concerns arising from the deployment of MOOCs are the degradation of education
towards a commodity through commercialization of knowledge by profit-oriented providers of
educational content as well as a contribution to western colonialization through a growing uniformity
of the content in higher education (Majhanovich, 2015).

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4 The EO College
Concept and Vision
The EO College is the logic evolution of the Remote Sensing Education Initiative SAR-EDU. Starting in
2011 with the compilation and provision of educational material for the field of Radar remote sensing,
SAR-EDU can be seen as a classical example for an initiative of the OER movement.
In the course of arising interest for online courses, especially MOOCs, and the corresponding
emergence of online universities, the idea to implement an online university for the Earth observation
sector was developed. The foundation of this idea is built on several considerations and an analysis of
the benefits of such an EO College.
First, the research documented in chapters 1-3 of this report was considered and analysed to create
the most useful combination of tools and functions for an online university. As Figure 16 and Figure 17
state, literature generally distinguishes between cMOOCs and xMOOCs (cf. chapter 2.1.3), referring to
the underlying learning theories of behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism on one side and
connectivism on the other side. The EO College was designed to strike a balance between e-learning
and community tools (cf. Figure 25).
Figure 25: E-learning and community, the underlying pillars of the EO college concept
In practice this concept leads to a flexible structure of tools (as described in chapter 0), allowing for
multiple forms of teaching, from static content such as in a OER repository to highly interactive and
progressive forms of e-teaching. On the community side the platform was designed to encourage
discussion to enable users to enhance their knowledge even without institutional input through
courses or resources.
Second, a wider context apart of technical solutions or learning theories was considered. In recent
years, the EO sector is subject to a massive paradigm shift, away from the production of a map from a
single data source by a single remote sensing expert towards multi-source synergies, multi-temporal

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time series and web-based (automated and collaborative) workflows. Especially programmes like
Copernicus are a major driving force of such developments. The availability of free data sources also
entails the increasing demand for EO education, as now data becomes available to anybody, free of
restrictions like budget or expertise, provided a fast internet connection is available.
The internet is a place of chaos. Ambitious initiatives that are aiming at the same target will always
pop up in different places almost simultaneously. Some of them will perish and some of them will
thrive. Exactly the same situation exists right now in the EO sector. For example, there are new
announcements or releases of EO web portals, mainly dealing with data visualisation, nearly on a
weekly basis. The EO College is an attempt to create some order in the area of EO education, to give
learners a place they can go to and find courses and resources, as well as to get informed about other
EO related topics and learning opportunities.
MOOC platforms like e.g. futurelearn (http://futurelearn.com/) or coursera (http://coursera.org/) are
generic learning platforms. They offer the same set of tools to the creators of language courses as they
do to creators of engineering classes. The EO College implements features that are designed to help
learning about Earth observation. Another important dimension is that most of these generic learning
platforms have a commercial interest in one way or the other in the courses they host. The EO College
on the other hand is funded by tax payer's money and therefore completely free to use. In line with
the commercial interest goes the analysis of user data and user privacy protection. While the
anonymous analysis of learner data is desirable and can help to improve the performance of online
education offers significantly (cf. Chapter 5.2), some of the big learning portals have a reported
tendency towards non-transparency in their ways of analysing, processing and selling user data (e.g.
Dehaye, 2016). The EO College is analysing user data solely anonymous and for scientific purposes.
Based on these initial considerations and premises, the EO College is designed to be a collaborative
platform for as many creators of educational EO content was possible. The contribution of material
from many organisations would allow for the arrangement of the material in a meaningful structure,
the creation of well-designed curricula based on the entire material. This would allow for coherent
paths through the material of a multitude of sources to help the learners to find a more structured
experience and also help the creators of content to focus and combine their efforts to create
meaningful educational EO resources. The mid-term goal is to create a central hub for the EO
education, filled by contributions of many institutions.

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Figure 26: EO College, overarching concept for an EO education hub.
Technical Implementation
The EO College website is based on the Content Management System (CMS) Wordpress (WP)
(http://wordpress.org/). Wordpress is a free and open source framework for websites of any size, from
small individual blogs to community pages with millions of users, published under a GPLv2 (or later)
license.
Based on this framework, to date ~45.000 free and commercial plugins were developed that allow for
a multitude of functions, applications and interactions. The EO College is built on WP because of that
flexibility, the healthy and ever-growing community of developers and the spirit of open and free
software that is rooted in the core of this framework.
For the planning of the design of the EO College the desired functionality scheme was outlined and
matching plugins were researched intensively. As described in chapter 4, the two core functionalities
of the EO College are the hosting of online courses and the provision of educational resources (i.e. an
online university) and the possibility to share content with other users as well as the consumption of
user-generated content (i.e. a social network).
Figure 27 shows the technical setup of the EO College. The WP core is accompanied by two major and
two minor strings of functionality. The major components of the functionality are:
1. Community,
2. E-Learning.
The minor strings of functionality are:
3. Assessment & Feedback
4. Statistics

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Figure 27: Technical and conceptual framework
4.2.1 Community
The heart of the technical implementation of the EO College community functionality is the free and
open (GPL license) plugin ‘buddypress’ (BP, https://buddypress.org/). This plugin upgrades the WP
functionality into a fully-fledged social network, including features like:
• Profile pages
• User Groups
• Activity Streams
• Notifications
• Friendship connections
• Private messaging
This basic buddypress functionality is further extended by means of third-party plugins to improve,
refine and extend the community aspect of the EO College. The plugin ‘BP follow’
(https://wordpress.org/plugins/buddypress-followers/) transforms the BP friendship connections into
a twitter-like follow system that allows users to follow other users or gain followers by creating and
publishing content (see Figure 28). EO College hosts two options for user generated content.

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Figure 28: EO College follow system
Articles
Each user has the opportunity to publish EO-related articles on the EO College. Articles can be created
and edited via the frontend of the website and be published upon approval. This enables the
dissemination of EO-related news, events, scientific findings etc. directly to the EO community.
Articles can be read by anyone, independent of a registered account. The publication of articles is
restricted to registered users. At the date of writing, works on an enhanced publishing service for
institutions and partners are planned to provide associated organisations with better web design
capabilities to create appealing content. Amongst other distinct places, the sub-header of each article
provides a prominent opportunity to follow the author (cf. Figure 29).
Discussions
The second way to contribute to the public knowledge is through the use of forums which are
summarised under the menu item ‘Discussions’. The forums are implemented via the free and open
plugin bbPress (https://bbpress.org/), which enables a flexible implementation of discussion group
structures. In case of the EO College two types of discussions are possible. Firstly, general discussion
groups in the style of a classic forum exist to facilitate a general discussion on EO topics. Secondly,
discussion groups accompanying the hosted online courses are set up to create an easy to follow
structure and provide a platform for support during a course (cf. Figure 31). The integration of course
discussions and forum topics was developed specifically for the EO College.
At the time of writing of this document, this communication structure of articles, comments and forum
discussions reflects the classical way of communication on web platforms. In future development
steps, a more integrated and flexible approach for communication will be implemented to enhance
the visibility and structure of user generated content.

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Figure 29: Article Single page view, follow function highlighted in green
Figure 30: Discussion overview for the Echoes in space course

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Figure 31: Example of the structure of course discussions.
4.2.2 E-learning
The second cornerstone of the EO College is the e-learning component. The e-learning capability is
implemented by the use of a learning management system (LMS). ‘A learning management system
(LMS) is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery
of educational courses or training programs. They help the instructor deliver material to the students,
administer tests and other assignments, track student progress, and manage record-keeping. LMSs are
focused on online learning delivery but support a range of uses, acting as a platform for fully online
courses, as well as several hybrid forms, such as blended learning and flipped classrooms.’ (Wikipedia)
For the EO College the commercial LMS solution ‘Learndash’ (http://learndash.com/) was chosen due
to factors such as robustness, professional support and availability of (third-party) extensions. The LMS
enables the structuring of education content into courses. Figure 32 and Figure 33 depict the internal
structure of an EO College course. Below the overarching container of a course, there can be one or
more lessons. Lessons can give the material a temporal dimension and/or a component of progression
by revealing the consecutive lesson after a certain time (e.g. a new lesson weekly) or after the
successful completion of the recent lesson.
The content of each lesson is structured in topic groups, which are semantic containers for items that
belong to the same thematic complex. Learndash provides two types of content items:
a) Topic  a content container for actual educational content (cf. example in Figure 34)

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b) Quiz  a content container for questions, assignments etc. Quizzes are the basic building block
for the (automated) evaluation of the learner’s performance (cf. example in Figure 35)
Based on this system of building blocks, educational content can be arranged into meaningful online
courses. Content is created by means of the drag and drop content editor ‘Divi Builder’
(https://www.elegantthemes.com/plugins/divi-builder/) that allows for maximised flexibility,
consistent styling and quick changes (e.g. quotation module in Figure 34. Also individual code (HTML,
CSS, JavaScript) can be integrated seamlessly.
Another important feature of the Learndash LMS is the option to define prerequisite courses, i.e. to
define courses that have to be successfully completed first before a user can enrol to a specific course.
This enables a gradual installation of course dependencies to ensure a certain level of knowledge on
the user’s side. It also enables the creation of curriculums.
Figure 32: EO college course structure

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Figure 33: Example of EO college course structure.
Figure 34: Example of a course topic.

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Figure 35: Example of a quiz.
Another important e-learning feature is the plugin ‘H5P’ (http://h5p.org/). H5P is a framework for the
creation of interactive content with HTML and JavaScript. Besides WP it also supports other CMS and
LMS platforms such as Moodle (https://moodle.org/) and Drupal (https://www.drupal.org/). And
makes content interchangeable throughout this platform.
H5P offers a high variety of tools to create interactive content (cf. Figure 36) and was widely used
throughout the ‘Echoes in space’ MOOC. Several of the content types are very useful for the field of
Earth observation education. Two examples are shown in Figure 37 and Figure 38.

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Figure 36: H5P content types (current state at the time of writing).

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Figure 37: Example of an H5P image juxtaposition module from Echoes in space, comparing radar and optical data.
a)
b)
Figure 38: Example of a H5P image hotspot module from ‘Echoes in Space’. A) Annotations as overlay of a radar image
composite and b) An opened annotation revealing further detail on specific image features.

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Another important e-learning component is the provision of educational resources (OER). Based on
the heritage of the SAR-EDU repository on radar remote sensing, the EO College is built in a similar
fashion. Figure 39 gives an overview of the recent stat of contents of the resource repository. Future
developments and plans are described in Chapter 6.
Figure 39: Content of the OER repository on Radar remote sensing.
4.2.3 Assessment & Feedback
Assessment and feedback is an important factor in the creating of a learning platform as well as in the
creation of online courses. EO College contains an implemented framework for the conduction of
surveys and polls as well as for the collection of micro-feedback (cf. Chapter 5.3). The assessment and
feedback functionality was implemented by means of the commercial WP plugin ‘eForm’
(https://codecanyon.net/item/eform-wordpress-form-builder/3180835). This offers capabilities for a
drag’n drop composition of surveys, polls or quizzes. Collected data can be either exported into various
formats (e.g. CSV, PDF) or analysed directly in the backend of the EO College site to get a fast overview
of the user feedback.
In the Echoes in space MOOC two surveys were conducted. One optional survey at the beginning of
the course and one mandatory survey at the end of the course. Furthermore, each educational topic
was equipped with a micro-feedback form, enabling the user to rate the quality of each topic
immediately with one click at the end of each topic. The results of both, surveys and micro-feedback
can be found in Chapter 5.2.

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4.2.4 Page metrics
Page and performance metrics are important to monitor the state of the website, the development of
user numbers as well as the identification of potential improvements of the web page. The EO College
features three mechanisms to evaluate page metrics.
1. WP metrics
WP internal statistics are generated by the WP core functionality and the installed plugins,
comprise measures like:
• Number of users
• Pending assignments and essays
• Listing of recent comments and forum posts
• Monitoring of forum activity
• Monitoring of quiz activity
2. Course reports
The Learndash LMS plugin offers course reports and quiz reports that can be exported via CSV
files. Within the framework of the EO College a semi-automatic analysis tool for these statistics
was developed. The results of this analysis are presented in Chapter 5.2.
3. Matomo metrics
Matomo (aka. Piwik, https://matomo.org/) is an open-source web analytics platform.
Compared to other platforms like e.g. Google Analytics it offers several advantage in the field
of data protection and data ownership. In the following some statistics regarding the EO
College are presented to describe the scale and performance of the website and to give some
valuable insights on for the future development of course material as well as the development
of dissemination and social media strategies.
Since the launch of the EO College in September 2017 the website gathered more than 600.000
page views and more than 80.000 visitors (cf. Figure 40). Each visitor spent approximately 15
minutes on the website, peaking into 21 minutes per average visitor during the live run of the
Echoes in Space MOOC. Aside from a peak on Mondays, the visits are equally distributed over
the weekdays with a strong decline on the weekend, which can be considered normal on a
profession related website (cf. Figure 41). Approximately 85% of the visitors access the website
on a desktop screen, only a fraction of 12% uses smartphones to access the website. This can
be explained by the high percentage of tutorial in the Echoes in Space MOOC, given that
processing SAR with SNAP data on a mobile device is not feasible. An interesting fact is the
strong component of users coming from Facebook as a social network, given the fact that the
EO College does not have a Facebook account.

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Figure 40: EO College analytics overview.
Figure 41: Visits per day of the week.
Figure 42: Users per device Figure 43: Distribution of users
coming from social networks.

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5 Echoes in Space
Echoes in Space is the first MOOC on Radar remote sensing. The course was produced based on the
theoretical considerations stated in this report, the technological possibilities implemented within the
EO College platform as well as the underlying concept displayed in Annex A.
Furthermore, a comprehensive checklist for the production of MOOCs was compiled based on relevant
literature (Dowden and Garn, 2013; Dias, 2014; Hainsworth, 2014; Lackner and Kopp, 2014; openHPI,
2014; Vai and Sosulski, 2015; Drückert, 2016; ETH Zürich, 2016). The resulting Checklist is attached in
Annex B.
Course content
Echoes in space was divided into five lessons, ranging from the history of Radar remote sensing over
the basic concepts and satellite missions to a wide range of applications. Figure 44 - Figure 48 list the
content of each of the five lessons while Table 3 gives an overview of the media used in each lesson.
Figure 44: Content Lesson 1 'History'

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Figure 45: Content Lesson 2 'Geometry'
Figure 46: Content Lesson 3 'Land'

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Figure 47: Content Lesson 4 'History'
Figure 48: Content Lesson 5 'Hazard'
Table 3: Content Overview Echoes in Space
Videos Tutorials Animations Explorable Explanations
History 39 0 2 17
Geometry 7 2 5 3
Land 11 3 2 2
Water 9 7 0 2
Hazard 12 2 0 1
Total 78 14 9 25

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Statistics
5.2.1 User Statistics
Web Analytics
Figure 49 shows the number of registered users over time. The release of the EO College portal and
the announcement of the Echoes in Space course created an initial momentum, leading to
exponentially growing numbers of registered users. Even after the live run of the course, the number
of users is growing steadily, although no new content has been added since November 2017. Figure
50 shows the page access statistics (page views and unique users) during the first live run of Echoes in
Space. There is a clear tendency towards a spike in interest on Mondays, due to the availability of a
new lesson at Monday, 9 a.m. and a corresponding automatic reminder email. In the following days of
the week there is a negative gradient with an absolute low point on the weekends. Figure 51 shows
the page access statistics over the entire lifetime of the EO College portal. As suspected, the live run
of the Echoes in Space course was creating an interest which is magnitudes of orders higher than the
base level of access in times without a live course. Another significant spike in page access was created
by the release of the free and open Radar software Operating System ‘SARbian’, which was promoted
using the distribution channels established during the creation of the EO College (email, Twitter,
Networks of collaboration partners). This indicates the development of a sustainable and agile
community, interested in new content and willing to participate in new offers.
Figure 52 maps the global geographical distribution of the user access. The statistics are not fully
precise since, in the beginning of the lifetime of the portal, these statistics were based on the browser
language, skewing the distribution towards the ‘big’ languages like English, Spanish, French or
Portuguese. For future analyses, the mapping of the geographical distribution is now based on the IP
address of the users, allowing for a more accurate measurement apart from uncertainties due to the
usage of proxy servers. Nevertheless, an almost global coverage of page hits was achieved within the
relatively short lifetime of the portal. Furthermore, this map clearly demonstrates the practical
relevance of the issues raised in chapter 3.2.
Figure 53 shows the distribution of the user access by device. In contrary to the initial estimations, only
a small percentage of users accesses the course material from a mobile device. This can mainly be
explained with the heavy processing load and the use of complex software packages, such as SNAP.
This, of course, accelerates one of the inherent problems of eLearning offers, mentioned in chapter
3.2 i.e. the increasing inequality between developed and developing world due to access to fast
internet connections and powerful computers. Figure 54 demonstrates the distribution of referrers
from social networks, including the particularly interesting fact that neither the EO College nor the
SAR-EDU project have a Facebook account.

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Figure 49: Number of registered users
Figure 50: Page access statistics during the first live run of Echoes in Space.
Figure 51: Page access statistics during the lifetime of the portal.

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Figure 52: Geographical distribution of user access.
Figure 53: User distribution per device Figure 54: Distributions of users from social networks.
Initial Survey
At the beginning of the course, the users were given an optional survey to gain some insights into the
composition of the audience. This survey was answered by 369 individuals out of 5772 users registered
for the course. Therefore, the statistics can only be seen as a valuable indicator and should not be
interpreted too strictly. The results and implications are presented in the following graphs. Figure 55
shows the gender distribution, which approximately reflects the current distribution in the
professional realm of geosciences and Earth observation. Figure 56 shows the age distribution of the
course participants. As it could be expected, online education is targeting primarily the younger
generation that can be classified as ‘digital natives’. Nevertheless, the distribution is showing a healthy
mixture of generations. Figure 57 and Figure 58 show the experience of the users in remote sensing

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and in radar remote sensing respectively. The distribution shows that the offer mostly targets people
with little to no experience and especially people who have an initial experience with remote sensing,
but not with radar at all. These distributions are in tune with the anticipated target group that was the
underlying motivation for the conception of the course. Figure 59 and Figure 60 give some insights in
the profession field and the profession level of the users. As could be expected, a majority of users is
coming from the geoscience and engineering sector, but also other fields are represented well (see
also Table 4), creating a diverse distribution of profession fields, building a nice potential for a healthy
community with fruitful interdisciplinary discussions. The distribution of the profession levels also
shows a healthy mix of mainly young and senior professionals, Ph.D. Candidates and university
students. Figure 61 shows the experience with MOOCs previous to the Echoes in Space course,
indicating that a majority of users already has some experience with the format. This also indicates a
potential for sustainability and the willingness of users to accept returning, frequent and subsequent
offers. Furthermore, Figure 62 complements this trend towards online education by indicating a still
existing demand for on-site trainings.
Figure 55: Gender distribution
Figure 56: Age distribution of the participants [years].

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Figure 57: Remote Sensing experience of participants [years].
Figure 58:RADAR Remote Sensing experience of participants [years].
Figure 59: Profession fields of participants. Figure 60: Profession Level of participants.

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Table 4: Other fields of profession.
Figure 61: Previous MOOC experience. Figure 62: Interest in on-site trainings.

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5.2.2 Course Statistics
The course statistics are derived from the completion rates and several metrics on the user progress
throughout the course. Figure 63 displays the course completion rates. Only 53% of the 5772
registered for the course started the course at all. This is an interesting number considering the effort
of an active registration for the course and constant reminder emails for new lessons. Based on the
entire population, the completion rate is 16%. This number is ranking on the top compared to other
MOOCs and experiences from the literature (cf. Figure 64). It can be argued that this number is
irrelevant for an assessment of the course quality, since it includes all users who did not open the
course material at all. Nevertheless, this is the number constantly cited and referred to in publications.
A more reliable number in terms of course quality is the completion rate of the active users, i.e. the
percentage of users who finished the course that actually started. This number ranks at 30% for the
Echoes in Space course. Unfortunately, there is no material for comparison due to the mentioned focus
on overall completion rates in the literature. Figure 65 plots the progression of all users over all topics,
clearly indicating that the first few topics of a course are most crucial.
Figure 63: Course completion rates.

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Figure 64: Comparison to completion rates from the literature.
Figure 65: Progress of users over all topics.
5.2.3 YouTube
The created video material was hosted on YouTube. In future runs, parallel or alternative solutions
should be found to enable access from countries where YouTube is blocked (China, Iran, North Korea).
The statistics show an active community with numerous likes, comments and shares even outside the
EO College platform.
The watch time (in minutes) is steadily increasing over time, even after the live run of Echoes in Space,
although there is no active new input on YouTube, indicating a self-activating user community and an
increasing popularity of the video content. The average view duration (in minutes) is also slowly
increasing over time (Figure 67). In average, users view 35% of the length of a video. This number is
surprisingly low and could be an indicator for too long videos. On the other hand, it could be just a
reflection of users who stumble on tutorials on YouTube by chance and do not follow the entire length
of a tutorial video. Also Figure 68 clearly indicates this relationship between video length and likelihood
of a user watching the entire content. These findings are in tune with the ideal video lengths stated in
relevant literature and should be considered as baselines for future video productions and content
conceptions.

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Figure 66: Watch time in minutes (7-day rolling average)
Figure 67: Average view duration (rolling 7-day rolling average).
Figure 68: Average % watched vs. length [in min] for each video.

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User Feedback
User feedback was collected in two different ways. Firstly, a micro feedback was collected at the end
of each topic. This micro feedback was composed of a one-click-feedback (cf. Figure 69) with the
additional option to comment the topic. This approach has several advantages. It represents a very
small effort for users to give feedback while also allowing for a fine differentiation which topic needs
to be improved or adapted. Figure 70 shows an overall very positive feedback on all of the topics. On
the other hands it also shows the topics that leave room for improvement in future versions of the
course.
Secondly, a survey was conducted at the end of the course, compulsory to anybody who wanted to
finish the course and receive a certificate. The total number of submissions was 789. The main purpose
of this survey was to collect feedback on the quality of the course and the web portal. Figure 71 - Figure
75 strongly indicate the high overall quality of the course structure and content. Figure 76 and Figure
77 concern the quality of the support, both from the user community and the course organisers. Most
users give a neutral answer to this question, indicating that the support either could be optimised or,
more likely, they did not need any support, navigating through the course in an autonomous way.
Figure 78 Figure 79 concern the use of ESA/Sentinel data prior and after the course. The result shows,
as expected, that nearly all users who finished the course will be likely to use ESA/Sentinel data in the
future, hence indicating the course is a good training effort for the ever-growing community of EO data
users. Figure 80 - Figure 85 display the user feedback regarding the use of different media types within
the educational material. The findings clearly support the theoretical considerations of Part I of this
report. Designing meaningful educational content in an online environment requires the creation of
adaptive, interactive exercises and media in order to create an engaging learning experience. Especially
the inclusion of tutorials, explorable explanations and animations should have a priority compared to
the production of text and spoken visual content (e.g. ‘talking heads videos’). This might increase the
effort and cost of production but the literature as well as the statistics support the hypothesis that this
increased effort is of significant value due to higher commitment, better learning results and higher
completion rates.
The final course survey included also a field for open text comments. The main results are presented
in Table 5, a full overview of the original feedback is given in Annex C. The feedback will be duly
considered for future improvements on the course for potential re-runs.

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Figure 69: Micro feedback
Figure 70: Results of the micro feedback.
Figure 71: The level of the course was appropriate.
Figure 72: The course duration was appropriate.

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Figure 73:The course extended my knowledge of radar remote sensing.
Figure 74: The split between theory and practical parts was well-balanced.
Figure 75: The course structure was logic.

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Figure 76: I have received appropriate support by the organisers during the course.
Figure 77: I have received appropriate support by the community during the course.
Figure 78:
I have used ESA or Sentinel data prior to the
course
Figure 79: I am likely to use ESA and Sentinels EO data
following the course.

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Figure 80: I would like to see ***** texts.
Figure 81: I would like to see ***** animations.
Figure 82: I would like to see ***** forum discussions.

69
Figure 83: I would like to see ***** videos.
Figure 84: I would like to see ***** tutorials.

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Figure 85: I would like to see ***** explorable explanations.
Table 5: Main bullets of the user feedback.
Frequent items of user feedback
• Users asking for more advanced courses
• More animations, less ‚talking heads‘
• (Spanish) Subtitles
• Video transcripts
• Offline Version (Downloadable Book/PDF)
• Courses on time series
• Issue: large data sets

6 Future development ideas
Global collaboration
The EO College is, by now, a singular effort, driven by one institution and relying of the funding of this
singular entity. In order to create a sustainable platform hosting a lively EO community, the portfolio of
the EO College should be widened significantly, both in terms of numbers of education offers and in
terms of application fields of EO. A First step will be the integration of resources for hyperspectral
remote sensing. Secondly, an advanced course on radar backscatter is under development at the time
of reporting. Furthermore, the effort should be focussed on the integration of contents from third-party
institutions to broaden the spectrum of offers, developing the platform towards a single-point-of entry
portal for EO education.
Cloud processing
In order to overcome the issue of the heavy demand on internet bandwidth and processing power to
execute the tutorials in an EO MOOC, server-based approaches can be used. Future processing platforms
such as e.g. DIAS or Code DE could be used to provide access to educational content directly in the
browser, transferring the heavy work of data handling and processing to the server side. Annex D
provides a concept for an interface between such processing platforms and the EO College.
Combination of online- and offline trainings
The creation of sustainable structures for web portals and high quality eLearning offers also echoes back
into the on-site training and allows for completely new approaches. Up until now, there was now
mechanism to ensure that the participants of an on-site training have a certain minimum mutual
foundation of knowledge, which makes the teaching inefficient, usually starting at a very low level.
Online courses, MOOCS and webinars can be used to ensure a certain level of knowledge before
students enter an on-site course. A certificate of completion from an online course could be the
prerequisite to enter an on-site training. This way, a certain level of knowledge could be assumed for
each participant. This could increase the effectiveness and quality of on-site trainings significantly.
The prerequisites for this approach are the availability of high quality online material as well as
permanent access to it.

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Mobile MOOC
One of the crucial parameters for the accessibility of educational content is the device the end user
needs to consume set content. The statistical evaluation of both, the EO College usage statistics and the
final course survey of Echoes in Space indicate that only a small percentage of the content is accessible
by mobile devices, despite the fact that the web design of the page is optimised for mobile access.
Provided that a desktop PC is needed to access the course material, this indicates a negative effect of
this specific eLearning offer on the effort of balancing inequalities between the developed and the
developing world. Subsequently, more eLearning offers aimed at mobile devices should be developed.
Modern web languages such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript offer the possibility to design light weight (in
terms of data transfer), small and easily digestible educational units to transfer EO knowledge to
everybody who owns a smartphone (Figure 86).
Figure 86: Artist vision of a mobile first EO MOOC.

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