The Integration of Dragon Image Processing System into the Remote Sensing Curriculum - The Interdisciplinary Approach
M. Zeman
School of Geoinformatics, Building and Planning,
Faculty of Engineering and the Environment,
University of South Australia.
The Levels, south australia 5095
TEL : +61 88302 3026 FAX: +61 88302 3375
E-Mail : mike.zeman@unisa.edu.au
Abstract
Academic institutions worldwide, in trying to respond to extremely raid technological changes through curricula adjustments, are presented with some significant challenges. While there exists a commitment to ensure that the latest developments in spatial information technologies are available for student use, the cost in terms of hardware and software needed to support them are enormous. This at a time when the academic institutions are under severe financial pressures. This paper highlights the need for interdisciplinary collaboration in securing a relatively inexpensive PC-based software package for teaching remote sensing components of spatial information technologies.
Introduction - The School of Geoinformatics, Planning and Building, University of South Austrialia
The School, formerly known as the School of Surveying at the then South Australian Institute of Technology (SAIT). can trace its beginnings to 1969 when its first courses in surveying and cartography were introduced. One of two institutions offering post-secondary education in these specialized fields in South Australia, the School has been the only on that offers a four year degree course that has been accepted by the Institution of Surveyors (South Australian Division) as the education qualification for cadastral license or general registration as a surveyor under the Survey Act. Additionally, the School of Surveying offered courses at a para-professional level namely the Associate Diploma in either Surveying or Cartography, undertaken over two years full-time or four years part-time. Both associate diploma programs offered by the School were reaccredited with the first year in each course commencing in 1995, an explanation of the philosophy behind the revised curriculum design given by Tan and Larden (1995).
Amalgamation with other educational institutions resulted in SAIT attaining university status, the School of Surveying located within the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology. Further restructuring of faculties have since taken place, the School of Surveying since grouped with other schools into the School of Geoinformatics, Planning Building
Faculty of Engineering and the Environment. This paper is not intended to discuss the influence of the Federal Government on the structure and management of universities inclusive of forced amalgamations, levels of funding, budget cuts, etc. An interest reader is referred to a paper by Trinder (1994) who provides a comprehensive overview on this subject.
Technological Change
The School, like many others in Australia and indeed worldwide, has experienced profound changes in technology, these especially in the area of spatial information. In order to meet these new and up to now unprecedented challenges, the School had to revise its extant courses to keep abreast of change and equally equip its students with the knowledge and skills necessary for a career in the rapidly evolving disciplines it is responsible for. The School responded to the changes by not only revising the extant courses but also developing an entirely new course namely in Earth Information System. The Course has been designed to prepare undergraduates who not only understand the developments of but more importantly can apply spatial information systems to earth processes.
The development of this course has been timed to match the growth in spatial information systems industry, particularly in South Australia, where this industry has been targeted by the State Government as a significant component of this State's information technology enterprise.
The School thus currently offers three courses namely the Diploma of Applied Science (Spatial Information Systems), the Bachelor of Geoinformatics and Surveying, and the Bachelor of Earth Information system.
The overall aims and objectives of the three courses are similar although there are underlying philosophical differences between a degree and diploma. Without discussing the current three distinctive course structures and contents in detail, it is worth describing their characteristics (Figure 1).
It is expected that the Bachelor of Earth Information Systems course, concentrating on the analysis and integration of data with a view to board ranging applications within the human and the physical environment will undoubtedly attract greater interest. It is equally expected that its graduates will find employment in a broad range of areas encompassing environmental studies, natural resource management, land and asset management, planning and population studies where information, analysis and graphic displays are the common link.
Figure 1 : SIS courses at the University of south Australia
