EarthTutor: An Earth Science Satellite Imagery Tutor

We propose to develop EarthTutor, an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) that extends NASA Image2000, and an accompanying authoring tool used to create new tutorials. The system will be innovative in that it delivers a learning experience that is more visual, interactive and adaptive than experiences offered by current remote sensing learning materials. EarthTutor aims to offer the benefits of a one-on-one human instructor. EarthTutor will demonstrate image processing and earth science skills and concepts, ask questions, offer challenges, monitor and assess the student, and provide contextual guidance. EarthTutor will run tutorials created with a separate authoring tool. The tool will be basic enough to allow teachers to construct tutorials to fit one's curriculum, but also powerful enough to allow advanced authors to create highly-interactive tutorials that engage students in unprecedented ways. During Phase I, Stottler Henke developed a prototype of the EarthTutor ITS, authoring tool and sample content. The deliverables have been evaluated by remote sensing instructors and students; the resulting trials demonstrate that EarthTutor is an effective and stimulating means of teaching remote sensing. During Phase II, Stottler Henke will work with researchers and educators to develop four earth science modules intended for advanced high school and undergraduate students.