Blog Post #5: Exploring a Mapping/GIS Project

I choose a topic called ‘Global Warming’ from Google Earth @ NOAA for this assignment. The Google Earth format allowed me to scroll around the world, zoom  on specific countries such as USA, Russia and UK and seasonal and annual temperature data more easily than ever before. We can see how much global warming has raised local temperatures in your area or elsewhere on the glove using Google Earth.  The Google Earth interface shows how the globe has been split into latitude and longitude grid boxes. Clicking on a grid box reveals the area's annual temperatures, as well as links to more detailed downloadable station data.

Curious about how much global warming has caused temperatures around the winter Olympics venues near Sochi, Russia to rise? Just click on the grid in Google Earth and a graph pops up showing flat temperatures from 1900 to 1990 followed by a nearly 1°C rise over the past 25 years.

Wondering how much the area around London has warmed in recent decades? The answer again is just a click away, and shows a similar rate of warming to that near Sochi, Russia.

Wondering how much the area around New York City has warmed in recent decades? The answer again is just a click away, and shows a rate of warming.

Currently, I am planning to implement Global Warming project in my statistic class. The objective of this project is to enhance students’ skills in statistical and mathematical modeling, particularly modeling using polynomials of first through third degree. This project will give the students a chance to explore in details some issues related to global warming such as global average temperature raised,  CO₂ (carbon dioxide) and CH₄ (methane) emissions. Using Global Average Temperature data obtained from the Google Earth, students will learn to calculate mean, standard deviation, variance, and construct a regression line to predict temperature using SPSS software. I believe that the Google Earth Layer will increase our students’ awareness of current issues such as global warming and how they are related to mathematics and statistics hence 'visualizing math and statistics topics.'

Blog Post #4-Seminar Project Planning

I designed and developed three DH projects in Spring I, 2014, MAE 213-Electrical Circuits Course under the category of simulations and visualizations. The objective of these projects is to use Multisim software simulation and Matlab software tools as DH tools (visualization /simulation) to solve electric circuits problems that require computer simulations and visualization will increase student’s understanding of electrical circuit theories and concepts. The advantage of this is that Multisim will help students visualize and simulate their electrical circuits problem schematically whereas Matlab helps students solve problems by simulating the working of the circuit itself. I had a plan to implement these projects in this semester. Due to cancellation of my class in this semester, I am unable to implement of this activity in my current MAE 213 class. Hopefully I will do so next semester.

Currently, I am teaching Statistics in this semester. Therefore, I am planning to create one project called ‘Global Warming’ in this semester in my statistic class using SPSS as a DH simulation tool.  This project will give students a chance to explore in detail some issues related to global warming such as CO₂ (carbon dioxide) and CH₄ (methane) emissions. Using green house gas emission data obtained from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), students will construct linear, quadratic, and multiple linear regression models using SPSS, and use a linear regression model to predict CO₂ and CH₄ emissions. This strategy will increase student’s understanding of statistical theories and concepts. 

Eventually, we can use Wordle and Voyant tools as text analysis tools in engineering and math classes for reading some particular topics in textbooks or technical papers, writing project reports, publishing the results of research in a journal, and, finally, presenting the research in national/international conferences.  Furthermore, students in these courses (i.e MAE 213, MAT 120 and MAT 096) are required to deposit their projects in E-portfolio. In this circumstance, students need to write a one or two page reflection about their project. Also, some students are eager to work and do some relevant research in the engineering field. I think these tools (Wordle, Voyant) would provide the students with an advantage to completing and rounding off their learning experience.