Visualization of geospatial metadata for selecting geographic datasets

The importance of geospatial metadata that describe geographic data resources has grown along the increase of supply and use of geographic data. Discovery services have been developed on geospatial metadata systems, but supporting tools for users evaluating the suitability of geographic datasets for an intended use are lacking. This dissertation studies how different visual representation forms of metadata could support users in selecting suitable geographic datasets. Maps are a traditional representation form of geographic data, and therefore, maps representing samples of datasets were considered in this research. In addition, multivariate visualization methods were of interest, as they enable users to study and compare multiple characteristics of multiple datasets at a time. These visual representation forms were tested with professional users of geographic data in two stages. First, static displays were used to test the design concepts. Successful concepts were implemented in an interactive prototype that included sample maps, a parallel coordinate plot and star glyphs as multivariate visualization methods, and textual metadata. A user test was carried out with this prototype. Users' thinking protocol was applied in both tests. The findings of the research suggest that sample maps, when displayed individually, provide little concrete support to users of geospatial metadata. However, comparison of sample maps of different datasets stimulates users of geospatial metadata in questioning the data quality and searching for detailed descriptions of datasets. A parallel coordinate plot proved to be a valuable method to users who need to compare datasets by aspatial metadata elements. Already six alternative datasets in the prototype test indicated its usefulness, and the value of this method increases when the number of alternative datasets rises. The test results suggest that a parallel coordinate plot is easily adoptable to occasional users of geospatial metadata. However, the thinking aloud of the subjects confirmed that users need support for understanding the concepts and special terminology used in geospatial metadata. Although the textual form of metadata alone does not support comparison and evaluation of geographic datasets, it proved to be an essential form in the selection process when confirming or checking details of metadata. As a whole, use patterns of the different representation forms during the process varied between the subjects. The process itself was iterative: the subjects refined the evaluation criteria while gaining insight of metadata. The research results strongly indicate that tools for visual representations of geospatial metadata are useful in metadata services. The different representation forms should provide linked views to metadata in order to support users' thinking. The proposed visualization of metadata includes both presentational and exploratory characteristics.reviewe

Knowledge and Reasoning in Spatial Analysis

Reasoning is an essential part of any analysis process. Especially in visual analytics, the quality of the results depends heavily on the knowledge and reasoning skills of the analyst. In this study, we consider how to make the results transparent by visualizing the reasoning and the knowledge, so that persons from outside can trace and verify them. The focus of this study is in spatial analysis and a case study was carried out on a process of off-road mobility analysis. In the case study, linked views of a map and a PCP were identified as reasoning artifacts. The knowledge used by the analyst was formed by these artifacts and the tangible pieces of information identified in them, along with the mental models of the analyst′s mind. To make the results transparent, the tangible pieces of information were marked with sketches and the mental models were presented in causal graphs because it was found that causality was central to the reasoning process in the case study. The causal graph allows the reasoning of the analyst to be studied, as well as traced back to its origin.Peer reviewe

Insight provenance for spatiotemporal visual analytics: Theory, review, and guidelines

Research on provenance, which focuses on different ways to describe and record the history of changes and advances made throughout an analysis process, is an integral part of visual analytics. This paper focuses on providing the provenance of insight and rationale through visualizations while emphasizing, first, that this entails a profound understanding of human cognition and reasoning and that, second, the special nature of spatiotemporal data needs to be acknowledged in this process. A recently proposed human reasoning framework for spatiotemporal analysis, and four guidelines for the creation of visualizations that provide the provenance of insight and rationale published in relation to that framework, work as a starting point for this paper. While these guidelines are quite abstract, this paper set out to create a set of more concrete guidelines. On the basis of a review of available provenance solutions, this paper identifies a set of key features that are of relevance when providing the provenance of insight and rationale and, on the basis of these features, produces a new set of complementary guidelines that are more practically oriented than the original ones. Together, these two sets of guidelines provide both a theoretical and practical approach to the problem of providing the provenance of insight and rationale. Providing these kinds of guidelines represents a new approach in provenance research

Competence management within organisations as an approach to enhancing GIS maturity

The national spatial data infrastructure (NSDI) and GIS maturity of user organisations are mutually dependent. Only when the GIS maturity of user organisations is at a high level can they direct their needs to the development of an NSDI and the benefits of the NSDI come true to their full extent. To raise their GIS maturity to a level where user organisations can both utilise spatial data comprehensively in their businesses and contribute to the development of the NSDI, we propose a GIS maturity enhancement model in which competence management is the fundamental theme. The model suggests the means to improve the GIS maturity of an organisation. The model was motivated by user interviews in Finland, where the technical standard of GIS is not a hindrance to further development, but better exploitation of human competence seems to be the way forward

Hyvä yliopisto-opettajuus – kysymyksiä ja vastauksia yliopistopedagogisen koulutusvuoden varrelta

Hyvä yliopisto-opettajuus – kysymyksiä ja vastauksia yliopistopedagogisen koulutusvuoden varrelta on julkaisu, joka kuvaa Aalto-yliopiston yliopistopedagogiselle kurssille vuonna 2014 osallistuneiden pedagogisen osaamisen kehittymistä. Oppimisprosessi oli vuoden mittainen ja perustui yhteisölliseen ja tutkivaan oppimiseen. Näin heterogeenisestä osallistujaryhmästä kehittyi yhdessä toimiva oppimis- ja tutkimusryhmä. He kiinnostuivat oman ja työyhteisönsä reflektiivisestä opetuksen kehittämisestä. Julkaisussa Opettaja kehittäjänä –kurssin osallistujat kuvaavat ja avaavat ilmiötä hyvä yliopisto-opettajuus monelta eri näkökulmalta. Kurssin ohjaajat jäsentävät kurssin toteutusta ja arvioivat sen onnistumista pohtien miten tämän tyyppinen kurssi, jonka sisältöjä ei ole ennalta suunniteltu pystyy vastaamaan osallistujien erilaisiin odotuksiin ja osaamistarpeisiin. Julkaisu tarjoaa näkökulmia opetusosaamisen ja opetuksen kehittämiseen. Teos sopii kaikille yliopisto-opetuksesta ja sen kehittämisestä kiinnostuneille. Part of the publication is in English (pages 76-175, title "Integrating transferable skills into teaching at Aalto University"

Audio Enhanced Map Animation Testing Perception of Spatial and Temporal Relations

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