Virtual landscapes: An Interactive E-Learning-Environment Based on XML-encoded Geodata

E-Learning has become standard during the recent years. Many projects have been carried out in the field of Geoinformation, Cartography and Earth Sciences. Therein mostly text-based learning materials have been developed. However, a few projects also introduced approaches to web-based environments for interacting with real geodata. The development of a “Virtual Landscape ” will provide an infrastructure to explore and work with geodata, supporting an action-oriented teaching concept. The paper describes the idea of an XML-based architecture for delivering 2D and 2,5 / 3-D data via WWW. Experiences gathered will be presented as well as issues regarding the data model, data storage and cartographic presentation. The task of how to add further functionality and interactivity will be addressed. The paper describes an application from a Landscape Planning course where students have to plan a railway line. Finally, the application in the learning process will be evaluated and the benefit for E-Learning shall be discussed

Desktop Virtual Reality In E-Learning Environments

In recent years distributing knowledge via Internet and World Wide Web has become standard for universities, institutes and companies. Many of them offer E-Learning-Environments. The advantages seem to be obvious: easier distribution, independence of space and time, potentialities of hypertext and multimedia etc. In the fiel

INTEROPERABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN GEOSCIENCES – A VIRTUAL LEARNING LANDSCAPE

E-Learning has reached the geosciences as well as many other subjects. As in other domains E-Learning has produced high prospects for teaching geosciences in the first instance. Many major research and development projects have been carried out and developers now have a clear understanding of what is possible with which amount of effort. From the technical point of view the implementation of E-Learning functionality has been quite successful. However, from experience we have also learned that conceptual and didactical considerations are very important for the effective employment of E-Learning tools. From the didactical point of view constructionist learning theory fits most of the E-Learning demands. As a consequence action-orientated approaches should be implemented which require high proportions of interaction functionalities. In our case we think of a Virtual Learning Landscape as a data-based interaction environment. The successful design and implementation of a Virtual Learning Landscape leads to challenges both on the content related conceptual side and the technical implementation side. We aim to address these challenges by providing support for interoperability both on the content and implementation side. Planning and implementing functionality-intense environments is quite resource consuming. Furthermore, such environments are mostly applied to a certain application and / or a certain area and are thus restricted to a special application or become obsolete after some time. This paper describes our approach for building interoperable learning environments. This includes the technical as well as th

E-LEARNING – BEST PRACTICE IN PHOTOGRAMMETRY, REMOTE SENSING AND GIS – STATUS AND CHALLENGES

In addition to professional training, computer aided teaching has long tradition. The difficult economic situation, however, forced many customers to take drastic austerity measures in the field of learning. Cost pressure encouraged a new openness to innovative and tailored learning concepts. As a result e-learning gained more interest and importance promising great benefit to the user. Around the world a variety of well-designed e-learning products exist. The web pages of Commission VI/2 (<a href = "http://www.igg.tuberlin. de/ISPRS/" target="_blank">http://www.igg.tuberlin. de/ISPRS/) provide a decision aid to locate relevant material. Links to websites known to the authors are listed; a search function allows selective access, taking account of quality criteria. This article describes best practice e-learning applications in photogrammetry, remote sensing and GIS. The rating is based on results of the Computer Assisted Teaching CONtest (CATCON) initiated by ISPRS, and on observation of recent developments

Characterisation of the effects of particle shape using a normalised contact eccentricity

In discrete element modelling it is quite common to employ rolling friction models to mimic the effects of particle shape. This paper presents an investigation of the mechanisms at play when using this technique and compares the behaviour of a rolling friction model with various non-spherical particle systems. The motivation behind this work revolves around forming a theoretical framework behind the selection of a coefficient of rolling friction. As a part of this study, we describe an approach where the normalised average contact eccentricity of non-spherical particles (in this case multispheres) is used to characterise the effects of shape. This description is found to capture some aspects of material behaviour reasonably well. When compared to the behaviour of a common rolling friction model, it was found that similar behaviour could be approximated by spheres with a coefficient of rolling friction equal to one half of the normalised eccentricity of non-spherical material. This is approximately in-line with previous studies involving 2D polyhedral particles (Estrada et al. in Phys Rev E 84:011306, 2011)

Influence of the software on the calibration parameters for DEM simulations

Commercial and open source discrete element method software have been used by researchers and engineers for scientific and engineering problems in granular materials dynamics area. The application of DEM is wide in terms of the engineering field, ranging from powder technology to bulk materials handling. The usefulness of such simulations in research and industry has been categorically proven. There is no doubt that the most of the simulation models used to visualise and optimize engineering problems are strongly idealised in respect of the particle shape and the particle size distribution. Hence, the choice and the calibration of simulation parameters are nowadays one of the most discussed topics in this research area. In light of this, not only the general usage of special contact models with certain parameters but also the used DEM software may influence the simulation results. In this work two widely used commercial DEM software have been compared. An angle of repose test was simulated and the results were compared. This paper shows, that several differences in the contact models of the two DEM programs could be found. Some of these differences can be changed by the user. It was found that subtle differences in the contact model namely in the rolling resistance model are responsible for large differences in the simulation results. After implementation of the same contact models in both DEM codes, the same angle of repose was produced. Hence, calibrated DEM parameters can be used in different DEM software, if the user ensures that the contact model is very much identical

Prediction of conveyor belt deflection by coupling of FEM and DEM simulations

The enhancement of load assumptions for the calculation of bulk material handling equipment is one of the research projects currently undertaken by the University of Magdeburg and the University of Newcastle. This research topic also includes the detailed analysis of the conveyor belt deflection under realistic load conditions. The aim of the project, described in this article, was to develop a Finite Element simulation model for the deflection analysis of a belt conveyor using load data for the bulk material calculated by a coupled Discrete Element simulation. As the first step, static load conditions for fixed belt lengths were analysed in the research work. The paper will explain the FEM procedures for the modelling of the belt behaviour and the working principle of a coupled FEM-DEM analysis as well as the verification of the FEM results via experimental tests

Simulation based dust predication of transfer chutes

Dust emission is one of the main problems associated with the operation of transfer chutes. The design of the transfer chute influences dust generation to a large degree. Due to the very specific design of transfer chutes, sophisticated simulation methods such as the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) are necessary to predict the material and airflow in such plants. This paper shows how these methods can be combined with empirical found relations for the diffuse dust emissions in bulk material handling to evaluate the dust generation in transfer chutes. Furthermore, it will be discussed how such analysis can support the design of dust exhaustion plants