1. Presented to NWCG Fire Environment Working Team 7 June 2006 Timothy C. Spangler, Ph.D. Program Director Fifteen Years of Innovative Education and Training for NOAA/NWS Weather Forecasters

2. 1979 2003 Katrina 2006 1700UTC Sun Aug 28

3. UCAR  Founded in 1960 by the university community to create, operate, and manage NCAR on behalf of NSF and the universities  Represents one of the most active and broad community partnerships anywhere in science Universities NSF NCAR

5. 69 UCAR Member Institutions Two representatives each meet annually UCAR Board of Trustees UCAR Finance & Administration Corporate Affairs UCAR Office of Programs National Center for Atmospheric Research Education & Outreach SOARS Constellation Observing System for Meteorology Ionosphere Climate (COSMIC) Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology Education and Training (COMET) Unidata Visiting Scientists Programs (VSP) Global Learning & Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) Societal- Environmental Research and Education (SERE) Advanced Study Program (ASP) Institute for the Study of Society and Environment (ISSE) Earth and Sun Systems Laboratory (ESSL) Atmospheric Chemistry Division (ACD) Climate & Global Dynamics Division (CGD) High Altitude Observatory (HAO) Mesoscale & Microscale Meteorology (MMM) The Institute for Multidisciplinary Earth Studies (TIMES) Computational & Information Systems Laboratory (CISL) Scientific Computing Division (SCD) Institute for Mathematics Applied to Geosciences (IMAGe) Research Applications Laboratory Joint Office for Science Support (JOSS) National Science Digital Library (NSDL)

6. University of Alabama in Huntsville University of Alaska University at Albany, State University of NY University of Arizona Arizona State University California Institute of Technology University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of Chicago Colorado State University University of Colorado at Boulder Columbia University Cornell University University of Denver Drexel University Florida State University Georgia Institute of Technology Harvard University University of Hawaii University of Houston UCAR’s Member Institutions (2006/1960) Howard University University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Iowa State University University of Iowa The Johns Hopkins University University of Maryland Massachusetts Institute of Technology McGill University University of Miami University of Michigan-Ann Arbor University of Minnesota University of Missouri Naval Postgraduate School University of Nebraska Lincoln Nevada System of Higher Education University of New Hampshire New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology New York University North Carolina State University The Ohio State University University of Oklahoma Old Dominion University Oregon State University Pennsylvania State University Princeton University Purdue University University of Rhode Island Rice University Rutgers University Saint Louis University Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD Stanford University Texas A & M University University of Texas at Austin Texas Tech University University of Toronto Utah State University University of Utah University of Virginia University of Washington Washington State University University of Wisconsin- Madison University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution University of Wyoming Yale University York University

7. COMET Fast Facts  Founded in 1990  Staff of 36  Annual budget $5 million  Over 165 universities have participated in COMET activities since 1990  Over 400 hours of computer-based distance learning created for 30,000 users world-wide

8. Award Winning Program 2004 Louis J. Battan Authors Award, K-12 Category for Hurricane Strike!™ For Polar Lows Ungava Bay 01 December 2000 2000 Hurricane Conference Outstanding Achievement Award for Community Hurricane Preparedness Bronze Medal for Boundary Detection & Convection Initiation Honorable Mention in the non-interactive media category of the Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge

9. Award Winning Program 2006 American Geophysical Union Excellence in Geophysical Education Award 2006

10. COMET Sponsors  NOAA  National Weather Service  National Environmental Satellite Data Information Service  National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite Systems  DoD  Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command  Air Force Air Weather Agency  International  Meteorological Service of Canada  Australian Government, Bureau of Meteorology  European Meteorological Satellite Agency

11.  A PowerPoint presentation is not a learning experience  Adult learning is about changing behavior and improving performance

12. Distance Learning Weather Forecast Community Air Force3,000 Faculty & Students3,000 Private Sector2,000 NWS2,000 Navy1,700 Canada300 Total~12,000

13. COMET/MetEd Averaged Monthly Usage (adjusted)

14. What is Online Learning?

15. Distance Learning vs. Classroom Learning An Ongoing Comparison  Recent meta-analysis * of 232 comparison research studies from 1985 to 2002 showed Small effect favoring DL in achievement of learning objectives Small effect favoring classroom learning on attitude toward instruction Variability was wide on both measures  Indicates quality course design is more important than choice of media * Bernard, R. M., et al. (2004). How does distance education compare with classroom instruction? A meta-analysis of the empirical literature. Review of Educational Research, 74(3), 379-439.

16. For an online distance learning program to be successful, it must be well designed and engaging

17. “If the people don’t want to come out to the park, nobody’s gonna stop them.” Yogi Berra

18. Features of Online Multimedia Instruction  Self-paced  Individualized path  Every student is forced to interact  Instruction is available anytime, anywhere  Instruction has longevity to reach a large audience without ongoing delivery costs

19. Learner Engagement Interactivity & high production values to stimulate learning Sound Instruction

20. Exploratory Learning Learner chooses path through materials

21. Sound Instruction Direct InstructionTraditional Lecture/Seminar

22. Scenario-based Learning Establish a realistic context Sound Instruction

23. Demonstration Depicting a process visually Sound Instruction

24. Designing Conceptual Visualizations The starting point… Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 1987

25. Designing Conceptual Visualizations In the final version texture, color, and lighting are added to create realistic three dimensionality

26. Models 2 and 3D Animations Sound Instruction

27. Problem-based Learning Learn new content while presented with a problem, “on demand learning” Sound Instruction

29. Time Savings for Computer-based Instruction # of StudiesAverage time saved 13 1 54% 8282 31% 17 3 34% 15 4 24% 1 Orlansky & String, 1977 2 Fletcher, 1997 3 Kulik, 1994 (Higher Ed.) 4 Kulik, 1994(Adult Ed.)

31. COMET Modules by Topic TopicModulesApproximate Content Hours Aviation1938 Climate66 Coastal Wx1326 Convective Wx1755 Emergency Mngmt1226 Fire Wx613 Fog & Low Stratus1524 Hurricane/Tropical1123 Hydrology/Flooding1636 Marine Meteorology1529 Mesoscale Meteorology2767 NWP3976 QPF714 Satellite Meteorology3781 Space Wx47 Winter Wx2972 Radar Meteorology110 Oceanography22.5 Environmental Education12 Many modules in the list are double-counted and a few are only available on CD

32. MetEd Averaged Monthly Usage

33. The Future for NOAA/NWS  Fewer residence courses Travel is expensive Distance learning very effective  Blended courses Mix of computer-aided learning and teletraining  Virtual courses Traditional intensive multi-day course delivered at a distance Both blended and virtual courses preserve some of the “social” benefits of a residence course.

34. Future Trends: Technology  POSSIBILITY If iPod technology and memory storage continue to improve at their current trajectory  By 2013 our iPods will be able to hold the entire text contents of the Library of Congress *  By 2024, our video iPods will be able to hold every film ever made *  OUTCOME In the foreseeable future we will be able to store every online document, training module, animation, simulation, game, Webcast, Podcast in our pocket or purse  CHALLENGE Instructional technologists will have to both imagine new instructional uses for technologies and carefully evaluate them * From Rodney Brooks, Director of MIT Computer Science and AI Lab, AECT Speech

36. The Future: Enhanced Design  Simulations Put the learner in a realistic environment Use computer gaming for instruction  Decision Support Assist the Mayor of New Orleans to choose the path of least regret  Risk Management Provide a wide range of potential outcomes  Teach response to rare events Expand the range of familiar situations

37. Getting their degrees?