Geovisualization of the Location for Teaching Geomorphology

Geovisualization of the Location for Teaching Geomorphology Deniz EKINCI Istanbul University, Turkey [email protected] Emre ÖZSAHIN Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey [email protected] Abstract New electronic media can facilitate education and research in geomorphology. Topographic maps, aerial and satellite imagery, and stereoscopic descriptions have all been used to aid the understanding of the earth landforms and geomorphic processes. The digital maps and the World Wide Web have brought many dimensions of new technology to education and research in geomorphology. Opportunities for incorporating new digital terrain data, multimedia technologies and, virtual globes are reviewed and presented in this study. Physiographic divisions and provinces for the organization and intensive analysis of topography, landforms, and geomorphic variation of processes were used in this page. Also, Interactive applications and visual analysis were examined. Online tools for accessing terrain data and analyzing topographic profiles and imagery are also demonstrated. Benefits, advantages and disadvantages of these applications were also supported like SWOT analysis. 1. Introduction Geovisualization has become very popular today, and many geomorphologists have recognized new electronic media as a useful and strong tool for fieldwork, data analysis, spatial decisionmaking, education and other aspects of geomorphological research. This special issue examines the methodological development in the various fields using these technics and to demonstrate the availability of visualization techniques in geomorphology through empirical, theoretical and teaching studies. Over the past decade, methods and tools for visualization in support of science have advanced rapidly with demonstrated successes in areas such as imaging topography, process model visualization, and geology. In addition, a new discipline of Information Visualization has begun to emerge, with a focus on visualization of non-numerical information (Card et al., 1999). Visualization has been defined in a number of ways. It is not our intention here to go into the details of these definitions. But, in order to clarify the use of the term in the context of the book, we would prefer to quote a few of them. Visualizations can present massive amounts of information to help scientists identify relevant patterns and processes in nature. Particularly geovisualization is defined by (MacEachren and Kraak 2001) as “the integration of visualization in scientific computing, cartography, image analysis, information visualization, exploratory data analysis and GIS, which all together provide theory, methods and tools for visual exploration, analysis, synthesis and presentation of geospatial data”. Geovisualization also can be described as a loosely bounded domain that addresses the visual exploration, analysis, synthesis, and presentation of geospatial data by integrating approaches from cartography with those from other information representation and analysis disciplines, including scientific visualization, image analysis, information visualization, exploratory data analysis, and GIS cience (Jan Kraak, 2001). The definition of the term geovisualization reflects the multidisciplinary and 28 dynamic nature of this field. Geovisualization is a new field that combines human visual potential and technology in order to make spatial contexts and/or problems visible (MacEachren et al. 1999). Visualization of location is about working with maps and other views of geographic information including interactive maps, 3D scenes, summary charts and tables, timebased views, and schematic views of network relationships. So, it includes interactive change over time; 3d modeling; movement across a surface; grounded in new technologies. Typically, visualizations for multidimensional data sets allow the users to: Select a particular subset of a data set in space and time; Create 3-D and contour plots; View data from different orientations; Create and view animations of data at different rates; customize the color enhancement of images to highlight features of particular interest. Moreover, 3D Geovisualization has particular advantages when visualizing spatial problems. It can be easily interpretable; it is highly interactive and distributable and therefore much larger topography today exist in virtual copies. Teaching themes related to geomorphological processes and landforms requires the integration of knowledge about process working at different scales, the particular processes themselves varying at different times to form unique landscapes. While the generality of individual processes may be understood, unpacking the particular history behind a specific view requires considerable spatial aptitude and imagination of the students, as the teaching vignettes of Figure 1 identify. Focusing on real-time interactive 3D systems, 3D Geovisualization is closely related to Virtual Reality (Whyte 2002). 3D Geovisualization can be applied at different stages in the process of land explaining and planning. To support these stages, three different visual representations has been suggested by (Verbree 1999). Verbrees suggestions include several interactive and technological regimes whereas this study exclusively focuses on the visual regime. Verbrees visual regime contains three views: the topographical map, an ordinary 2D colour map for initial orientation, a simple 3D map for professional volume analysis (Figure 1). a. b. c. Figure 1: The three views of applicable (www.srnr.arizona.edu/rnr/rnr420/geoviz_08.pdf). 2. Goals 29 at different stages in geomorphology It can be known, changes in visualization technology in the last few decades are profoundly affecting the way in which the geomorphology is researched, and in which studies are communicated (Olson, 1997; Brown et al., 1995; Hearnshaw and Unwin, 1994; Hernandez, 2007). These changes have been largely initiated by the rapid development of computer technology since the 1980s, resulting in the availability of powerful and affordable computing. The review will essentially be concerned with developments in computer visualization that have occurred during the 1990s. With respect to the geomorphology, some distinct visualisation technologies have evolved: advanced computer graphics, geographic information systems, remote sensing, multimedia, the World Wide Web and virtual reality. They are usefull and powerfull technological instruments for good geomorphology education. Geo-visualisation types one potential means of tackling this subject-specific communication issue, working alongside more traditional pedagogic approaches. This paper firstly discusses a geovisualisation for teaching geomorphology. We have also discussed the use of new media technics and model output in several geomorphological examples. 3. Teaching Geomorphology with Visualization Technology In last decades, a great deal of educational research has gone into how to use visualizations effectively in universities. To learn more about the pedagogical issues surrounding the use of visualizations in geomorphology education, learn about researchers in this field. Of all the geography and social science disciplines, geomorphology would appear to make the greatest use of visualization. This can be attributed to two main factors. First, geography is closely affiliated with science, through links with physical geography and the earth sciences. This link has facilitated the flow of computer technology across the discipline in terms of both hardware and expertise. Secondly, geomorphology is relatively unique amongst the social sciences with its almost exclusive use of spatial data, reflected in its cartographic origins. By definition, these data have an extra dimension inherent in their structure, and it has been the necessity to visualize this extra dimension that has driven geographers to adopt and develop new visualization technologies. Hence geomorphology has had a long association with visualization and, due to its interdisciplinary nature; it can be argued that this represents the dominant trend in visualization research and development within the social sciences. Consequently, geographic visualization methods tend to be more generally appreciated within the geography and social sciences, and as a result, will not be dwelt upon in great detail in this review. The principal area of development of visualization tools and technologies has been within the domain of GIS, specifically integrating GIS with different software packages and environments. Traditional uses of GIS in this field have been to visualize the spatial aspect of the data, particularly with respect to error visualization (e.g. Cockings et al. 1997), and spatial associations (e.g. Anselin et al., 1996). When integrated with advanced visualization tools however, GIS can become very effective in the analysis and presentation of complex data in a wide range of disciplines such as planning and resource management (Conners, 1996; Bishop and Karadaglis, 1997; Davis & Keller, 1997; Clarke et al., 1997; Döllner and Hinrichs, 2006). Standard elements of GIS can imply 3D representation, but new techniques in multimedia, 3D modelling and VR are now at the point where they might be embodied in GIS (Faust, 1995). Faust argues that a true 3D GIS must enable the following functions: A realistic representation of the third dimension in the data and in visualization, free movement of the user within the threedimensional representation, normal GIS functions, such as query and overlay, but within 3D data space, and visibility functions such as line of sight estimation. Currently, the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) is developing the 3D Analyst extension for ArcView that will enable users to create, analyze and display surface data. However, the principal research into visualising and 30 analysing 3D spatial data in a GIS has been with respect to VR techniques on the Web. These are discussed in detail in the planning section. Parallel to these visualization developments in GIS has been a radical transformation within cartography (Grelot, 1994; Kraak et al, 1995; Krygier, 1995). Consequently, a significant amount of ‘cutting edge’ GIS visualization research and development on the Web is actually computerized cartography, recently relabeled as scientific visualization. Scientific visualization is a growing area of computing with the underlying philosophy that displaying visual representations of data assists researchers in generating ideas and hypotheses about the data (Zube et al., 1987; Fisher et al., 1993; Wergles and Muhar, 2009). Accordingly, Dykes (1996) suggests that cartographic visualization systems may represent the principal technology for the scientific visualization of digital spatial information. He argues that many statistical and GIS software programmers do not regard the map as a real-time tool for analyzing data, or as an interface to access the underlying information. Cartographic visualization systems, however, can provide intelligent assistance to GIS users by allowing data mining and exploratory data analysis. This is examined in more detail in social statistics section of the report. Compared to merely automating previous mechanical and manual technologies, more dramatic changes in visualization in cartography have been due to developments in computer graphics. For instance, cartograms (Dorling, 1995) are increasingly being recognized as a major solution to many spatial visualization problems of human societies. The gross misrepresentation of many groups of people on conventional topographic maps has long been seen as a major problem of thematic cartography, highlighting difficulties such as the modifiable areal unit problem. Cartograms are now being used in the visualization of high-resolution spatial social structures and in the mapping of long-run historic changes in society. As a result, introductory geomorphology and geosciences courses can avoid software purchases and student training by making strong use of online interactive data visualization and online interactive visualization of model output for image creation, manipulation, and analysis. As its known geovisualization technologies have basic components such as geographic information systems remote sensing, multimedia, computer graphics, web, hyper link, and virtual reality. They are explained with main lines are below. A geographic information system (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. Circumstantial GIS is a collection of computer hardware, software, method, people and geographic data (Figure 2) for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. People Software Data Hardwa Method Figure 2: GIS’s basic components. 31 GIS allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts (Figure 3). Figure 3: GIS as a thinking instrument GIS including visualizing, connecting and relating (Figure 4). At the time GIS presents and analyze more than one features as thematic layers belong to the same area. Figure 4: Integrate Data with GIS A GIS helps people answer questions and solve problems by looking at people’s data in a way that is quickly understood and easily shared. GIS technology can be integrated into any enterprise information system framework (http://www.gis.com). GIS is a serious discipline with multibillion dollar implications for businesses and governments. Choosing sites, targeting market segments, planning distribution networks, responding to emergencies, or redrawing country boundaries all of these problems involve questions of geography. Remote sensing is the process of viewing and assessing a field's status from a distance. By the early 1960s, many new types of remote sensing devices were being introduced that could detect electromagnetic radiation in spectral regions far beyond the range of human vision and photographic film. This was also a time when many in the scientific community had great hopes for earth observations from orbiting satellites on a routine basis. To encompass these concepts, the term "remote sensing" was coined by Evelyn L. Pruitt, a geographer formerly with the Office of Naval Research, to replace the more limiting terms "aerial" and "photograph". Remote sensing involves 7 factors. These are: 1) energy source or illumination (A), 2) radiation and the atmosphere (B), 3) interaction with the target (C), 4) recording of energy by the sensor (D), 5) transmission, reception, and processing (E), 6) interpretation and analysis (F), 7) application (G) (Campbell, 2002) see figure 6. 32 Figure 5: Remote Sensing factors and Process (http://plantsci.sdstate.edu). Remote sensing is defined as the technique of obtaining information about objects through the analysis of data collected by special instruments that are not in physical contact with the objects of investigation. As such, remote sensing can be regarded as "reconnaissance from a distance," "tele detection," or a form of the common adage "look but don't touch." Remote sensing thus differs from in situ sensing, where the instruments are immersed in, or physically touch, the objects of measurement. A common example of an in-situ instrument is the soil thermometer. Traditionally, the energy collected and measured in remote sensing has been electromagnetic radiation, including visible light and invisible thermal infrared (heat) energy, which is reflected or emitted in varying degrees by all natural and synthetic objects. The scope of remote sensing has been recently broadened to include acoustical or sound energy, which is propagated under water. With the inclusion of these two different forms of energy, the human eye and ear are examples of remote sensing data collection devices. The instruments used for this special technology are known as remote sensors and include photographic cameras, mechanical scanners, and imaging radar systems. Regardless of type, they are designed to both collect and record specific types of energy that impinges upon them. Remote sensing devices can be differentiated in terms of whether they are active or passive. Active systems, such as radar and sonar, beam artificially produced energy to a target and record the reflected component. Passive systems, including the photographic camera, detect only energy emanating naturally from an object, such as reflected sunlight or thermal infrared emissions. Today, remote sensors, excluding sonar devices, are typically carried on aircraft and earth-orbiting spacecraft, which have led to the familiar phrase "eye in the sky." Sonar systems propagate acoustical energy through water for the reconnaissance of subaqueous features. To complete the remote sensing process, the data captured and recorded by remote sensing systems must be analyzed by interpretive and measurement techniques in order to provide useful information about the subjects of investigation. These techniques are diverse, ranging from traditional methods of visual interpretation to methods using sophisticated computer processing. It cannot be emphasized too strongly that data is not information. Accordingly, the two major components of remote sensing are data capture and data analysis (Jensen, 1996; Lillesand, et al., 2003; http://jan.ucc.nau.edu). Multimedia was throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the concept of it took on a new meaning, as the capabilities of satellites, computers, audio and video converged to create new media with 33 enormous potential. Combined with the advances in hardware and software, these technologies were able to provide enhanced learning facility and with attention to the specific needs of individual users (Fenrich, 1997; Meyer, 2001; Mayer, 2003). Multimedia is a term frequently heard and discussed among educational technologists today. Now multimedia technologies these called "new media," "hypermedia," "integrated media," or more commonly "multimedia" have been defined in a number of ways. Actually, the term “multimedia” covers a lot of territory. "Multimedia", in its broadest sense, means graphics, music, sound effects, voice, video, and animation, in any combination, in the same program or presentation (Blumenfeld, 1991. Fensham,, 1990; www.aare.edu.au). It can be defined as an integration of multiple media elements (audio, video, graphics, text, animation, etc.) into one synergetic and symbiotic whole that results in more benefits for the end user than any one of the media elements can provide individually. Multimedia can be defined generically as any combination of two or more media such as sound, images, text, animation, and video. For educational technology purposes, multimedia refers to computer-based systems that use associative linkages to allow users to navigate and retrieve information stored in a combination of text, sounds, graphics, video, movies, music, lighting and other media as for education (Meyer, 2001; www.wps.prenhall.com; Sandholtz, 1997; Vanbuel, 2006). When the term is used with computer technology, multimedia refers to a variety of applications that combine media and that use CD-ROM, video, audio, DVD, and other media equipment. As it seen multimedia is the combined use of media, such as images, video, audio, CD/DVD-ROMs, the internet and interactive applications such as applets and flash for education and entertainment (Chang, 2004; Finn, 2002). Multimedia hardware requirements include a basic computer system with the standard input devices, central processor, and output devices, CD-ROMs or DVDs, sound boards or cards, speakers, video boards, high-speed central processors, extensive secondary storage or hard disk (Lieshout, 2001; Millar, 2005). Multimedia’s basic technologies include text, maps, graphic images, electronic presentations, animation, videoconferencing, digital audio and video, web learning environment, videoconferencing systems (Lieshout and etc, 2001; Phillips, 1997; Behrens, 1996, 1997; Bijnens 2004, 2005; Cleveland, 1998). This study is used the term ‘multimedia’ quite loosely, referring to anything interactive or with visuals, audio, video. Multimedia combines five basic types of media into the learning environment; text, video, sound, graphics and animation, thus providing a powerful new tool for education (Duke, 1993). These are to demonstrate abstract concepts, to accommodate students with a variety of learning styles, to engage students, to enable active learning, by incorporating multimedia into learning, activities, students can manipulate, create and interact with material rather than just absorb representations created by others (Kearsley, 1998; Person, 2003). Multimedia technologies have a lot of advantages such as; widely available, reusable, multimedia, and decrease pressure on lecturer, better individual student engagement, globality (Repman, 1993; West, 2006). These are fun and interesting, provide a pre question, and make description a narration, no need to include an image or video of the narrator, unless there’s some demonstration. Do not include explanation in both text and narration styles, Give students chance to pause the video/audio and ask questions, Make the multimedia interactive, Provide pre training on key components, concepts in the multimedia to enhance students’ understanding of the multimedia resource, Presenting more materials may result in less understanding (Mayer, at al., 2001; Mayer, 2003; Dow and Mayer, 2003; Wallace, 2006; www.clickandgovideo.ac.uk.). 34 These visual techniques are including sophisticated computer graphics in an attempt to either visualize complexity in the data, or enhance more traditional graphical displays. However, although sophisticated displays, such as 3D graphs, may visually be more pleasing, in terms of extracting information simple 2D graphs have been shown to perform better with respect to accuracy and ease (Fisher et al., 1997). Therefore, it may be argued that developments in visualization are not necessarily advantageous. The most exciting innovation in computer graphics in recent years has been computer animation, from which VR developed. Computer animation in social science research is not a recent phenomenon. At the beginning of the 1970s, Tobler (1970) describes a ‘computer movie’ he and his research student developed to show a simulation of urban growth in the Detroit region. However, new technology has allowed computer animation to have the potential to become almost commonplace in research if desired. In particular, computer animation has a role in visualizing temporal changes, such as with respect to space-time data (Dorling and Openshaw, 1992), and this may have important implications for research in the social sciences. Computer animation can also be used as an approach to exploratory data analysis, which may assist the researcher in understanding the effect of uncertainty, particularly in spatial applications (Ehlschaeger et al., 1997). The World Wide Web (or Web) is still a relatively new medium, and its true potential remains unknown, particularly with respect to its use by the geomorphology. However, because of its highly graphical nature and its multimedia content, a consensus exists that the Web is an ideal medium for conducting visualization research, and the dissemination of its findings. Many advanced forms of data visualization and graphical interaction can now be used, or at least demonstrated via the Web. Examples of graphical applications range from computer games and animation, through to advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS), virtual reality, 3D graphics, and sound. All these applications are simply not available in traditional paper-based publication mediums. Moreover, the Web offers accessibility to downloadable software and electronic data stores, which in many instances are available free of charge. Generally, the geomorphology science visualization websites that do exist tend to originate from social science disciplines closely affiliated with the physical sciences, notably Geography. A hyperlink structure employs a linked concept, keyword, phrase, etc. as an anchor within a document. For this research a document is defined broadly as a traditional article, webpage, or electronic textual object. Hyperlinks enable users to jump from one document to another document very easily. They integrate and connect related concepts, keywords, or phrases in a very natural way. The application of hyperlink structure in a full text context fits people’s reading behavior. However, a hyperlink structure can also create problems if not applied properly. The ability to discriminate and distinguish among hyperlinkbased documents in the ever-increasing volume of information available through the networks is becming more and more difficult (Berghel, Berleant, Foy and McGuire, 1999). In “Principles of hypermaps” Kraak and van Driel describe the functionality of a hypermap, a georeferenced hypermedia system. Virtual Reality (VR) is the most promising new area for human-computer interaction since the Macintosh computer graphical user interface (Newby, 1993). He argues that VR has the potential to effect changes in the integration and convergence of technology more than any other innovation in recent history. The roots of VR may be traced to the early 1960s in such diverse areas as flight simulation and art, although now it would seem that the term has become synonymous with most pseudo-3D computer presentation (Wan & Monwillians, 1996). VR is a growing feature on the Web, and appears to be the dominant visualization technology under research and development, crossing both the geomorphology science and social science divide. The Web’s ability to provide psuedo-3D graphics and 3D worlds has been made possible through the development of Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML), allowing ‘plug-ins’ into current Web browsers. These permit extremely elegant 35 and powerful animations, 3D environments and VR systems to be developed and displayed. As such, VR technology represents the most graphical environments within Web-based systems, and Carver (1997) sees the future of this technology as very promising, having great potential for use by the social science research community. The main thrust of VR research in the geomorphology has occurred within the disciplines of geography, planning and psychology, principally through the marrying of GIS and urban design. The potential of visualization in the planning and design of the built environment appears to be very significant. The ability to model the built environment, and interact within it over the Web, represents a paradigm shift within the planning and design process, one which helps to communicate ideas and developments to the public at large. 4. Examples and Case Studies Based on Geovisualization Technologies for Effective Geomorphology Education This part of the report will review the recent use of visualization in the geomorphology. Specifically, the review has concentrated upon the use of visualization in research, although other uses, such as in teaching and learning, have also been surveyed. The survey has employed two principal methods. It can be known human knowledge and the study of the world and everything in developed over thousands of years. More recently, over only the last two centuries accompanying the rise of industrialization and imperialism in the world, new methods, assumptions, theories, and practices of knowledge production have emerged through the specialized fields, usually referred to as disciplines. it have or so, claims, rise of The landscape is constantly changing due to natural forces (e.g. water, fire, earthquakes) and human influence (e.g. agriculture, mining, urban developments, infrastructure). Visualization as a technique used to evaluate changes in the landscape has been employed in various forms (e.g. sketches, photographs, photomontage, physical models…) throughout history (Lange 2001). In 1803, Rampton in a work that can be considered pioneering in landscape visualization, compared “before” and “after” scenarios for the evaluation of his proposed changes in the landscape (Lange 2001). Today, due to the shift in natural resources management toward more detailed landscape models on a larger scale, more demanding environmental regulations, and the emphasis on data exploration and communication during the planning stage, interest in highly realistic landscape visualizations has increased (Orland et al. 2001; Reljic, 2006). Practitioners of geomorphology use many technologies and methods to collect data such as remote sensing, geographic information systems, aerial photography, statistics, and global positioning systems (GPS) (www.hudtech.net). Geomorphology lessons use many maps, animation and video, etc..... One of them is enlargement glacial area and occurs a hanging valley according to years by years. Other animation examples are river, glacial, coastal, karst morphology, faille; the relief forming is selected for video sample. Some 3D features are used to display discrete geographic features (like mount, plain, basin, buildings, rivers, and wells) on or beneath surfaces. There are also example of www, ArcScene, you can also render 2D features in 3D by manipulating their layer Properties (Figure 6-20). 36 Figure 6: Hanging Glacial Valleys Figure 7: Periglacial Ice Wedges Figure 8: Flood Plain and River Landforms Figure 9: Karst Formation Figure 10: Horst and Graben Processes Figure 11: River and Its Valley Figure 12: Rainy of Snow according to month Figure 13: Fluvial processes and its relief by month 37 Figure 14: Real Earth Monitoring and Excursion Figure 15: 3D Feature (mount and plain), (www.srnr.arizona.edu/rnr/rnr420/geoviz_08.pdf). Figure 16: 3D View (a valley) (Angsüsser and Kumke; 2001). 38 Figure 17: 3D View (a valley) (Angsüsser and Kumke; 2001). Figure 18: 3D Geomorphologic View (www.herodot.net/conferences/stockholm/esri/Sulzer.pdf) Figure 19: Photorealism versus carto-realism (Courtesy of S. Angsüsser and H. Kumke). (www.ncess.ac.uk/events/ASW/visualisation/jason_dykes.pdf ;http://www.ust.ucla.edu/ustweb/Projects/ExpoPark; http://farm4.static.flickr.com; http://web.mit.edu/.../fa2006/www/essays/facevalue.html;http://3dmodelblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/3d- 39 model-female-woman-12911mommon.jpg). Figure 20: Example of www Application (http://geology.com/press-release/volcano-monitoringmarianas/). 5. Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Geovisualiation Technologies in Geomorphology Education The pedagogical strength of geovisualizatin is that it uses the natural information processing abilities that we already possess as humans. Our eyes and ears, in conjunction with our brain, form a formidable system for transforming meaningless sense data into information. The old saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words" often understates the case especially with regard to moving images, as our eyes are highly adapted by evolution to detecting and interpreting movement. For example, a photograph of Ganges in Varanasi, apart from being aesthetically pleasing, can contain a wealth of information relating to the culture, religion, geography, geology, climate, history, and economics of the area. Similarly, a recording of a politician's speech can allow us to discern significant semantic features not obvious in a written transcript (Sherin, 2002). For the student, one advantage of multimedia courseware over the text-based variety is that the application looks better. If the courseware includes only a few images at least it gives relief from screens of text and stimulates the eye, even if the images have little pedagogical value (Yadav, 2006). More often than not, the inclusion of non-textual media into courseware adds pedagogical value to the application. For example, a piece of courseware describing a dig at an archeological site would be more valuable to the student, if it included images of the site, such as enhanced aerial images showing features like old field boundaries, or diagrams illustrating where the digging and scanning took place. In this respect, using the text only, even in a creative way, has obvious limitations as compared to the use of both text and pictures (Jonassen, 1995; Kameyama, 2001; www.athensacademy.org). Benefits to learners; work at own pace and control their learning path, learn from an infinitely patient tutor, actively pursue learning and receive, feedback. Provide students with opportunities to represent and express their prior knowledge. Allow students to function as designers, using tools for analyzing the world, accessing and interpreting information, organizing their personal knowledge, and representing what they know to others (Smith, 1993). Multimedia applications engage students and provide valuable learning opportunities. Empower students to Produce and design rather than absorbing representations created by others. Produce personally meaningful learning opportunities (www.tech4learning.com). Benefits to teachers; allows for creative work, saves time for more challenging topics, replaces ineffective learning activities, increases student contact time for discussion (Moursund, 1999). 40 Educational benefits of visualization tools; giving students an opportunity to produce documents of their own provides several educational advantages. Students that experience the technical steps needed to produce effective multimedia documents become better consumers of multimedia documents produced by others. Students indicate they learn the material included in their presentation at a much greater depth than in traditional writing projects. There is another aspect to developing multimedia documents that empowers students. Students quickly recognize that their electronic documents can be easily shared. Because of this, students place a greater value on producing a product that is of high standard (Ambrose, 1991; Kinnear, 2002). below; Their advantages are widely known more than disadvantages. Some disadvantages are express The potential benefits of using these techniques are dependent on and closely related to the users’ skills and experience of real field trips. Some tolls don’t find. Some of them are not enough education. The greatest disadvantage of their, is that they cannot simulate many of the real sensory aspects of fieldwork and consequently should not ever be used to replace real field trips. It is possible to design high quality, effective technology but the size of the database, money and time required to produce them makes this an expensive process (Table 1). Table 1. The advantages and disadvantages from users’ standpoint goals / tasks:  Using digital and computer visualization techniques  Applications in geovisualiatin tools for example Remote Sensing, GIS, www, and multimedia with geomorphological topics (Landforms, regional sciences and planning, mountain, plain and basin research, ecology, anthropogenic processes and structures, and environmental spatial analyses).  Development of algorithm and software for digital processing of remote sensing, photogrammetric data, for analyses modules of geoinformatics and for optimizing of measurements (close up photogrammetry and laserscanning) advantages disadvantages  Integrate diverse types of data in instantly available ways  Do not convey the true threedimensional nature of objects  Present images from a variety of viewpoints and at many different scales  Do not convey the non-visual and aural feelings of touch, smell, etc.  Helpful for presenting trips to inaccessible areas  Less beneficial than really being in the field  Provide an alternative of fieldwork, when time, expenses, and/or logistics are real issues  Lack the serendipitous nature of discovery   Enable presentation of extensive field trips and great variety of landform diversity  Enhance and expand students’ experience Interdisciplinary approach Specific technical background in the fields of photogrammetry, geoinformatics and navigation as well as Skills in algorithm and software engineering  Understanding of data content of geoinformation  Going to application of design techniques 41  Acquire geographical relationships  Mathematics and geodetic background for the above-mentioned goals / tasks as well as Having limited interaction with a computer   Enable flexibility of access (time and place) Not interacting with people in a flexible Manner   Provides a repeatable experience which can be used to reinforce concepts in class CD-ROMs can only provide a finite limited amount of information   Provides an easily experienced preview or review of real field trips  CD-ROMs are convenient to acquire and use Visiting a website can be difficult and depends on many factors, such as availability of computers, load on the network, number of connections, reliability of service provision, etc.  Easy for students to get lost among lots of websites   Application of Geo-Technologies and technology transfer  Information rich  Hold abundant materials and information   Offer rich resources of learning and teaching Many websites are ephemeral rather than permanent   Available for users of different levels and demands Often difficult to find a suitable one for teaching and learning   Interesting and attractive to students and an alternative experience for users The abundant websites are not quality controlled  It is easy for students to wallow, or obsess over particular sites, which raises the problem of time management 6. Results and Discussion These applications have many advantages and can be useful in many aspects in teaching the geomorphology. They are especially good for pre-study and review. They will be helpful or even powerful tools for reforming also geosciences teaching. Visualization technologies represent medium for simulation, can visualize abstract relations, to explain concepts and procedures that requires movement that cannot be filmed, movements in the universe or within a body, figurative movements such as ideas, economic tendencies can be clarified through moving graphs. Videos represent high degree of reality and visualization can show practices that take place over a long distance or period. Video and animation can be viewed on demand. The student himself has control over the material and can work on his own pace, by navigating through the subject matter. In multimedia information that is being presented both visual and in audio, is better understood and remembered. It is easier to learn through different channels. However, these channels cannot appear separate from each other. It is better to present video and text on the same subject together on the page than to put them in different folders. However, make sure you always think of the material’s relevance in order not to overload the senses. The advance of digital television and the key word interactivity as the prerequisite for good educational practice came together in the demand for totally integrated use of videos in education. From the mid nineties, the web reinforced further the ideas of accessibility and interactivity, but added a new element, integration. This refers to interlinking with other web materials including communication and collaborative tools. This trend, in which 42 several types of media in education are combined is called “Multimedia or hypermedia Learning”. The streamed video is then part of a whole package of educational material, like for instance printed documents, websites, PowerPoint presentations etc. There are plenty of possibilities of elaborating a simple video by means of other tools and methods. Besides being a powerful tool for making presentations, geovisualizatin technologies offer unique advantages in the field of geomorphology education. Geovisualizatin technologies the presentation of material using both words and pictures. For instance, text alone simply does not allow students to get a “feel” of any of plays. The key to providing this experience is having simultaneous graphic, video and audio, rather than in a sequential manner. The appeal of multimedia learning is best illustrated by the popularity of the video games currently available in the market. These are geovisualization programs combining text, audio, video, and animated graphics in an easy-to-use fashion. It is here that the power of multimedia can be unleashed to provide long term benefit to all. Geovisualizatin technologies enable learning through exploration, discovery, and experience. With Geovisualizatin technologies, the process of learning can become more goals oriented, more participatory, and flexible in time and space, unaffected by distances and tailored to individual learning styles, and increase collaboration between teachers and students. Geovisualizatin technologies enable learning to become fun and friendly, without fear of inadequacies or failure. As we known human brain has dual channel and they separate information, processing channels for visual and verbal materials. These channels have limited capacity. For active processing: learning requires substantial cognitive processing in the verbal and visual channel. Geovisualizatin technologies are to make; maximize the usage of both channels, balance the processing load of both channels, use one channel to share the burden of the other, prime related concepts and knowledge to structure learning. As a result, Geovisualizatin technologies include Pedagogical assessment; constructivism: inquiry-based, problem-based, project-based; creation of meaning using prior knowledge and experience; Socratic method with levels of probing questions, systematic observation, hypotheses testing, and problem-solving, real-world situations, public venues, cooperative learning, community of learners. So, the pedagogical vision is clear and pedagogic approach is superior and pedagogy is innovative. Overall tenor of interaction is helpful. Student is an active participant in the learning process. Graphics, video and audio are used to motivate. There are a lot of reasons to use Geovisualizatin technologies in geomorphology education. References Ambrose, D. W. (1991). 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