Students on the geospatial MSc programmes start with very varied levels of maths experience/skills. The students all need to become capable with all the maths concepts needed for the degree programme, but without boring those who can already do them. The Numbas software is freely available, open source and very mathematically capable (https://www.numbas.org.uk/). It facilitates creation of questions and exams which are randomizable, so students can repeat them many times for practice as needed. The randomizable nature of the questions can also be helpful for remote learning, as everyone has a test with different answers. This work describes how the tests and learning material have been arranged within the module to encourage timely self-learning of maths topics linked to geospatial themes, with initial low stakes assessments followed by higher stakes summative assessment, and discusses experiences with integrating Numbas over the last four years.  

How to cite: Petrie, E.: Strategies for building maths skills in a geospatial MSc class using the web based e-assessment software Numbas , EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-2403, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-2403, 2022.

Increasing temperatures in the Arctic are thawing permafrost, changing vegetation, and increasing wildfires at unprecedented rates. Climate change is also affecting other regions in the United States and in the world. This presentation describes a climate change research immersive program born from a partnership between an international climate research center and a science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) program in a Southern California community college. For four years, the Santa Ana College Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) International Arctic Research Center brought groups of science and engineering students North to witness climate change in the Arctic and conduct original research on an aspect of the changes. The COVID 19 pandemic posed a challenge and halted this collaborative work; however in 2021 gave us the impetus to creatively continue in providing a research intensive experience to first generation college students from groups underrepresented in STEM fields, through a blended on-line and in-person Summer Climate Research Intensive Course that examines the ecological impacts of climate change through hands-on field research. Student groups in Santa Ana, California and Fairbanks, Alaska met for instruction, training and collaborative work online through video conference, and completed comparative field work in their two different forest ecosystems with the help of local scientist mentors at location. Students gained science skills and experience in research question framing, ecological fieldwork, laboratory procedures, collaboration, data analysis and communication, as they designed and conducted their research projects alongside professional climate change scientists. All students completed a research project and developed a project poster which they presented at a blended science symposium and plan to present at other professional conferences. The Course was jointly sponsored by the Arctic and Earth STEM Integrating GLOBE and NASA program (UAF International Arctic Research Center), the Santa Ana College Math, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) Program, and the UAF Climate Scholars Program (UAF Honors College). Lessons learned and evaluation results will also be shared.

How to cite: Sparrow, E. B., Spellman, K., Fochesatto, G. J., Castillo, C., Coyne, C., Cutkomp, J., Ornelas, C., and Ramirez, A.: A Climate Research Intensive Undergraduate Program Pivot During a Pandemic, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-12587, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-12587, 2022.

GETSI (GEodesy Tools for Societal Issues) is a US National Science Foundation-funded program that develops, tests, and disseminates data-rich and societally relevant curriculum for undergraduate field and classroom teaching. GETSI has published 13 modules (~2-3 weeks of class time each) co-authored by faculty at varied colleges and universities (serc.carleton.edu/getsi). The dissemination plan for the 2020-21 academic year was originally entirely in-person workshops. When the COVID19 pandemic necessitated the postponement and/or cancellation of essentially all face-to-face activities, the project pivoted to an online dissemination model for the 2020-21 academic year and convened a GETSI Virtual Mini Short Course Series and a virtual short course: Teaching in the field with SfM and RTK GPS/GNSS.

The Virtual Mini Short Course Series was October 2020-April 2021 and included 9 mini-courses. Unlike a webinar, the majority of the mini-course consisted of time for participants to work individually and collaboratively through portions of the student exercises, discuss teaching ideas, and develop a plan for implementation. The series attracted a wider range of participants from a broader range of institutions than many in-person events. Participants could choose to attend one or more of the mini-courses, depending on their area(s) of interest. Each 2-hour mini-course, co-led by a GETSI PI and module co-author(s), highlighted a different GETSI module and offered participants a small stipend for completing an implementation plan for using GETSI materials in their classroom. We used a variety of active learning strategies during the mini courses, including think-pair-shares, polling, report-outs, gallery tours, and jigsaws.

The two virtual short courses "Teaching in the Field with SfM and GPS" brought together graduate students and college/university faculty into an online learning cohort. Each institutional team received an RTK GPS receiver pair to practice with for several weeks and the cohort worked through similar field tasks separately, while periodically reconvening online to share challenges and accomplishments.

The lessons learned from this unanticipated shift to virtual professional development have implications moving forward for designing high-quality, interactive professional development for the whole STEM community.

How to cite: Pratt-Sitaula, B., Walker, B., Douglas, B., Crosby, B., and Charlevoix, D.: Finding the Silver Lining: Benefits and lessons learned from pivot to virtual short courses for instructor professional development for classroom and field geoscience, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-3298, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-3298, 2022.

Providing students with hands-on experience in emerging technologies, and engaging them in discovering new knowledge are ongoing challenges in undergraduate engineering and science education. CubeSats are playing an increasingly significant role in scientific research and exploration, as demonstrated by NASA’s successful Insight Mission. Challenging students to design, build, and test these small satellites has the potential to increase their problem-solving, computational, and critical thinking skills.  Furthermore, since CubeSats can be built with commercial-off-the shelf (COTS) components, they are relatively inexpensive and accessible to a diversity of programs and students.  This work describes a successful program in which students were challenged to design, build, and test a 1U (unit) COTS CubeSat. CubeSat student projects incorporate both technology demonstrations and sensors as scientific payloads.  Programmatic and technical successes and challenges faced by students especially during the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed, and some strategies are offered on how to implement such a program at different institutions with diverse student populations.

How to cite: Damas, M. C.: Using CubeSats to develop critical thinking skills , EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-27, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-27, 2022.

Volcanic ash presents a challenge for the aviation industry. Volcanic ash is semi-transparent, absorbing in the 8-12 micron window. 3D information is needed to be able to back-calculate dose – this is a key parameter in managing airspace. To recreate the ash cloud, multiangle observations are required – making a nadir-pointing satellite ideal to perform observations for this purpose. Other mission objectives using the same instruments can also be realised, for example, as volcanic ash clouds are the primary target, there is the possibility to map new magma extrusions, lava and pyroclastic flow movements. Thermal infrared data has also previously been used to observe volcanic cycles and better understand their behaviour. There is also the possibility of including forest fires as targets of opportunity. The images required for 3D construction of ash clouds can also be used to create digital elevation models of terrain around volcanos which have application in disaster management and planning.

A CubeSat mission - Pointable Radiometer for Observing Volcanic Emissions (PROVE) - is proposed to monitor the ash cloud using both thermal infrared and visual cameras. All requirements and components were determined by students through trade-off studies. Each work package was undertaken by undergraduate and postgraduate students (both as part of research projects and on a voluntary extracurricular basis) supervised by academics. The resulting 1U+ payload consists of a thermal infrared camera (FLIR Tau 2 with a 50mm lens), and 2 visual cameras (a narrow field of view Basler ace ac5472-5gc with a Kowa LM75HC lens, and a 5MP Arducam with a 40 degree lens as a wide field of view instrument). Alongside this, a payload computer to communicate with the cameras and store data was selected (the Beaglebone Black Industrial) with a custom PCB providing connections to the instruments and bus. The software to operate the payload takes the form of a custom scheduler for an imaging pass, sending commands to the camera systems (and to the bus) to take the required multiangle images for ash cloud reconstruction.

The payload is currently in the final design and testing stage, with vibration and vacuum testing, as well as FlatSat testing before the final manufacture and integration of the payload. There is the possibility of a UK launch later this year.

How to cite: Reid, D., Timperley, L., Pike, O., Etchells, T., Hollingdale, J., Goodwin, T., Exton, D., Labia, F., Stonkus, V., O'Donnell, M., Leach, C., Aadhithya Ravikumar, V., Proud, W., Sutlieff, G., Aplin, K., Berthoud, L., Sarua, A., Schenk, M., and Watson, M.: A Student-Led Project for the Design of an Imaging CubeSat Payload, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-9492, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-9492, 2022.

The Pyxis project is a sounding rocket developed by Skyward Experimental Rocketry from Politecnico di Milano, with the ultimate goal of participating in the European Rocketry Challenge in October 2022. The rocket, which will be the most advanced Italian sounding rocket ever developed by university students, will give the opportunity to hold a payload of 1U inside the nosecone. After lift-off, the rocket will rapidly reach the apogee at 3000 meters, where the nosecone with the payload bay will be ejected and recovered independently from the rocket thanks to an autonomous guided parafoil. For the payload development the team is collaborating with the students at the Scientific High School “Cigna-Baruffi-Garelli” – Mondovì, as they are creating a sensing platform, through the use of Blebricks sensors (IoT sensors), capable of detecting enviromental data such as pressure, temperature and quality of the air, storing it on board for post-flight analysis. 
The students at “Cigna-Baruffi-Garelli” are already involved also in another STEM experience with hot air/stratospheric balloons called infoBalloons, presented last year at EGU 2021 (Tealdi, P., Innocenti, F., and Aimo, G. (.: infoBalloons: an Italian High School educational self-made budget friendly STEM experience with hot air/stratospheric balloons, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-13420, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-13420, 2021). infoBalloons 2.0 is a selected Sounding Balloon (SB) Experiments in the 2nd HEMERA Call for Proposals (HEMERA H2020. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No 730970).
An added value in the Pyxis project is the participation as partners of LB Space with Luciano Battocchio (retired Space Engineer - Exomars Parachute Program Manager), Bleb Technology with Fabrizio Innocenti (CEO),  John Aimo Balloons with Giovanni (John) Aimo. 

How to cite: Tealdi, P., Battocchio, L., Innocenti, F., Aimo, G. (., Corallo, F., Donghi, N., Colombo, M., Florio, N., Nidasio, A., Del Duca, A., Rosato, D., Cucchi, L., Ciuti, L., and Porro, V.: The Pyxis project: a sounding rocket developed by Skyward Experimental Rocketry from Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with the Scientific High School “Cigna-Baruffi-Garelli” – Mondovì, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-6422, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-6422, 2022.

Since the 1980s the number of stations reporting quality weather data across Africa has been in decline. Weather data is critical for meeting climate challenges that the world will face in the 21^st century. Unfortunately, along with the paucity of climatological data, Africa faces some of the largest vulnerabilities to a changing climate, including changes to local precipitation and temperature regimes upon which farmers rely for rainfed agriculture, which makes up 98% of the agriculture in Côte d’Ivoire. In this project students and scientists in Côte d’Ivoire and the United States are leveraging the Trans African Hydrometeorology Network (TAHMO) University to University (U2U) program to build a network of youth scientists in the region of Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé de Daloa (UJLG). In order to carry out this work we have identified ten locations at primary and secondary schools where manual rainfall and temperature gauges are being installed. The partner locations are schools in Gonaté, Brizeboua, Kibouo, Tahiragué, Zahia, Bla and Zéréfla. At these sites students will learn about weather and climate measurement and read daily rainfall amounts and temperatures from manual recorders. University students at UJLG and San José State University will collect, compile, and check the weather data in order to post it to a shared website where it can be viewed publicly. In addition, we plan to install one of the automated TAHMO weather stations at UJLD which is a robust station that records air temperature, wind speed, solar radiation, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, lightning strike, and lightning strike distance and communicates them directly to the TAHMO network where they are available for viewing on the web. Using the manually recorded data as well as the automated data from the TAHMO station we plan to further develop teaching materials for earth system and agro-meteorology courses at UJLG and SJSU. The objectives of this project are to (1) provide opportunities for youth to learn about climate and weather data using a hands-on approach in their local area  (2) strengthen ties between US and Ivorian students and scientists and (3) to contribute to increasing the amount and quality of climate data across the African continent.

How to cite: Bogie, N. and Bayala, R.: Youth Citizen Science and Agro-Climatology in Côte d’Ivoire, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-10990, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-10990, 2022.