Google Earth Tours GoogleEarthDesign.blogspot.com Richard Treves January 2011

2 Attribution Research funded by grant from Higher Education Academy, Geography Earth and Environmental Sciences. In Partnership with Paula Englebrecht, Ordnance Survey, UK

3 What is a tour? Background –Story –History of TEL -> Content vs Whizz Good and Bad of tours Best Practices –Animations Best Practice –User Tests Introduction

4 Pre-Recorded Flight/Layer Control/Audio ITS EASY!! What is a Tour?

5 Interesting choice of poster placement Just because we can does not mean we should

6 History of TEL Books will soon be obsolete in the schools… …scholars will soon be instructed through the eye. It is possible to touch every branch of human knowledge with the motion picture" Thomas Edison, 1913

7 History of TEL "A radio receiver will be as common in the classroom as the blackboard......radio instruction will be integrated into school life William Levenson, Director Ohio School of the Air, 1945 Photo courtesy

8 History of TEL Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) 1960s: Content, Response, Feedback Well funded PLATO and TICCIT evaluations failed to show improvement over teacher led instruction. PLATO V Terminal with plasma display 1981 (Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operations) courtesy Mtnman79

9 History of TEL Late evaluation shows education value was overstated (Teachers and Machines, Cuban, 1985) (

10 When to Use GE Wow! Isnt enough

11 Show geog/geol evidence over multiple scales and locations When to Use GE 1

12 When 3D is important When to Use GE 2

13 When to Use GE 3 Streetview

14 When Not… 1 World Maps

15 When Not… 2 When 3D is *not* important Thematic 3D maps (untested)

16 Animations in Ed. Mayer et al Audio better than text and text/audio Close in time, space –Labels, say and show the same thing! Personal language, use of I Chapters – logical chunks of content

17 User Testing Tours Slideware with 3D transitions Unstudied Characteristics of Virtual Flights: Speed Camera angles Overview

18 Results Speed: x2 as fast as comfortable = fine Camera angles: no big effect (conservative?) Overview: Big effect.

19 Conclusion Animations

Google Earth Tours GoogleEarthDesign.blogspot.com Richard Treves January 2011