FOR 435 Remote Sensing of Active and Post Fire Effects UI CNR
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  Course Title
Syllabus		 Print Print Version
Instructor Name

Alistair Smith
College of Natural Resources
Phone: (208) 885-1009
Email: alistair [at] uidaho.edu

Chad Hoffman
College of Natural Resources
Phone: (208) 885-7115
Email: Chadh@uidaho.edu

Course Objectives

In this class we will explore the potential and limitations of remote sensing datasets and methods to characterize both the active fire behavior and the post-fire effects of the fire on the environment.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this course students will be able to:

  1. Understand the fundamentals of remote sensing
  2. Explain how field measurements of fires can be used to drive the development of novel remote sensing method
  3. Understand and explain the advantages and disadvantages of remote sensing as compared to field measurements
  4. Understand and be able to conduct common methods to both map and monitor fire characteristics with remote sensing
  5. Critical analyze the assumptions behind how maps of fire-affected areas are produced

Grading

Discussions (5 x 75pts each) 375
I didn't know that (4 x 25pts each) 100
Bumper Sticker Challenge 25
Field Definitions of Severity Assignment 100
Surface Changes Assignment 100
Fire intensity assignment 100
Mapping and Monitoring Vegetation Recovery Assignment 200
Total 1000
Bonus Quizzes 50 points

Required Books

No Required Text Book for this class.

Threaded Discussions

Threaded discussions are part of this web-based course in order to take the place of classroom discussions. They require you to discuss various topics with your classmates. You will be graded on the basis of your input. One part of your grade will be based upon quantity, but 2/3 of your grade will be based upon quality – both clarity of ideas, and critical thinking.

Threaded Discussion Grading

  Score Quantity Quality/Clarity Quality/Critical Thought
67-75 Did the student post significantly more than two times Did the student use new vocabulary, and make his/her points clearly Did the student respond professionally to the critique or questions of fellow students?
60-67 Did the student post at least twice on each discussion Did the student utilize information and vocabulary from the required readings and presentation Did the student build on, or synthesize, the comments of the preceding students?
50-60     As a bare minimum, student must always be polite to other students. Water topics can sometimes be controversial. It’s OK – even enlightening – to disagree, but do so professionally.
0 You will get a score of zero if you do not participate in the threaded discussion by the required deadline

I Didn't Know That

Throughout each topic in this course you may experience what is termed an "I Didn’t Know That!" moment. These are moments when something you have been reading or contemplating makes sense with an unexpected clarity. I will ask you to post on of your " I Didn’t Know That!' moments for different topics throughout the course. At the end of the semester I will also ask you to pick what you think is your best " I Didn’t Know That!" moment from this class.

For each I Didn’t Know That! moment you should explain in some detail what the moment was, and why this moment seemed important to you in terms of your learning. In general I would like you to contemplate the experience and synthesize it within the context of other newly acquired knowledge.

You should spend some time on this activity since it is reflective and not reactive. It may be helpful to keep a journal of sorts throughout the class to document your I Didn’t Know That! moments (this is not required)

Your grade for the " I Didn’t Know That!" moments will be based mostly on completing the task but 20 percent will be based on writing style and your explanation of the moment. 

Bumper Sticker Challenge

In this assignment you will be given an opportunity to reflect on what you have learned. Please sum up your experiences in a fun phrase which could be placed on a bumper sticker. You will have one week to post your bumper sticker in Blackboard. I will award 10 bonus points if you actually create a graphic of your bumper sticker.

Field Definitions of Severity Assignment

The Field Definitions of Severity Assignment is worth 100 points. You can view the Assignment details by CLICKING HERE

This Assignment is due on 9th February

Surface Change Assignment

The Surface Change Assignment is worth 100 points. You can view the Assignment details by CLICKING HERE

This Assignment is due on 11th March

Fire Intensity Assignment

The Fire Intensity Assignment is worth 100 points. You can view the Assignment details by CLICKING HERE 

This Assignment is due on 25h March

Mapping and Monitoring Vegetation Recovery Assignment

The Mapping and Monitoring Vegetation Recovery Assignment is worth 200 points. You can view the Assignment details by CLICKING HERE

This Assignment is due on 22nd April

Demos

These will contain a series of demos to actually perform several remote sensing of active fire and post-fire effects tasks and analysis methods. When available the demos will be highlighted following the learning objectives. Keep your eyes open, as these will be produced in a response to what you discuss during the online forums.

Plagiarism will NOT be tolerated:

In this class, you must summarize, paraphrase, quote and reference sources to avoid plagiarism in your writing. Consistent with the policy of the Department of Forest Resources (http://www.its.uidaho.edu/forres/), plagiarism will not be tolerated. Plagiarism violates the code of academic conduct at the University of Idaho. Under UI policy, regulation O-2, "Consequences for academic dishonesty may be imposed by the course instructor. Such consequences may include but cannot exceed a grade of "F" in the course" (http://www.uidaho.edu/catalog). If you are accused of plagiarism, you must meet with the course instructor and the chair of the department to discuss the evidence, circumstances, and consequences. If you have indeed plagiarized text, you will receive 0 points on the assignment, you may fail the course and your unethical behavior will affect recommendations for jobs and graduate school.

Cite sources to support and lend credibility to your writing. Please be careful in citing sources for your ideas when you write. You should be aware that web-based searches for plagiarized text have become quite sophisticated. Even a sentence or two plagiarized in a long document is inexcusable. It is very tempting and easy to copy text directly, but it works against the educational process and is a form of theft.