Meteorology Department’s new electronic map wall enhances learning via state-of-the-art graphics technology
No longer relying on paper maps, the Penn State Department of Meteorology offers faculty an opportunity to use an electronic map wall for teaching that they can customize to meet their course needs.
Electronic Map Wall in the Walker Building
By Jamie Oberdick
Until recently, the Penn State Department of Meteorology’s map wall in the Walker Building used the old system of posting paper weather maps for forecasters to browse and examine. However, this year the department unveiled a new, cutting-edge system using state-of-the-art technology.
The department’s Electronic Map and Visualization Wall is a striking sight to anyone walking past it on the sixth floor of the Walker Building. Made up of 36 30-inch monitors, the new hi-tech version of the map wall is part of a renovation that includes a café, new computer stations, new classrooms, and a variety of collaborative learning spaces. “Several years ago, the department did a computer/facility strategic plan,” said Chuck Pavloski Jr., director of meteorology computing and research associate of the Department of Meteorology. “We knew we had to get away from the old paper map wall, which didn’t make sense given the technology that is available.”
The wall was a collaborative effort among several groups and individuals. This included Chad Barhmann, research assistant, who designed the Web interface; Fred Gadomski, senior lecturer of meteorology, who worked on Web graphics; the Department of Meteorology’s renovation staff; and Pavloski.
Pavloski said the new facility has several benefits. “The wall allows us to relay 24-hour real-time weather information, something that is just not possible with the old paper printout maps,” he said. “We get away from the paper maps and provide cutting-edge technology for forecasters and instructors. Penn State is considered cutting edge in the meteorology field, and this technology reflects that.”
The specs of the e-map wall are impressive. Each one of the 36 tiles is a Dell 30” 3008 series monitor with a display density of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels. This makes for a total wall display size of 147,456,000 pixels, the fifth largest continuous display in terms of pixel density.
An instructor can control what goes on each of the tiles via a map configuration tool. Via drag-and-drop, the instructor can set what graphics, such as radar, Web cams, satellite images, forecast computer model runs, etc., will appear on the wall. For example, if the instructor is teaching a class on tropical storms, she can put up related graphics on the wall. Then, the faculty member can save the settings so she can quickly retrieve her version of the wall for that class. “The beauty of the e-wall is its flexibility,” Pavloski said. “You can set up the maps, manipulate them, and then save it. It uses drag and drop and that makes it easy. There are no limits, anything from the Web can be put up, but the maps need to be high res.”
Future enhancements include mouse interactivity and multi-tile displays, which will enable the wall to show images with resolutions in the tens of millions of pixels over multiple-monitors. This would include images from weather, research, or geographical satellites, for example.
The learning benefits of the new e-wall for students are substantial, Pavloski said. “The students will no longer just walk by the old paper maps, they will come in and stop to view the wall,” he said. “It catches their eye and brings them in, and it will spawn creativity that we can’t imagine.”
Beyond the e-wall, the weather station area has a variety of learning spaces. There are computer work stations for use by meteorology students for homework, projects, etc. A teaching lab allows faculty to teach classes in a state-of-the-art classroom with 23 computer stations. For production of the department’s popular weekday show on the PCN cable network, Weather World, there is a video editing suite.
Along with these facilities, there are also a variety of collaborative learning spaces. A café setup features televisions, living room furniture, tables, stools, and a refrigerator and microwave. “The weather station has always been a place for students to study and hang out, and we wanted to make it a home away for home for them,” Pavloski said.
For more information on the e-wall and the Penn State Department of Meteorology, go to http://www.met.psu.edu.
