NEON non-specialist use case; Science data reuse in a classroom

1. ED41A-0666 • Through research, and interaction with collaborators. we identified that the concept of ecosystem health would best be represented using the DPSIR Framework. • DPSIR • a causal framework for describing the interactions between society and the environment. • adopted by the European Environmental Agency • models the state of the environment through measurement of indicators. In our example, indicators related to the health of a stream ecosystem. • Once measured, potential impacts on the system can be determined, possible responses postulated, and effectiveness of the responses measured. Scientific Information NEON non-specialist use case; Science data reuse in a classroom Peter Fox1(pfox@cs.rpi.edu), Brian Wee2(bwee@neoninc.orgu), Patrick West1 (westp@rpi.edu), James Wilson3(wilsonjw@jmu.edu), Stephan Zednik1(zednis@rpi.edu), Han Wang1(wangh17@rpi.edu) (1Tetherless World Constellation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 110 8th St., Troy, NY, 12180 United States) (2NEON, 1685 38th Street, Suite 100, Boulder, CO, 80301 United States) (3James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, 22807 United States) Abstract We present our experience in bringing science data into the undergraduate classroom. In particular we have worked with scientists associated with the NSF-funded NEON (neoninc.org) project. We have developed a non-specialist use case aimed at undergraduate education. This exercise was developed to give the teacher/professor/facilitator the means to create a lesson plan that will allow students the opportunity to work with large, spatially diverse data sets on water quality and other ecological parameters of streams in the United States. The stream parameters investigated here are total nitrogen, total phosphorus and a macro invertebrate index for the 10 EPA regions in the contiguous US. Instructors would use this lesson as an opportunity to discuss the concept of “ecosystem health,” a controversial topic in science but with intuitive resonance among the general public. However, current research data is highly specialized, lacking understandable, or all together lacking, metadata. This metadata is highly specialized, understandable by only the science specialist, or domain expert. Also, the data and metadata is difficult to locate by a non-specialist. The scientist knows where to find the data, how to collect the data, and can understand the structure of the data and what the data means. The meaning, the knowledge, the understanding is in the minds of the scientist. Thus, specific accommodation of the semantics for non-specialists is required. We include a current description of the activity and its outcomes and discuss the effectiveness of our semantic web development methodology in developing this non-specialist use case. Ties To Activity Diagram on right shows usage of the portal by the instructor Activity Diagram below shows usage of the portal by the student Educational Information Concepts from the use case were extracted in order to generate information models Results and Next Steps • Results So Far • Creation and use of Scientific information model • Creation and use of Educational information model • Research into use of DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impacts, Responses) and the modeling of DPSIR using a more expressive encoding (OWL) • Information from different agencies and organizations determined and various services for accessing this information analyzed • Next Steps • Implementation of the different information models using expressive encoding OWL • Development of mapping service using information from multiple disparate sources showing sample sites as well as potential human impact (cities, industry, agriculture, etc…) • Implementation of portal tying together information models, mapping services, vocabulary services data access, educational resources, and research resources. Modern informatics enables a new scale-free framework approach We decided early on to follow the Semantic Web Methodology and Technology Development Process, as developed by Peter Fox at Tetherless World Constellation. This methodology is an iterative approach to developing semantically-enabled knowledge information systems. Two activity diagrams were generated from the Use Case and further discussion of concepts and requirements A Concept/Class Acknowledgments: James Wilson – James Madison University, Heather Powell – Assistant Director for Aquatic Sciences at NEON, Inc. Sponsors: SeSF grant #0943761 Glossary: DPSIR – Drivers, Pressures, State, Impacts, Responses OWL– Web Ontology Language RDFs – Resource Description Framework Schema RDFa – Resource Description Framework Attributes RPI/TWC – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute / Tetherless World Constellation Scale-Free – A scale-free network is a network whose degree distribution follows a power law, at least asymptotically XSL– Extensible Stylesheet Language VSTO – Virtual Solar Terrestrial Observatory NEON First Use Case snippet – Developed in a week- long session with a small team of people assigned to the various roles and with mixed skills (Instructor/Facilitator, Student, Data Manager, Information Modeler, Domain Specialist, Software Engineer, IT Engineer)