Turning satellite data into classroom discovery: teaching PM2.5 with NASA GIOVANNI
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Abstract
In the era of data-driven education, integrating big data into classroom instruction is becoming a powerful pedagogical tool, especially in environmental science. The aim of this study is to explore the potential of leveraging NASA’s Geospatial Interactive Online Visualisation and Analysis Infrastructure (GIOVANNI) platform in the classroom to enhance the teaching and learning of air pollution. This online platform was developed by NASA’s Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Centre (GES DISC). In this study, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) datasets acquired from MEERA-2 was used as a sample to demonstrate the capability of the platform to investigate spatial and temporal environmental phenomena over the Malaysia region. To investigate the spatial PM2.5 variation, the long-term averaged map (January 1980 to December 2024) and seasonal averaged map (DJF, MAM, JJA and SON) were constructed. Meanwhile, the temporal variation was investigated by developing area-averaged time series for the study period. In this study, monthly, annual, and seasonal time series were constructed. Sample discussions are also provided, such as haze events over the study region as in 1997 and 2015. These findings reveal how data exploration through GIOVANNI could support active and inquiry-based learning in the classroom. This study concludes with practical recommendations for incorporating GIOVANNI into the curriculum, enhancing teacher training and promoting interdisciplinary and collaborative data-based projects.
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