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International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol XXXV, Part B6. Istanbul 2004 
Digital Photogrammetry refresher course. All of the participants 
said the programme is worth mentioning to their colleagues and 
would advise them to participate in similar training in the future. 
Some even suggested that decision makers should be sensitised 
so as to draw their attention to this new technology in 
photogrammetry. 
According to the assessment of some of the participants, some 
shortcomings were apparent, these were: 
(a) Short time of the course duration as many believed that 
such programme should have lasted for a little longer - say 
4 weeks at least, for them to be able to master it very well. 
(b) Cost (in 2001) of the software - $70,000.00! an amount 
which they think may be rather high for the African 
environment. The suggestion offered is that software less 
costly may encourage many buyers. 
(c) Ratio of participants to computer system is reduced to say, 
| system to 2 trainees. 
(d) Training materials for practical should be from the 
immediate environment to make participants familiar with 
the terrain thereby making the training more real than 
virtual. 
(e) Software written in French also is solicited for the 
francophone. 
6.3 Assessment made by ITC staff members 
For the evaluation of the course by the participants English and 
a French version of a questionnaire was given to the participants 
to be filled in. All participants took part in the evaluation and 
there were 7 English and 9 French forms handed in. In total the 
result was very positive. In the annex the English form is 
included as well as a summary of the answers 
Giving the course was very demanding, (a lot of free time had to 
be sacrificed to do it properly), but also very rewarding. The 
participants were extremely motivated and many spent more 
time on the systems than allotted. Some even spent part of the 
weekend to repeat parts they were not sure enough of. It is 
highly recommendable to give such a course to different groups 
(in different parts of the world or perhaps at the ITC, where 
occasionally up to 50 participants could be accommodated), as 
there is definitely a need for it. Bilingual groups should however 
be avoided. The need and the feasibility of translating the 
material and giving the course in other languages than English 
(e.g. French or Spanish) should be investigated. 
7. CONCLUSION 
As mentioned about a refresher course ran at RECTAS Nigeria, 
the course was a very useful and very successful one; to be able 
to support mapping techniques and/or operations (at various 
organizations and/or institution), this type of support should be 
organized. Many participants urged ITC to contribute to the 
awareness of this technology at the political level (only then 
sufficient funds will be available to make the switch in near 
future). Basically this course could be used for this purpose with 
some modifications, such that the duration is reduced to a single 
week and hands on practices are reduced considerably and/or 
substituted by demonstrations. Background lectures and 
discussions will have to occupy more time for this scenario. 
71 
Evaluation form has been distributed to participants (see results 
below), to contribute their degree of satisfaction about the: 
Content, Lecture & Practical, material & organization of the 
course rating from 1 to 4: 
(1 = Strongly disagree; 2 = Disagree; 3 = Agree; 4 = Strongly 
agree) 
Course contents 1 2 3 4 (No answer) 
I acquired many valuable skills 0.0.9.6 1 
I acquired much valuable 
Information 0 0 7 8 I 
The content & scope met my 
expectation 0:0 13 3 0 
The course was offered at 
the right level 0 0-13 3 0 
Classes 1 2 3 4 (Noanswer) 
Enough room for 
questions/remarks? 0.0 2 14 0 
Practical were well 
prepared/organized? firing ig 0 
Background information 
was given too much? 15 say “Just right” 1 
Materials & organization_ 1 2 3 4 (Noanswer) 
Materials used in practical 
were adequate? 0 (0-7 8 1 
The teaching staff reacted 
adequately to any comments? 0 0 4 12 0 
The level of teaching staff 
was adequately? à 0 8 8 0 
The computers system 
were adequate for the course? 0 09 7 0 
Stereo observation/equipment 
was essential for the execution 
of the course? 0:0 35011 0 
The software used is 
user friendly? 0 A203 0 
8. REFERENCES 
- RECTAS Report : Report on the refresher course in digital 
photogrammetry in geo-information production in west 
Africa RECTAS, Ile-Ife, Nigeria (from 19” to 30" 
November 2001) 
- ITC BTOR in Digital Photogrammetry for Geo- 
information Production in West Africa (in the Workstation 
environment, from 19" to 30" November 2001); 
Dipl.Ing. K.A. Grabmaier, Assistant Prof. ITC & M.Sc. S. 
Phem, Lecturer, ITC 
- Lecture note “Introduction to Photogrammetry” Dr. 
T. Bouloucos 
- ISPRS website