Latest Contributions by TomBaker

Goal: Display a word cloud from one Survey123 question - where the data in the word cloud updates when new data are submitted.   Warnings: 1. This is an HTML code "hack" and not a part of the supported product features for either Survey123 or Storymaps.   2. For this to work, ALL data in the Survey123 must be shared either with your organization or with everyone.  If you have private or sensitive data ANYWHERE in the survey, you should not use this method.   Sample: Take a look at this storymap to better understand what we'll try to set-up below.     Requirements: Access to Survey123 and Storymaps through an ArcGIS Online account with publisher role (or higher). Knowledge of how to use Survey123 and Storymaps (I gloss over most basic concepts in this post). An offsite location to host your HTML page.  I'm using GitHub, but you can use any host that allows you to post HTML code and enforces "https" (rather than just http). Some knowledge of HTML/CSS (although most of this blog is copy/paste).   Build out: Create a new Survey123 survey with at least two questions . The questions should NOT ask personal information (like email address or physical characteristics).  Try asking, "What is your favorite color?", for example.  Make sure the question type is reasonable to use with a "word cloud", like a simple single line text box. Enter some sample data. Ensure the results page is public.  (Survey123 website > Collaborate > Share Results  > Share to Everyone). A shared Results page may look like this. I really only want to share the word cloud (with data constantly updated) for questions 2 and 3 in my storymap.  The other data are benign in the survey. They just really aren't relevant to the story I want to tell in my storymap.  So, how can I show just question two's word cloud? We can use HTML iframes and some CSS to create a digital cookie cutter of the results page.  As I warned you, this is an HTML hack and Esri doesn't support or endorse the approach but it works (today). Create an HTML file on a web server (with https).  I would suggest just copying and pasting this code and tweaking the sample.  Back on your full Survey123 results page, scroll down to the chart you want to display. Set the chart type (e.g. world cloud). Turn off the side bar. Notice each of the changes slightly alters the URL.  Copy the URL now displayed and paste it into your HTML file (replacing my sample URL). Save your new HTML file and get the public URL to your new file. Create a new storymap and add an "Embed" widget.  Paste your new HTML file's URL into the embed widget.  Hopefully, you see your word cloud (only) display in the embed widget.  Mine is here. Each Storymap embed widget will need to point to a new HTML file that you create.  Each HTML file will need a customized URL from your adjusted Sturvey123 results page.   For more information: See the sample storymap which includes added explanation, sample code, and links for this build out.   Thanks This approach was inspired by content original found on StackOverflow.   ... View more

360° images are basically photo spheres – where you are standing in the middle.  To capture these images, normally you would use a 360° camera (like my Insta360 One X2) or you can use a free smartphone app (like Google Street View).  While the smartphone app is free, it requires a careful hand and some practice to get the final photo sphere to look halfway normal when properly rendered. To follow along with this post, you will need: An ArcGIS Online publisher account Free Street View app for iOS or Android (free) Your smartphone with Street View installed A Momento360 account (free tier). Other options: Kuula.co or open source three.js In order to view a 360° image, a service or special script must be first loaded in the web browser, which in turn loads the special 360 image correctly.  While a 360° image can be a regular JPEG file – when you preview the picture without special software, it might look like so:   Why 360° images? Especially for schools and colleges, 360° image captures can be a great addition to field data collection.  It allows the photographer to capture EVERYTHING and not just a 35mm framed window (for example).  This can be useful for studying large patterns – such as cloud types, vegetation growing (or not) in a field, damage from wind, or capturing an entire place - perhaps to facilitate virtual field trips.   Workflow:  Take 360° images with Street View (mobile app) Save to the cell phone's image library Upload to an independent hosting service, Momento360 Create a small table, linking Momento360 URLs and place title Use Experience Builder to create an app that will link the image to a specific map marker We’re rendering our 360° images in an ArcGIS Online map because we don’t want the advertisements and others’ map contributions to appear on our map of (student-acquired) images. For many schools and colleges, this is a serious privacy concern.   In this post, I'll build an example map app, Tom’s trip to the Kansas City zoo. A sneak peek of the final work is below and clickable. [Experience Builder map with images] A deeper dive into the workflow above follows.  Skip sections that you are familiar with. .1. Take 360 images with Google Street View (mobile app).  Download the free app (sign in may be required).  Go to the app’s settings and ensure that you’re keeping a local copy of the processed image.  See screenshot.   .2. Save to the cell phone's image library Get to your data collection site – or at least someplace where multiple photo spheres can be captured without too much overlap in the photography.  If you’re concerned about privacy, you don’t need to publish the photos to Google at all.  You should however find a copy of the image(s) in your camera’s photo album.   .3. Upload to an independent hosting service, Momento360 At the time of this writing, Momento360 has a useful free tier.  It is certainly substantial enough for the project we are undertaking here.  If you haven’t already, create your free Momento360 account. Upload each of your photos to Momento360 (web browser uploading only).  I have uploaded my six photos from around the zoo. Notice how nicely they render - and if you have a VR headset, the experience is even better.   .4. Create a small table, linking Momento360 URLs and place title On Momento360, click an image to find the sharing link.  Select “Share/Embed link”. Copy the URL and paste into your spreadsheet, like the image below. In this case, I’m going to create just one record. Save your spreadsheet as a .CSV file – ideally on your desktop. Log into your ArcGIS Online organization. Go to  “Content” and press the button, “New Item”. Select “Add CSV and create hosted feature service or table” Import all field names. Identify your lat/long fields. Set a title for the service. On the details page, press the “Share” button.  I will set mine to “Everyone”.  Set yours as you see appropriate. I edit my feature service using the classic map viewer in cases like this. Select “Add to new map with full editing controls”. You may need to press “Done” to tell the map how to symbolize data. Press the “Edit” button. Zoom into your existing point.  You can drag the point around to place it exactly where the image was taken – using the basemap as a reference. Click and drag a new marker for each 360° image.Add the image URL for each record. My feature service is here for an example. Finally, add your point-based feature service to a map viewer or scene viewer map.  Save the map and share it, like you previously shared the service (private, organization, or everyone). My sample map is here.   .5. Use Experience Builder to create an app that will link the image to a specific map marker Launch the Experience Builder using the “waffle” near your profile icon in ArcGIS Online or click: https://experience.arcgis.com Press the “Create New” button. Select “Blank Full Screen” and “Create”. Click and drag a map widget to the Experience Builder canvas. Click the widget box on the canvas, Set the map source in the right-most panel by pressing “Select Map”.  Click the “Add New Data” link near the bottom. Find your newly created map. Click the map name in the list to “activate” it. The map should now appear in your Experience Builder canvas. Click and drag an “Embed” widget to the Experience Builder canvas. Click the embed widget displayed on the canvas. In the Embed window on the right, click the slider for “Connect to Data”.  Click the button, “Select data”. Your map name should appear.  Press the plus button to open the layer list of the map. Click the layer with your points and image links. Back to the right, set the pull down beneath your layer name to “Selected features”. See image below.   Click the database icon (looks like a small can with horizontal stripes) and select your 360 image URL column.  This should paste the name of your linked data field into the window.  The field name will have curly braces around it, as you can see below.   Save your Experience Builder application by clicking the save icon, near the upper-right corner. Press the Publish button. Click the vertical ellipses next to the publish button and select “Change share settings”. Click the “Share” button and set your sharing as you previously did for the feature service and map. Press the “View” button to see your published experience builder app with your 360° images linked to a marker and displayed on your map! My final map is here (showed earlier).  If you follow the basic idea above and create your own map with 360 content - post a link below.  It'll be fun to see the differences and advances you make. Enjoy!   Extra credit: 1. Don’t want a regular pop-up on the map – just the embedded image displayed?  In Experience Builder, click the map widget on the canvas.  Scroll the settings menu down, that appears on the right side of the browser. Toggle the setting for “Disable Pop-up”. Save and republish. 2. You can use this workflow with 360° images, videos, or VR scenes (with or without headset) - as long as you only need to point to the asset with a URL.  This approach won't work if you need to use an HTML iframe to render the asset.   3. Visit my storymap of 360 image embed tests here.  If you want to show a 360 image paired with a map or story, you can drop a link or iframe in a storymap embed widget.  The process is simple.  This page shows various tests of 360 image hosts - and the functionality those hosts include in their embedded image viewers.   ... View more

Save the date: Thursday, May 12 2022, 8-9pm EDT   Register as Directions Magazine today!     ... View more

As of March 2022, The ArcGIS API for Python team added support for a duplicate function for storymaps.  Duplicating allows for scripting of, "computer, make a copy of this storymap and give it to user X. Please."   This  python function is probably most useful for educators when they want to create a templated storymap and then issue a copy of that template to their students as a part of an assignment.    The challenge today:  Currently The ArcGIS API for Python API has not been rolled out to ArcGIS Online Organizations for use in Notebooks.   You'll need to install python and the new API to your local computer.  You probably want to install Python 3.8 and then install the 2.0 API.  At this time, I suggest this is a tech-heavy workflow.  If you're not comfy installing Python, configuring environments, and adding packages, I would suggest waiting until the API is added to your ArcGIS Online Organization.  Once it's in your organization, you can copy and paste this Python code to duplicate your first storymap.   For help getting started, see the developers' site.       ... View more

  In preparing for the spring and an opportunity to get outside and do projects, let's take a moment to review one of the most fundamental data structures in GIS - the table.  In fact, to keep things familiar we'll use a Google Sheet that you or your students can edit and then show the data in a map. For instructors who want to build their own table-first approach to collecting data, a step-by-step walk-through is included.  Explore the storymap at: https://arcg.is/aWuTq   ... View more

A new collection with about a half-dozen in-depth articles on creating assessment instruments with Survey123 or Storymaps is now available. Some of the included resources are intended for classroom teachers, while others are intended for instructional designers. Included in the collection, you'll also find a new tutorial that walks through creating a traditional quiz using ArcGIS Survey123. Find the collection online at: https://esriurl.com/EduAssessments  ... View more

Ever want students to investigate multiple storymaps or maps and give them a single quiz, test, or worksheet to gauge their knowledge?  GeoQuests might be able to help. Ms. Smith has identified two maps in the Living Atlas and one from Esri GeoInquiries that she wants her 8th grade students to study - and answer her Google Form in the process. This worksheet on climate will be assigned as homework.  She can either give the students four URLs (three maps and one Google Form) or she can give them one GeoQuest URL. A GeoQuest acts like glue - it binds together what you have already created.  Your worksheet, quiz, or questionnaire instrument needs to be in Google Forms, Survey123, or Qualtrics.  You should set the sharing permissions such that only your students can access your form. The storymaps or maps can be shared publicly, organizationally, or within an ArcGIS Online group.  Like the form, the story map or map visibility is controlled however you (or someone else) has already set it. This instructional utility can be useful for creating assigned readings with worksheets, quizzes or tests that rely on students interpreting multiple interactive maps.  https://esriurl.com/geoquests    ... View more

If you build learning materials in Storymaps and want to embed interactive self-assessment items for students throughout the materials, you're in the right spot.  Take a quick look at this example to get an idea of what I'm thinking about. This is the third post in a series on creating interactive self-assessments in storymaps for learners (post 1, post 2). This work was informed by several brilliant insights from Peter Knoop. This approach requires both Survey123 and Storymaps - and to help you explore the details and possibilities, I've posted it all in a new storymap. https://arcg.is/GTCmX I'd love to get your feedback and/or your own examples using this technique or another one.  Post your comments below! ... View more

H5P -- or HTML 5 package -- is used to create interactive content on the web. It's a tool of choice for instructional designers today because the format is flexible (think survey questions to interactive pictures and videos) and can include integration (LTI) with some of the most popular learning management systems. The storymap below includes how to create H5P content, how to host it, and the value of going to the trouble.  This post was inspired by trying to design embedded self-assessment strategies for storymaps.  In fact, if all you want to create is an embedded self-assessment, the aforementioned blog describes a much simpler and more efficient way of building this content today. H5P interactive content in ArcGIS storymaps     Image: Photo by Meghan Hessler on Unsplash  ... View more

If you create Storymaps for students as a way to learn content, you may find an interactive, self-assessment item to be a valuable addition for checking learning. Self-assessment items can tell students where they are in constructing the information that you've presented.  Some educators who prefer the classic approach of behavioral (or pogrommed) instruction, might also find the tool useful. Read the storymap to learn more about how to build interactive, self-assessment items for inclusion in your storymaps.  These items can be added to your existing storymaps, if you prefer.  This tool is a prototype at this time; only the adventurous should proceed. Your feedback is welcome! https://arcg.is/1i1Gjm ... View more

With only about eight weeks of school left this calendar year, The Esri K12 team put together a list of some of their favorite classroom projects that use GIS.  Many of the projects can be done in 15 minutes of seat work, while some require getting outside. Less than 30 Minutes: Favorite Color https://esriurl.com/favcolor A great project for early and middle elementary students, this project asks kids, “What’s your favorite color?”  Using a storymap to organize the work, kids’ data is presented in maps and a dashboard for easy exploration.  Currently, there are over 1200 data points on the project. Global Pet Survey https://esriurl.com/petSurvey A great and simple approach for thinking about data – collecting it and exploring accompanies this survey which asks, “What pets do you have at home?”  This project is great for any age, anywhere in the world.  The project has about 400 data points in it currently and uses a storymap to present a Survey123 data collection form and dashboard explorer. Breakfast Beverage https://esriurl.com/breakfastbeverage The Breakfast Beverage project is the oldest data collection projects on the list.  It collects data directly on the map in an editable feature service.  It asks learners, “What did you drink at breakfast this morning?”  It’s fast survey that supports basic mapping and data exploration. Walkability survey https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/1e4847f78ec94fd89e960adfabb5ac5c This project asks learners how walkable their community is?  It includes Survey123 and maps for exploring over 500 submitted locations to date.  The project is appropriate for any age and gets learners to think about their built environment and the affordances (or lack thereof) of infrastructure like sidewalks. Get Outside: Trash Cache (micro mapping) https://esriurl.com/trashCache Map where trash accumulates on your school ground or nearby park.  Why does trash accumulate in the places it does?  Requires a smart phone and outdoor access to submit data.  The project is best explored with a group of students to generate useful data for a small area. Campus vegetation survey https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/933b03f8109e411cab344453dbd7a865 Report the condition of trees in and around your school campus or nearby park.  A map of the data is also available for exploring.  Soundscapes https://esriurl.com/soundscapes Get outside with your cellphone and a decibel meter app to collect and report the loudness and type of sounds in your community.  More than 30 Minutes: Community Roundmile https://esriurl.com/communityroundmile Although participating in this project requires some setup and an ArcGIS Online account with publisher privileges, it is one of the most powerful and extensive projects on the list. Learners are asked to create a circle around their school (r=.5 mile) and describe what’s in the roundmile. Next Steps: Explore the GeoProjects Hub site for more projects and ideas about PBL-GIS in your classroom. Share you project and link below or on the GeoProjects hub!   Special thanks to @JosephKerski , @CharlieFitzpatrick  & @Kylie  ... View more

Save the date: Join the Esri K12 team at the  2021 NCSS Annual Conference (virtual) Nov 15 - 21, 2021   More details forthcoming. ... View more