Online tutorials and massive open online courses

Obtain free initial insights into remote sensing

Besides universities, the use and analysis of remote sensing data can primarily be learned in training courses. In addition to specialised remote sensing companies, a range of tutorials and massive open online courses (MOOC) are available on the internet.

While they cannot replace years of training and expertise in remote sensing, they provide initial practical experience to enable a better assessment of the potential of own projects. The following provides an overview of free, generally English offers on the internet.

Training sessions for beginners without prior knowledge of remote sensing

The following offers are suitable for interested parties without prior experience in remote sensing and provide a clear overview of the basic principles of remote sensing as well as conveying possible applications.

The Applied Remote Sensing Training programme (NASA ARSET) run by the US space agency NASA provides a good introduction to the topic of remote sensing and its applications in the areas of disaster and risk management, health and air quality, land, water resources and vegetation fire. You can find out more here.
The German “Copernicus für das Umweltmonitoring” (Copernicus for environmental monitoring) published by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (BSH) and the German Environment Agency (UBA). The brochure provides a general introduction to the topic of remote sensing and illustrates the diverse applications, primarily at an official level in Germany. The guide is available for download free of charge.

Training sessions for beginners interested in specific fields of application

How can remote sensing be used for specific questions? The following offers provide an initial response. The following offers are suitable for professionals without any prior experience in remote sensing, but we recommend having at least completed one of the aforementioned introductory tutorials.

NASA ARSET creates special webinars on four general topics: disaster prevention, health, land monitoring (e.g. forest) and water resource management. NASA ARSET offers a test for a brief self-assessment and then provides targeted offers for beginners or advanced users. Some of the webinars also specifically cover the potential uses of remote sensing for monitoring sustainability indicators.
“Research and User Support for Sentinel Core Products” (RUS) offers training and e-learning sessions on various topics. The offer is focussed on methods and procedures for evaluating Copernicus Sentinel satellite data, so you should preferably have prior knowledge of Copernicus and remote sensing (see offers further above).
The Sector Network Rural Development Africa (SNRD) is a network of local and international GIZ specialists who work in the area of rural development in Africa. Among other things, SNRD provides webinars on various topics via an online platform in the context of digitalisation.

One webinar shows how satellite earth observation data from projects can be used to assess the status and changes in agricultural systems – with a particular focus on how valuable baseline information for agricultural monitoring and resource planning is obtained.

Offers for advanced users with an interest in more detailed aspects of the technology

How do I use radar remote sensing, what are the benefits compared to other systems? How can I use cloud computing methods and implement initial projects? How do I use remote sensing to support MRV in the context of REDD+? You can find out more about these questions and more detailed aspects of the technology here.

Radar remote sensing is used in several topics, such as for recording flood damage or in forest monitoring. The Radar Summer School at the University of Jena in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) provides an insight into the fundamentals and applications of remote sensing in earth sciences and is intended for academic, commercial and government users. The summer school is effectively also suitable for beginners, but is focussed on radar remote sensing.
Cloud computing refers to the general provision and use of IT infrastructure, such as memory, processing power or software and, in some cases, to remote sensing data over the internet. This is based on the idea of providing this IT infrastructure via a computer network so that it does not have to be installed on local computers. A prominent example of this is Google Earth Engine. Further information and links to various tutorials on the use of Google Earth Engine are available here.
The GFOI Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) provides comprehensive tutorials and a user manual for the use of remote sensing in the context of forest monitoring free of charge via the REDDcompass. REDDcompass provides a guide on key topics and concepts that are relevant for the development of national forest monitoring systems in the field of measurement, reporting and verification (MRV).

REDDcompass provides links to GFOI guidelines as well as links to data, literature and tools, training materials and much more. You can access REDDcompass here.

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