Transcript CONNECT

CONNECT
The CONNECT project
Institute of Communications and
Computer Systems,
National Technical University of
Athens
CONNECT
Sixth Framework Programme - Priority IST-2002-2.3.1.12
Technology Enhanced Learning and Access to Cultural Heritage
Project No: 507844 - Duration 3 years
Project Title:
Designing the classroom of
tomorrow by using advanced
technologies to connect formal
and informal environments
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WHO WE ARE:
1.
Institute of Communications and Computer Systems -MFOL
Laboratory (Coordinator-GR)
2.
Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology (DE)
3.
INTRASOFT International S.A (BE)
4.
University of Duisburg-COLLIDE Research Group (DE)
5.
Vaxjo University -CeLeKT Research Group (SE)
6.
University of Education, Ludvisburg (DE)
7.
University of Birmingham – Educational Technology Department
(UK)
8.
Ellinogermaniki Agogi –Research and Development Department
(GR)
9.
HEUREKA – The Finnish Science Centre (FI)
WHO WE ARE (cont.)
10. @BRISTOL (UK)
11. Evgenides Foundation (GR)
12. European Collaborative for Science Industry and Technology Exhibition
(BE)
13. Institute for Learning Innovation (USA)
14. Weizmann Institute of Science (IL)
15. Q-PLAN Quality Consultants (GR)
16. Ministry of Education (Portugal) – Department of Evaluation and
Prospective Analysis (PT)
17. University of Minho (PT)
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CONNECT: WHICH ARE THE NEEDS
•Improvement of science teaching / learning, by exploring the
possibilities offered by recent developments in Information and
Communication Technologies.
•Create an advanced learning environment, using advanced ICT to
connect informal learning strategies and formal curricular activities in
science education
•Evolution from the wired to virtual wireless learning environments to
support the integration of everyday “free-choice” activities with the
formal science curriculum map.
•Shift from the teacher-directed learning and the dissemination of
knowledge, to learner-centred curricula that promote the development
of lifelong learners
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WHAT WE DO:
 Activities
1.
Promote collaboration among researchers and practitioners
2.
Increased co-operation between scientists of different fields
3.
Promote the adoption of new approaches in science teaching / learning
4.
Promote take-up of results – sustainability and impact
 Research issues (Technological and Pedagogical)
1.
Develop the new learning environment (software / hardware).
2.
Design new learning activities incorporating various skills
3.
Develop ICT tools supporting new learning / teaching approaches
4.
Assess the educational potential in different educational settings
5.
Evaluate proposed approach and identify critical success factors
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WHY WE DO IT:
•Develop innovative approaches to science teaching / learning
•Design an innovative method that crosscuts the boundaries between
schools, science museums, research centers and science thematic
parks and involve students and teachers in extended episodes of
playful learning.
•Establish a new virtual learning community
•Bridge the gap between formal and informal learning
•Explore the integration of physical and computational media for the
design of interactive learning environments to support learning about
complex scientific phenomena
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Main expected results and impact
•Develop the Virtual Science Thematic Park an attractive learning
environment allowing for ubiquitous access to educational and
scientific resources
•New learning methods reforming students to independent learners
•Impact upon the fields of instructional technology, educational
systems design and museum education. Contribution to standards
( e.g extensible-3D, ISO/IEC FCD 19775:200x )
• European added value and impact : A partnership that brings up
together real cross-disciplinary know-how.
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Components of the project’s system
The project will be materialized through an Augmented
Reality mobile unit that will be available for students’
use offering new ways to visualize information and
thus enhancing knowledge transformation procedures

The mobile AR system

CONNECT platform
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The mobile AR system

A wearable processing unit (computer)

Tracking sensors to determine visitors’ exact location

A display unit (optical see-through unit: display glasses) to
project/embed virtual 3-D objects onto the real environment of the
museum

Wearable video camera for recording students’ learning activities

Microphone for audio communication and recording students remarks

Transmission module to mainframe computer
The mobile AR system is supported by the software tools:

Recognition (tracing and identification) of individuals, groups and
objects

Natural language and speech interfaces for audio communication

Reflexive learning systems (adaptable and customizable) for reviewing
experiences

Content design facilities, simulation and visualization aids

Knowledge management tools to build and manage a knowledge
database
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The CONNECT platform

The objective is to map the design artefacts into code in an
object-oriented language for all the tasks and modules of the
system.

The software development will be separated in two parts, one
for supporting mobile’s AR system specifications and
functionalities and one for supporting the virtual park’s
requirements and procedures that generate the CONNECT
architecture.

The virtual science thematic park will use a database system
for storing and retrieving the learning material that consists of
data, voice and video for the creation of the knowledge
database.

The CONNECT platform will be composed by four components




the
the
the
the
Web services
Browsing and Content Creation Tool
Upload Mechanism and
CONNECT database.
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Figure 6: The system’s architecture: The CONNECT
Virtual Science Thematic Park.
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The CONNECT partnership includes a network of schools,
science museums and science thematic parks, research
laboratories and science and technology exhibitions.
Students and teachers will be involved in repeated cycles
of tests with the project advanced tool in the framework of
their normal curriculum in order to demonstrate the
qualitative upgrade of science teaching and learning.
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CONNECT CONCEPT
Knowledge flow: from museums to schools through
augmented reality, advanced technologies and internet
Visualization of unseen physical properties
Formal and Informal Learning
Paradigm on electromagnetism: Augmented reality
for the visualization of Lorentz force and electrical field
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Museum mode:
(left) Real hands on experiment (right) Augmented Reality
version of the same experiment wearing the device. The
real exhibits are mixed in their optical view with the 3-D
visual objects and representations that the system is
producing and embedding into this augmented world
through their glasses.
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School mode:
In this framework activities will include “virtual field trips” in which a
field trip guide moves through the park or the museum, visiting the
students’ favourite exhibits to demonstrate and discuss about them.
The images and sound are transmitted to the school classroom, which in
turn sends questions or comments back to the floor guide. The students
in the classroom will have the chance to see the real exhibits mixed in
their optical view with the 3-D visual objects and representations that
the system is producing and embedding into this augmented world
through the visitor glasses.
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Example of use: Faraday Cage shielding and electrical discharge
In many science museums a demonstration of electrical discharge is
illustrated as an experiment exhibiting the shielding of a metallic
enclosure to electrical fields.
The real exhibits are mixed in their optical view with the 3-D visual objects and
representations that the system is producing and embedding into this augmented
world through the students’ glasses. The Augmented Reality technique will be used
to overlay on the seen image the electric field around the cage and when the
electric discharge takes place the current density development.
Real exhibit description / interaction possibilities…
•
The monopole (one rod) will consist of a telescopic
mechanism (a) which means that it will look like an enlarged
conventional telescopic antenna (b).
•
The exhibit, monopole, will not be a
real antenna, it will not radiate but it will
look like a real one and it will be placed
on a metallic stand which will simulate
the ideal conductor (earth).
(a)
(b)
…Real exhibit description / interaction possibilities…
•
•
A small “box” will stand for a frequency generator which
theoretically is used for the excitation of the antenna.
Underneath or inside the stand the
necessary equipment that will give
Monopole
motion to the telescopic mechanism
(telescopic mechanism)
and change the length of the monopole
will be placed.
Stand
Small box
(frequency generator)
Necessary equipment for
the telescopic mechanism
…Real exhibit description / interaction possibilities…
•
The visitor wears the headset and through the glasses can
see the monopole, three virtual knobs and three virtual
buttons.
•
With the virtual knobs one can change:
- The intensity of the excitation (I).
- The frequency of the excitation (f).
- The length of the real monopole (l).
•
According to the selections and the three virtual buttons the
visitor selects what he wants to be visualized:
- The electrical field pattern of the radiated wave.
- The current distribution in the antenna.
- The radiation pattern of the antenna.
…Real exhibit description / interaction possibilities…
•
The electrical field pattern of the
radiated wave.
•
When the selected length of the
monopole is very small compared to the
selected wavelength of the radiated wave
(λ=c/f, c=the velocity of the light) the
electrical field of the radiated wave will
look similar to (a).
•
When the length equals half wavelength
of the selected radiation signal (λ/2=l)
then the electrical field will look similar
to (b).
(a)
(b)
…Real exhibit description / interaction possibilities…
•
The current distribution in the antenna
rod.
•
When the selected length of the
monopole is l=λ/4 (a).
•
When the selected length of the
monopole is l=3·λ/4 (b).
(a)
(b)
…Real exhibit description / interaction possibilities
•
The radiation pattern of the antenna.
•
When the selected length of the
monopole is small compared to the
wavelength of the radiated wave.
•
Radiation patterns are static which means
that are not time dependent like electrical
field pattern and current distribution.
Conclusion
•
With this exhibit electromagnetic waves which cannot in
reality be seen are now visible.
•
It would be nice if the current distribution could be seen
using a virtual magnification of the monopole.
•
It would be also easy to visualize the magnetic field.
•
The monopole antenna is part of the e.m. spectrum exhibit.
•
Other types of antennas could be also virtually created and
their characteristics could be seen.