Transcript The Technology Behind a Virtual Exploratorium: A Resource

The Technology Behind a Virtual
Exploratorium: A Resource for
Discovery-based Learning in the
Geosciences
Daniel Bramer
Mohan Ramamurthy
Bob Wilhelmson
Ken Hay
Dean Eliott
Mary Marlino
Don Middleton
Tim Scheitlin
Rajul Pandya
Atmospheric Sciences,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Learning and Performance Support Laboratory,
The University of Georgia
Digital Library for Earth System Education
Visualization Group,
Scientific Computing Division, NCAR
Geoogy and Astronomy, West Chester University
The Virtual Exploratorium
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Pedagogic Framework for Geoscience Education
A learner-centered scientific exploratory environment for
introductory undergraduate education using the
visualization tools of practicing scientists
Shift in learning structrure:
From:
Teacher-Centered -- (static, passive)
To:
Learner-Centered -- (dynamic, (inter)active)
Goal
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Encourage discovery-based geoscience learning
– Act, think, and make decisions as a scientist would
• Develop an environment with plenty of resources
BUT
• Also provide assistance to prevent getting lost
– Used in undergraduate general education
• May be last science course for many
• Basic principles of scientific thought are vital to everyday
life
– Discovery, Analysis, Deduction, etc…
• Provide training for K-12 (especially elementary) teachers
Expectations
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Students will:
– construct visualizations of geophysical phenomena
using real geophysical data sets
– probe these visualizations to uncover relationships
using java tools
– Investigate fundamental physical processes using the
same tools in tutorials that concentrate on fundamental
physical principles
– apply the physical principles to the phenomena
– consult an extensive, hyperlinked virtual encyclopedia
How Do We Do That?
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Java Visualization Environment
– Real datasets viewable in 3 Dimensions
– Data constructed by students themselves
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Java Data-Interactive and Tutorial Tools
– Provide insight and exploration into data
– Link phenomena to physical properties and viceversa
– Make accessible at all times
Java Visualization Environment
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View Multiple Variables
Simultaneously
2D and 3D Exploration
Interactivity
Move Between Datasets
Access to Visualization
Functions
Access to Tools, Tutorials, and
Help
Why Java?
– Extensible
– Widely Used for Interactive
Internet elements
– Platform Independence
Prototype Visualization Environment at Right
VisAD
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Java class library for interactive and collaborative
visualization and analysis of numerical data
Advantages of VisAD
– Supports interactive 3D
– Written in Java
– Large Development Community
• Wisconsin/SSEC, UNIDATA, Illinois/NCSA, and many others
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Supports various file formats
Ready implementation of client-server architecture
Collaborative applications
WWW http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/~billh/visad.html
Prototype Visualiation Environment
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Use VisAD for 3D viewing
Main viewer for datasets
Interact with the 3D data
Observe multiple variables
Generate 2D slices
Provide strength of real science
tool while also making it easy to
use
3D and 2D representaions of Data at right
Interactive Tool As a Tutorial
Students use the tool to:
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Help understand the
fundamental principles
which lay underneath
the phenomena
Create graphs of their
observations
Use these observations
to discover new
relationships
Temperature Tool shown at right
Interactive Tool As a Probe
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Exploration
– Probe 2D or 3D datasets
– Observe differences between
regions of the dataset
– Apply information learned in
tutorial to data
– Relate phenomena to the
underlying physical
properties
DLESE (Digital Library for Earth
System Education)
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New effort within the geoscience community
Internet clearing house of
– Earth System educational resources
– Earth data sets and imagery
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Provides one location for earth system educators to
acquire and deposit materials and instruction for
classes and research
Resources like the VE can be very valuable within
DLESE
Acknowledgments
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This project is funded by the National Science
Foundation Division of Undergraduate
Education Grant #DUE-9972491
For More Information
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Tomorrow at 3:30 PM -- 10th Education Symposium
– #5.6 Using the Virtual Exploratorium to Support InquiryBased Learning in Introductory Geoscience Courses: An
ENSO Example. -- Rajul Pandya
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The Virtual Exploratorium Web Site
http://ve.atmos.uiuc.edu