Interactive Modeling and Visualization in Undergraduate

Survey Courses

Daniel J. Bramer

M. K. Ramamurthy, R. B. Wilhelmson, and D. P. Wojtowicz

Department of Atmospheric Sciences

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

January 11, 2000

Motivation

Teacher-centered student-centered learning.

Encourage students to become more involved in the learning process – creating a positive learning environment.

Challenge Develop constructivist environments to get the student to not only comprehend the what, where, and when of a topic, but also ask how and why.

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Interactive Learning Environment

Integrate interactive modeling and visualization tools into curriculum

Permit students to discover relationships on their own

Compel students to ask why Engage both comprehensive and

analytical thought – much like a real scientist Role Playing

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Why Java & Java3D?

Means to include non-trivial interactive elements

Computations performed on local machine – reducing server demand

Write once, run everywhere Object sharing 3-D visualization environment

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Java3D

Offers 3D visualization environments to Java programming language

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Interdisciplinary Example

Ekman Layer Winds Interactive Grasp 3D concepts Model reacts to

input Questions help with

student analysis On the web

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/guides/mtr/fw/bndy.rxml (not 3D)

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Extensions / Activities

Extensions Ocean Pressure gradient force Surface and Geostrophic wind Combined 3D atmosphere/ocean view

Activities Goal-Oriented (instructor / self led) Discovery-Oriented (self discovery)

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Other Multidisciplinary Examples

Convection Atmosphere Ocean Mantle

Currents Atmosphere Ocean

Land/Sea Breezes Kinetic Gas Theory

Topics general tomultiple ESS

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Why such topics?

Building Block to many more advanced levels of understanding

Benefits from interactive elements Difficult to explain in static textbook Already being done (Iowa St., U. of

Wisconsin) more needed esp. in lower level ideas

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Framework / Implementation

Framework Supplement interactive modeling with

curricula and activities Allow students to discover relationships

Implementation Initially on existing framework (WW2010) Ultimately on new framework geared to

allow students to ‘do science’ (Virtual Exploratorium – Pandya et al., 2000)

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Concluding Remarks

Compelling the student to ask why fosters analytical, more scientific thought

Interactivity enables for learning by doing A consistent framework of content and

inquiries are as important (if not more) than the interactive elements themselves

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Acknowledgements

This project is funded in part by National Science Foundation Division of

Undergraduate Education Grant #DUE-9972491 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Education Technology Board Grant entitled "Interactive Simulations to Aid Student-Centered Learning in Introductory Courses"