HR: 1330h
AN: ED32C-1216    [PDF]
TI: The Visual Geophysical Exploration Environment: A Multi-dimensional Scientific Visualization
AU: * Pandya, R E
EM: pandya@ucar.edu
AF: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), DLESE Program Center PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 United States
AU: Domenico, B
EM: ben@ucar.edu
AF: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), Unidata Program Center PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 United States
AU: Murray, D
EM: dmurray@ucar.edu
AF: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), Unidata Program Center PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 United States
AU: Marlino, M R
EM: marlino@ucar.edu
AF: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), DLESE Program Center PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 United States
AB: The Visual Geophysical Exploration Environment (VGEE) is an online learning environment designed to help undergraduate students understand fundamental Earth system science concepts. The guiding principle of the VGEE is the importance of hands-on interaction with scientific visualization and data. The VGEE consists of four elements: 1) an online, inquiry-based curriculum for guiding student exploration; 2) a suite of El Nino-related data sets adapted for student use; 3) a learner-centered interface to a scientific visualization tool; and 4) a set of concept models (interactive tools that help students understand fundamental scientific concepts). There are two key innovations featured in this interactive poster session. One is the integration of concept models and the visualization tool. Concept models are simple, interactive, Java-based illustrations of fundamental physical principles. We developed eight concept models and integrated them into the visualization tool to enable students to probe data. The ability to probe data using a concept model addresses the common problem of transfer: the difficulty students have in applying theoretical knowledge to everyday phenomenon. The other innovation is a visualization environment and data that are discoverable in digital libraries, and installed, configured, and used for investigations over the web. By collaborating with the Integrated Data Viewer developers, we were able to embed a web-launchable visualization tool and access to distributed data sets into the online curricula. The Thematic Real-time Environmental Data Distributed Services (THREDDS) project is working to provide catalogs of datasets that can be used in new VGEE curricula under development. By cataloging this curricula in the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE), learners and educators can discover the data and visualization tool within a framework that guides their use.
UR: http://www.dpc.ucar.edu/vgee/index.htm
DE: 6605 Education
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting