An abstract submitted to the International Conference on Mathematics/Science Education &Technology, March 1-4, 1999, San Antonio, TX.

A VIRTUAL WORLD FOR
EARTH SCIENCE EDUCATION
IN SECONDARY AND POST-
SECONDARY ENVIRONMENTS:
THE GEOLOGY EXPLORER

Donald P. Schwert
Department of Geosciences
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND 58105-5517
U.S.A.
www.ndsu.nodak.edu/geosci 		Brian M. Slator
Department of Computer Science
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND 58105-5405
U.S.A.
www.cs.ndsu.nodak.edu 		Bernhardt Saini-Eidukat
Department of Geosciences
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND 58105-5517
U.S.A.
www.ndsu.nodak.edu/geosci

Project Page: www.cs.ndsu.nodak.edu/~slator/html/PLANET/

ABSTRACT

The Geology Explorer is an educational research project that implements a virtual world for geologic exploration. Planet Oit is a synthetic, multi-user space where students "land" and practice being geologists in a role-based 'learn by doing' environment. Working individually, or with each other, students learn fundamental concepts of geology and strategies for for deductive problem solving through their experiences in the exploratory environment. This pedagogical approach gives students an authentic experience that includes elements of practical, field-oriented expedition planning and decision making, while introducing them to discipline content. By practical applications of the scientific method, students learn how to think, act, and react as geologists. Unintrusive but proactive software agents act as tutors, monitoring students' actions and "visiting" the students as the need arises. A scoring system allows students to compete with each other and themselves. Development of the Geology Explorer is aimed for applications in the geology/earth science classroom at both the secondary and post-secondary level.

The Geology Explorer is currently implemented as a text-based environment (a graphical interface is under development). The world, itself, is Planet Oit: a mythical planet whose orbit is the same as that of Earth but on the opposite side of the Sun. Planet Oit is being designed to emulate the geologic features and processes of Earth. Thus students are able to make rock/mineral identifications and measure Earth-like processes in a variety of environments ranging from tropical coastlines to volcanic terrains to glaciated peaks. Upon landing on Planet Oit, each student is given a geoscientific goal. To achieve their goal (and therefore earn points), the student must address a multitude of tasks identical to those faced daily by field geologists. These include the selection and use of the correct field tools, navigation across the planet to the correct region, and interpretation of the tests that the student applies to the problem. As each goal is satisfactorily completed, the student is automatically assigned new goals requiring progressively higher levels of expertise and decision-making.

Achieving each goal requires that the student make use of resources available both on the planet and in the software. Geologic tools, presented virtually, can be pre-selected by the student and then applied on the planet in operations identical to the use of real field instruments. A museum of rocks and minerals is available at the landing site for use as a standard reference collection. Coordination of navigation on the planet is made possible by using directions relative to Earth-like geographic poles. A thorough help database can be accessed by the student at any time of need. Tutors "visit" to present advice on equipment choices, navigation, and scientific conclusions; the tutors neither mandate or insist on student actions nor do they block or prevent student actions. The multi-user domain (MUD) simulation on which the planet is established allows students to interact directly with one another on the planet, providing advice to one another or even working together to achieve particular goals; because the MUD is internet-based, students from separate and distant workstations can therefore simultaneously interact with the planet and with one another.

The text-based version of the Geology Explorer is currently being implemented in a large-section (>400 students) section of college physical geology. In such an environment, it is impractical for the instructor to take all of the students into the field and have them individually experience how a geologist makes on-site observations and decisions. The Geology Explorer, however, allows the students to experience these in a synthetic environment where each student acts as a geologist and addresses a series of plausible geologic situations.

Assessment of student learning is being measured using open-ended scenarios. These represent engaging short stories that present a geologic problem. Students provide their analysis of problem in a short paragraph, which is then evaluated using pre-set criteria. A control group of students completes a worldwide web exercise of tasks equivalent in time and energy. Pre- and post-experiment essays for both groups are evaluated for correctness of scientific reasoning.

The Geology Explorer is an attempt by geoscience educators to develop educational tools and methods that deliver the principles but also teach important content information in a meaningful way to earth science students. As the need for computer-based education and distance learning systems becomes increasingly obvious, the value of such "active" verus "passive" learning becomes increasingly clear. Virtual classrooms and virtual laboratories help solve many of the problems faced in secondary and post-secondary education: distance learning becomes a reality, learner diversity is accommodated (both in terms of learning styles and life styles), and in many cases the curriculum becomes more active, more role-based, more self-paced, and more "learn by doing" than "learn by listening."

Development of the Geology Explorer is funded by the National Science Foundation under grants DUE-9752548 and EAR-9809761. For further information on virtual worlds software development at North Dakota State University, visit the NDSU WWWIC web site. The authors acknowledge the large team of dedicated undergraduate and graduate students in the computer and earth sciences who have made this project so successful.  © 1998 World Wide Web Instructional Committee.