King’s CRYSTAL Center for Visualization in Science Geowall and Beyond…

A Brief Word from our Sponsor… The following is a collaboration between the Visualization Center for Science Education at The King’s University College and The CRYSTAL-Alberta project. Hence forth … The King’s Crystal Center for for Visualization in Science Visualization in Science

The Plan… GEOWALL – a quick tour of the technology and 3 examples of it in use The King’s Crystal Center for Visualization in Science –Past –Present –Future

Welcome to GEOWALL! GEOWALL in use during lecture at the Gordon Research Conference in Visualization in Science July 2005, Oxford UK

I. Geowall – Technical Considerations Uses 2-matched DLP projectors (“left” & “right”) each outputting a plane polarized image rotated 90 0 wrt the other. Screen is “daylite” type – polarization preserving Eyeglasses “decode” left and right eye information – your brain does the rest!

Geowall – Technical Considerations Left-channel imageRight-channel image Left channel image is projected through the left channel DLP projector and is plane- polarized as shown Right channel image is projected through the right channel DLP projector and is plane- polarized as shown

Geowall – Technical Considerations Projectors are stacked vertically with 3 rotational and translational degrees-of- freedom Computer should be equipped with a video board capable of running 2 monitors Passive stereo – image “stacking” Crude alignment can be achieved using separate monitor windows from each projector

Geowall – Technical Considerations Left and Right channel polaroids are placed in front of the lens – avoid touching the lenses as conducted heat will quickly (< 1 hour) degrade filters Final alignment achieved by using stereoviewer and the Geowall alignment image Not quite!BetterGood (not perfect)! Congratulations – you are ready for stereo projection! for stereo projection!

More on Creating Stereo Images Digital Camera –Two images contain all of the stereo information needed for your brain to produce a stereo pair Translate camera L to R

More on Creating Stereo Images 3D Image rendering software –Blender – freeware (outstanding package but steep learning curve) –Bryce (more accessible but not free) Either offset “camera” or scene and render both L and R channel images.

III. Free Software that Supports Stereo Projection Chemistry/Biology: –JMOL –Pymol –VMD –Protein Explorer Physics/Astronomy –VPython –Astrowall suite –Wallview

GEOWALL – 3 examples Looking a CRYSTAL Structure (VMD) Visualizing Hoffmann Structures (VMD) Visualizing the magnetic field in a solenoid (VPYTHON)

Past –MAP project –Gordon Research Conferences –Applet Development with/for Alberta Learning The King’s Crystal Center for Visualization in Science

Present –NSF Global Climate Change (Mahaffy, Stief, Geelan, Simmon, Martin) –CRYSTAL Visualizing the Unseen Grade 5 science: visualizing Carbon Dioxide as it applies to climate and chemistry (Gustafson, McDougal at al) Applying GEOWALL to visualizing chemical structures (Mahaffy, Martin, Vederas, et al) Visualizing subatomic phenomena (Martin, Brouwer, Visser et al) –CRYSTAL Global Climate Change Science 10: Energy Flow in Global Systems (Geelan et al) –CRYSTAL Visualization: State of the Art Review (Philips et al) The King’s Crystal Center for Visualization in Science

Future –Provide an ongoing resource for CRYSTAL projects Expertise in: HyperChem, FLASH/ActionScript, JAVA, BRYCE, QuickTimeVR, GEOWALL, etc Access to programmers and visualization specialists Quick prototyping and “proof of concept” The King’s Crystal Center for Visualization in Science

What is MAP? A six-year project involving collaboration of 3 post- secondary institutions in the province of Alberta (King’s University College, U. of Calgary, U. of Alberta) as well as the Ministry of Education for the Province of Alberta. MAP provided high quality learning, WWW- deliverable objects for the teaching of the first 3 terms of university level Physics and scalable to meet the needs of most high school curricula

Project MAP Executive Directors: David Austen, Wytze Brouwer, Hans Laue, Brian Martin Project Associates: Terry Singleton, Peter Wright Programmers (MAP_North): –Nathan Laan, Dave Ooms, Phil Martin, Peter Uitvlught, Rob McQuarrie, Tyler Luchko, Mike Schuurman, Brian Martin FLASH: Travis Whyte, Leah Martin Content: Leah Martin, Nicole Albert, Melody Russel, Brian Martin So who are we?...

A closer look at MAP Highly modularized collection of “learning objects” including: –over 150 applets and applications (some current applets)(Jeremy Walton version) (some current applets)Jeremy Walton version –extensive FLASH animation library –Video and Lab interfacing via JAVA applications –student tutorial modules –extensive interactive questions with attention paid to conceptual questions as well as numeric response Objects can be stand-alone or embedded within user designed navigation tools

Some terms… Learning object: a small, concept focused content item (applet, Flash animation, QT movie etc) Applet: small program created in JAVA and intended to be transmitted via the web Application: stand-alone program in JAVA to be installed and run locally on a user’s machine

MAP is built on a constructivist learning model and all learning objects are designed to encourage (demand?) student interactivityconstructivist Concept focused Tutorial modules are usually designed to involve a pair of students in conversation but can run “solo” Pedagogic Design and Philosophy

Address pre-conceptions Augment student experience Bridge the transition from conceptual to quantitative Aid in the visualization of complex phenomena Classifying Applets by Function

they are designed to address a well-known preconception (i.e. one identified in the research literature) they are entirely qualitative in both “input” and “output” they allow the student to draw directly on the applet the expected outcome and then to compare this with the “correct” result simulated by the computer the applets are designed to be attractive and “non- intimidating” Designing Applets which Address Pre-conceptions

Conceptual Applets...

2-Dimensional Motion (vectoral nature of acceleration and velocity) Encourages “interaction” or play with the ideas of velocity and acceleration Applets that augment student experience... "This gadget really helps visualize it!" "I can see it happening." "It was nice to see the ball moving so we can picture the skateboarder or whatever we are looking at" "… good assignment …" "The assignment was good, but it would be better if it did not take 10 minutes to get into the program. I could probably do it from home much faster" "It would have been okay, except for the problems with the computer" "This program is interesting, but not for a very long time" "I thought learning this way was extremely difficult and hard to understand. I prefer note taking and chances to ask you questions when they arise." "I'm not good with the computer - too slow of a connection" "This was awesome and fun"

Circuit Builder Applets that Bridge the Transition from Conceptual to Quantitative

The Incline Visualization of force vectors Graphical visualization tools Can stimulate “what if…” questions Applets that Bridge the Transition from Conceptual to Quantitative

Man on the Ladder Applets that Bridge the Transition from Conceptual to Quantitative

Atwood’s Pulley Applets that Bridge the Transition from Conceptual to Quantitative

Sonic Booms Applets that Help the Student Visualize Complex Phenomena

Car on a banked roadway Applets that Help the Student Visualize Complex Phenomena

Ripple Tank Applets that Help the Student Visualize Complex Phenomena

Slit-Diffraction Applets that Help the Student Visualize Complex Phenomena

Thin Film Interference Applets that Help the Student Visualize Complex Phenomena

Efficacy of MAP materials in improving conceptual understanding and affecting attitude was the principal burden of Dr Guoqiang Zhou’s doctoral work (2001) in The Department of Secondary Education, University of Alberta Currently 2 graduate students are studying the problem of teacher implementation of MAP and student “receptivity” to MAP Force Concept Inventory Test or FCI (Hestenes et al 1992, Mazur, 1997) has been administered to 7 first year classes at the U. Alberta (n = 600) divided as 4 control groups and 3 treatment groups. All three treatment groups demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in performance on FCI post-tests compared to their control group counterparts. Does MAP Work?

Teacher training is essential! MAP materials do not appear to be effective in changing student attitudes about physics as a discipline. Does MAP Work?

Applets incorporating Video and Simulation Further Development of VideoLab VideoLab Extensive teacher in- servicing.in- servicing. Participation in a cross- cultural study Develop a national (Canadian) centre New Directions for MAP

Applets run under JAVA 1.4.n- Sun Plugin (PC, LINUX) or OS X (Mac) Require JMF (PC and LINUX only) for VideoLab Applet design makes extensive use of libraries (approx. 1 Meg initial download, individual applets typically 50K K) Applets are signed using THAWTE certificates and can access required peripherals (printers, files etc) Technical Info...

Successful science teaching must develop strategies and tools that acknowledge the existence of powerful, preexistent frameworks of ideas which students bring to bear on the ideas that we teach Constructivist teaching provides students with sufficient experiences to interact with their held beliefs and to enable students to construct their own understandings of concepts and ideas. Basic Constructivist Tenets

Visualization at The King’s University College Peter Mahaffy Brian Martin

Visualization is an integral part of learning: Seeing and perception Seeing in the “Minds Eye” Visualization as metaphor for perceiving Visualization plays a critical role in understanding – both the understanding of the student as well as the understanding of the researcher Use of visualizations at King’s plays a vital role in our work with science students… BUT!...

The Myth of Visualization as “Seeing is Believing” A Simple Task… –Watch the white team and count the exact number of times the white team passes the ball back and forth

The King’s Center for Visualization in Science (KCVS) Explore ways in which visualization (not just computer based) can be used to enhance understanding: –Among students –Among researchers Explore ways to implement visualizations into teaching at both secondary and post secondary levels To work within international communities of scholars researching topics related to visualization

KCVS: Past, Present, Future Modular Approach to Physics Project (MAP) 1997 – 2004 Gordon Research Conferences Centres for Research in Youth, Science Teaching and Learning - CRYSTALS

King’s, KCVS and CRYSTALS 5 year, 200K/a, Mahaffy (co-PI), Martin (management team &co-PI) Project involves U of A, King’s, 3 other post-secondaries, Edmonton Schools, Telus World of Science and others Current projects KCVS will play a role in: –Visualizing Global Climate Change (with NSF) –Ethical Use of Chemicals (with IUPAC)

Car on a banked roadway Applets that Help the Student Visualize Complex Phenomena

Visualizing the World Too Small To See: Small Matters Christina deMatteis, University of Nottingham

The Importance of Multiple Representations at the Molecular Level Roy Tasker, Univ. Western Sydney Models in Chemistry “The most powerful thing you can do when you’re learning chemistry is to zoom down, in your mind’s eye, to the molecular level and try to imagine what is going on and in a sense, try to understand the personalities of the reactants and products… Having each type of model show a different aspect is ideal. Because then students don’t look at a particular model and say: that’s reality.”

"Since garlic hath powers to save from death, bear with it though it makes unsavory breath" Robert of Normandy, 1100 AD Literature Reports Allium sativum Broad spectrum antibacterial activity, including Helicobacter pylori Antifungal activity Antiviral activity Normalization of plasma lipid levels Stimulates lymphocytes and elicits anti-tumor effects Anti-hypertensive effects Bacillus anthracis inhibition?

2D TLC of dichloromethane garlic extract Several compounds inhibit Bacillus subtilis growth 1 st Dimension – Less Polar Solvent 2 nd Dimension–More Polar Solvent Initial Spot

Allicin Bioactive Compound: Allicin E. Block.Agnew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1992, 31,

Mode of Action of Allicin   Interferes with microbial cellular function DNA & RNA synthesis Signal transduction & apoptosis   Blocks the active site on sulfhydryl enzymes

Investigative laboratories For majors and non-majors

Gordon Research Conference on Visualization in Science & Education, Oxford, July 2005 Mahaffy (Chair) Martin (Workshop Leader) Flowing water in SE Jordan NASA Satellite Image

 New emphases  Visualization in nanotechnology  Best practices in production and dissemination of educational visualizations  Visualization in genomics and systems biology  Computer graphics / cognitive science interface  Visualization for public understanding of science  Physical models and touch in forming mental models  Geo-Wall 3D visualization applied to other disciplines