VSS: Virtual Solar System

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VSS Virtual Solar System

• Dr. Sasha Barab Indiana University
• Dr. Kenneth E. Hay University of Georgia
• Michael Barnett??Indiana University

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Need for the course

• Lecture format not effective (Tobin 1988, Carr
  1997, Solomon 1983)
• Alternative conceptions
• Resistant to extinction by conventional teaching
  strategies
• Instructors often subscribe to same alternative
  conceptions as students
• Students have difficulty learning science
  concepts
• Parallel previous explanations
• Alternative conceptions become hybridized
• Concepts learned didactically are impoverished

3
Need for VSS course

• Computational Modeling Emergence
• The scientific process has been described as the
  process of constructing models for their
  predictive and conceptual value (Gilbert, 1991).
  
• New technologies allow enactment and
  visualization of basic concepts (Mclellan, 1996
  Sabelli, 1994)
• Development of Technology-Rich, Inquiry Based
  Participatory Learning Environments

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Technology-Rich, Inquiry Based Participatory
Learning Environments

• Hands-on activities (Dewey, 1938)
• Project-based learning (Koschman, 1996)
• Collaborative learning (Savery Duffy, 1995)
• Constuctionism (Papert, 1994)
• Grounded Understandings (Barab, Duffy, Hay,
  1998)
• Teacher as Facilitator (Barab, et al., Vygotsky,
  1978)

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Research Questions

• Whether students taking the VSS course show
  conceptual growth in understanding astronomy
  concepts
• What tools, resources and artifacts do students
  use?
• What is the role of the instructor?

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The VSS Course

• Spring and Summer 1998, Spring 1999
• 15 students
• Non lecture-based course
• Participatory based
• Work collaboratively
• Construct models of the solar system
• Using Virtual Reality Software
• Answer questions of the solar system
• Explore models in IUs CAVE

7
Course Construction

• Goals
• support students working in groups to carry out
  computational scientific inquiry using VR models
• same content as traditional astronomy content
• foster student conceptual growth in learning
  astronomical concepts

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Computational Science Inquiry Cycle
Questioning Collecting Fundamental Facts Enacting
Facts into a model Addressing the Initial
Question Presenting the Results
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Course Construction

• Centered around three modeling projects
• Celestial Sphere
• Earth-Moon-Sun
• Entire Solar Systems
• Four concluding activities
• Presentation in class and the CAVE
• Group compare/contrast paper
• Individual compare/contrast paper

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Methodology

• Naturalistic Inquiry
• Design Experiments (Brown, 1992)
• introduce innovations and examine how these
  innovations impact learning
• iterate findings into next course
• Direct Observations and Field notes
• Pre and post interviews

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Results

• VSS students developed robust understandings of
  many astronomy concepts
• VSS students used their models as conceptual
  tools to articulate their understands
• Changing frame of reference
• Spatial concepts
• Relative Scale no improvement

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Student Learning

• How does a lunar eclipse occur
• Pre InterviewThe Sun is in front of the Sun in
  such a way that the Earth blocks the Sun and the
  Moon. I think that is correct. (trying to
  position spheres in right order)
• Post InterviewFor a lunar eclipse the Earth, Sun
  and Moon is completely aligned, which means it
  matches with the line of nodes which is where the
  Moons orbital plane and the ecliptic intersect
  each other. For a full moon the tilt of the
  moons orbit causes it to be higher or lower so
  that the sun lights can hit it.

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Learning Interactions

• Important conceptual astronomical tools diffuse
  through the class

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Student Models Eclipse
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Student Models Line of Nodes
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Underway Future

• Two VSS courses (35 students)
• Use same exams as traditional class
• Affective measures (SE, dispersion of knowledge)
• Pre-Post interviews (expanded thought
  experiments)
• 30 traditional students (summer classes)
• All VSS students
• NSF grant to scale up to n 200

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Questions?