The Virtual Cell Project

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The Virtual Cell Project
Phillip McClean Alan White Brian Slator
North Dakota State University
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Educational Role-playing GamesLearning-by-doing
Experiences

• MultiUser
• Exploration
• Spatially-oriented virtual worlds
• Practical planning and decision making

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Educational Role-playing GamesLearning-by-doing
Experiences

• Problem solving
• Scientific method
• Real-world content
• Mature thinking

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Advantages of Virtual Worlds

• Collapse virtual time and distance
• Allow physical or practical impossibilities
• Participate from anywhere
• Interact with other users, virtual artifacts,
  and software agents
• Multi-user collaborations and competitive play

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Technical Approaches

• Networked, internet-based, client-server
• MultiPlayer
• Simulation-based
• Implemented in Java applets

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The VCell VRML Worlds The Cell The Laboratory
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The Virtual Cell
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The Laboratory
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• Details of the VCell
• Interface
• Game Play

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VCell Login
Use VCell login box to connect to the cell
The VCell VRML file will load in the Client
Window.
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VCell Instructions
Reference information about organelles, etc. is
available here.
Goals for each level are listed here
Instructions from Lab Guy
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Transporting from One Place to Another
Click on the Lab Guy icon to move between the
Laboratory and the VCell.
The Do It Box gives you choices for
destinations. For example, this selection will
send you to the VCell for your next set of
experiments.
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Performing Experiments
Fly around organelles and perform experiments
Choose actions here
Choose assays here
Experimental Results
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Deduction of Organelle Identity
Choose Identify action here
Choose organelle to identify here
Successful identification based on experimental
results
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Achieving Another Goal
Information for new goal
New Action and Assay
Experimental Results
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Completing Another Goal
Updated Goals
Success again!
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Guessing Not Allowed
Appropriate experiments required for
identification.
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All Goals Completed
Directions for proceeding to the next level
given.
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ETC Exercise Instruction Window
You arrive in the Lab. Click on the Lab Guy to
receive your next instructions.
Lab Guy welcomes you back and gives you your
next assignment
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Mitochondrial Function Electron Transport Chain
Animation
ETC Membrane Complexes
Molecules in motion
Molecule Key
http//www.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsu/abergstr/vcell/rox/
july27/600p4c.wrl
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Chloroplast Function Work in Progress
User in Sub shoots photons to activate
photosynthesis
Photosystem Complexes
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Assessment

• Not multiple choice recall
• Content specific
• Problem solving, hypothesis formation, deductive
  reasoning

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Assessment by Scenarios

• Assess computer literacy
• PreTest Present scenario, students propose
  course of action or solution
• Engage in learning experience Control vs
  Virtual
• PostTest Present similar scenario, student
  response
• Analysis of assessment data

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Current Implementation NDSU General Biology
Class 600 students total 300 control
students 150 alternative (WWW based, but not
VCell) students 150 VCell
students