The project is developing, implementing, and assessing an advanced interactive landform simulator that engages undergraduate students in game-like guided inquiry of the interactions between river and hillslope processes and landscape formation. It is building on the prior successful WILSIM project at Northern Illinois University, with major upgrades including 1) a shift from cellular automata to a physically based model, 2) design-based and pedagogical improvements to the GUI and output formats, and 3) a shift from hypothetical to "real-world" landscapes, specifically the evolution of the Grand Canyon over the past 10 million years. Curriculum development and testing are targeting introductory students at four-year institutions and at community colleges, and are being performed in collaboration with the College of Lake County (IL).
The landform simulator is enhancing student learning about both landform processes and approaches to numerical modeling in the geosciences. The web-based nature of the simulator allows ready adoption of the approach across institutions, and curricular materials are being actively disseminated through web portals, conferences and professional organizations. The project is also incorporating active plans for engagement of students from groups underrepresented in geoscience courses and careers.
