Many scientific principles are dynamic in nature but are commonly presented through static two-dimensional media such as textbooks and blackboards, leaving the students to make the connection between the two. In several science courses we are experimenting with the use of 3D animations to increase the students' understanding of these concepts. Early indications are that the students using these techniques have developed a much greater understanding of the concepts. With funds from this grant, we will expand the number of courses that use this approach and develop this method further by using immersion and virtual reality. We will accomplish this by bringing together students and faculty from different disciplines to the Center for Arts and Technology at Connecticut College to research, design, and implement new learning modules. These modules will present scientific concepts in a 3D, immersive environment for use in the classroom. Specific subjects for which we will develop modules include human physiology, graph theory, introductory physics, organic chemistry and biochemistry, cell biology, and math and science education in elementary schools. Created by cross-disciplinary student and faculty teams, these modules will be developed with sophisticated graphics and clear information design in an innovative visual context. Each module will be presented in three forms: immersion in a virtual reality environment, a CD-ROM for a UNIX workstation, and a 3D Web version. We will test the pedagogical effectiveness of these modules in the classes for which they have been developed, and then disseminate them to the wider educational community.
