Tectonica Interactive: A Guided Interactive Hypermedia Tutoring System For Plate Tectonics

我们社会面临的许多关键问题，包括有限的资源、全球气候和环境变化以及自然灾害，只能通过领导层和掌握相关基本科学概念的人群来解决，所有这些问题都以综合和跨学科的方式在地质学中得到解决。然而，地质教育远没有达到应有的水平。在这个技术日益成熟，信息迅速发展，需要更多的全球意识的时代，需要创新的方法来教授地质学。我们建议开发一个基于计算机的勘探和学习系统，将重点放在板块构造，地质学的统一范式。PI包括一位有出版交互式地质学多媒体软件经验的地质学家，以及一位有开发智能教程经验的计算机科学家。这个系统，我们称之为“构造互动”（TI），将包括自适应（“智能”）教程，引导超媒体探索，交互式模拟，视觉丰富的动画，图形和3-D动画。节目内容将有两个主要视角：地点和现象。地点是实际的地理位置，而现象是地质原理、过程和概念模型。TI的超链接和导航指导将使学生更容易探索与地点相关的现象，以及体现现象的地点。将提供几种学习模式，从更直接的教程到学生控制的探索。因为我们存储了一个学生进步和掌握的模型，这个程序将能够适应不同层次的用户，从中学地球科学学生到大学入门课程的学生，并根据提示、解释等做出智能决策。评价工作将在一些大学和高中地点进行，软件将通过CD-ROM和万维网分发。我们预计TI将与文本一起被教科书出版商收录。

Many of the critical problems facing our society, including limited resources, global climate and environmental change, and natural disasters, can only be addressed by leadership and a population that has a good grasp of the fundamental scientific concepts involved, all of which are addressed in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner in geology. Yet geology education is far from what it should be. In this age of increasing technological sophistication, rapidly evolving information, and the need for more global awareness, innovative approaches to teaching geology are needed. We propose to develop a computer-based exploration and learning system which will focus on plate tectonics, the uniting paradigm of geology. The PI's include a geologist with experience publishing interactive multimedia software for geology, and a computer scientist with experience developing intelligent tutorials. The system, which we call "Tectonica Interactive" (TI), will include adaptive ("intelligent") tutorials, guided hypermedia exploration, interactive simulations, and visually rich animations, graphics, and 3-D animation. The content in the program will have two primary per- spectives: locations and phenomena. Locations are actual geographic locations, and Phenomena are geologic principles, processes, and conceptual models. TI's hyperlinks and navigation guid- ance will make it easy for students to explore phenomena associated with a location, and locations which exemplify phenomena. Several learning modes will be available, ranging from more directed tutorials to student-controlled exploration. Because we store a model of student progress and mastery, the program will be able to accommodate users at many levels, from intermediate school earth science students through those in introductory college-level courses, and make intelli- gent decisions regarding hints, explanations, etc. Evaluation will occur at a number of university and high school sites, and distribution of the software will be by CD-ROM and the Worl d Wide Web. We anticipate that TI will be included by textbook publishers along uith the text.