Three-Dimensional Visualization in Undergraduate Earth Science Courses

为本科生提供对地球地质演化的深刻理解，需要他们在三维空间中进行可视化。地质观测本质上是三维的，但我们教学生使用二维的教学材料。再加上地球上观察到的自然特征可能是数十亿年来三维过程的产物，因此，大多数非科学本科专业的学生在离开本科地球科学课程时，对塑造地球物理特征的过程，其资源和全球环境的了解很少，这并不奇怪。 本项目的目标是制作各种基于计算机的三维可视化产品，以解决非科学专业的学习风格与地球科学等高度可视化领域之间的不兼容性。将开发两种类型的3D可视化产品：1）由用户操纵的虚拟现实飞行和景观视图，具有覆盖在真实的世界景观上的地质、卫星、年龄和地球物理信息，以及2）表示地下地质结构的真实3D模型，说明这些结构如何与陆地表面相交，以产生地球上观察到的特征。这种模型的动画，以显示通过地质时间的变化，将是一个重要的组成部分。在这两种情况下，这些产品都将展示地质特征的真实例子，从全球范围到详细的区域;在后一种情况下，美国的国家公园通常会被用作例子。 一些产品将包括虚拟现实，交互式多媒体“教程”供学生使用，但该计划的主要部分将涉及小组学习环境，其中原材料（数据，界面模板，指令）将允许学生制作自己的虚拟现实课程。学习风格各异的学生可以为这些项目做出自己独特的贡献。最终目标是为非科学专业的学生提供引人入胜的科学体验。 除了在本科教学中使用外，预计这些产品还将被国家公园的游客中心以及对国家公园感兴趣的个人使用。

Providing undergraduate students with a deep appreciation of the geological evolution of the Earth requires that they visualize in three dimensions. Geological observations are intrinsically three dimensional, and yet we teach students using two dimensional instructional materials. Add to this the fact that the natural features observed in the Earth are the products of perhaps billions of years of processes that have occurred in three dimensions, and it is not surprising that the majority of non-science undergraduate majors leave undergraduate Earth science courses with a poor understanding of the processes that have shaped the physical features of the Earth, its resources, and its global environment. Objectives of this project are to produce a variety of computer-based three dimensional visualization products to address incompatibility between learning styles of the non-science major and a highly visual field such as Earth science. Two types of 3D visualization products will be developed: 1) virtual reality fly-bys and landscape views that are manipulated by the user, featuring geologic, satellite, age, and geophysical information which are overlain on real world landscapes, and 2) true 3D models that represent the subsurface geologic structures, illustrating how these structures intersect the land surface to produce the observed features on the Earth. Animation of such models, to show changes through geologic time, will be an important component. In both cases, these products will feature real-world examples of geologic features, from the global scale to detailed regions; in the later cases, National Parks in the U.S.A. will often be used as examples. Some of the products will consist of virtual reality, interactive multimedia "tutorials" for student's use, but a major part of this program will involve Group Learning environments where raw materials (data, interface templates, instruction) will allow students to produce their own virtual reality lessons. Students of widely varying learning styles can each make their own unique contributions to such projects. The ultimate goal is to provide the student who is a non-science major an engaging science experience. In addition to use in undergraduate instruction, it is anticipated that these products will also be used by the National Parks in their Visitor Centers, and by individuals with interest in the National Parks.