Exploring Earth's Volcanic Environments: Development of Virtual Reality Education Modules

地质（42）目前正在开发一种新的基于网络的虚拟实地考察（VFT），研究火山环境，利用探究式的练习，让学生观察火山喷发活动，进行实地观察，并对火山过程提出假设。该模块使用火山喷发活动的视频片段和虚拟现实全景图像，使学生能够在类似于真实地质实地考察的沉浸式环境中探索火山地形。VFT活动以公元79年意大利维苏威火山喷发为中心。由于古罗马城市庞贝和赫库兰尼姆被埋葬，这次火山喷发为学生们提供了一个独特的机会，让他们了解火山喷发的巨大力量及其对人类的影响。学生们可以观看让人想起公元79年火山喷发的画面，观察火山喷发的影响，然后参观被挖掘出来的庞贝和赫库兰尼姆城市，对它们是如何被火山喷发掩埋的进行假设。这个项目的智力价值在于将PI团队在美国国家科学基金会支持的火山学研究中积累的丰富经验所开发的科学内容带到课堂上，为那些没有机会获得这种实地经验的学生提供帮助。除了教育方面的好处，这项工作更广泛的影响在于它的发展计划，它将与罗德岛大学的学生技术援助计划协调进行。本科生和研究生都将参与这个VFT的概念设计、实施和逐步的现场测试。

Geology (42) A new Web-based virtual fieldtrip (VFT) dealing with volcanic environments is being developed that utilizes inquiry-based exercises to allow students to observe eruptive activity, make field observations, and formulate hypotheses about volcanic processes. The module uses video segments of eruptive activity and virtual reality panoramic images that enable students to explore volcanic terrains in an immersion environment similar to a real geological fieldtrip. The VFT activities are centered on the 79 A.D. eruption of Vesuvius in Italy. As a result of the burial of the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, this eruption provides a unique opportunity for students to understand the great power of volcanic eruptions and their impact on human populations. Students can observe eruption footage that is reminiscent of the 79 A.D. event, make observations about eruption impacts, and then visit the excavated cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum to build hypotheses about how each were buried by the eruption. The intellectual merit of this project lies in bringing scientific content developed through the PI team's extensive experience in NSF-supported volcanological research into the classroom for students who do not have access to such field-based experiences. Beyond the educational benefits, the broader impacts of this work lie in its development plan, which will occur in coordination with the Student Technology Assistance program at the University of Rhode Island. Both undergraduate and graduate students will be involved in conceptual design, implementation, and progressive field-testing of this VFT.