Interactive GEOWALL Visualization Modules for Introductory Geology Case Study

Nigel Wattrus and Howard Mooers, associate professors in the Department of Geological Sciences on the Duluth campus, are developing Geowall stereo projection instructional modules for use on a pilot basis in GEOL 1110, a large-enrollment introductory geology course.

Instructional Goals

Geology instructors traditionally use two-dimensional (2D) representations such as maps and figures to teach students about 3D space and 4D space-plus-time concepts. However, many students find it difficult to visualize the real world from these 2D representations. According to their 2002 TEL Grant Program project proposal (PDF), the investigators hope to help GEOL 1110 students "develop a better understanding of the 3 and 4D concepts presented to them" and to improve their test scores. They also plan to evaluate the effectiveness of this technology as a teaching tool and to mentor other instructors in the department who want to use it in other geology courses.

Technology Strategies

The Geowall is a stereo projection system with which users can represent three- and four-dimensional (3D and 4D) space. It is like a Victorian stereo-opticon that enables each user to see a slightly different view of an object with each eye. The University of Minnesota, Duluth is a member of the Geowall Consortium, a national consortium of institutions developing Geowall classroom technology and teaching modules, and the Department of Geological Sciences has purchased a Geowall system that the investigators want to use in the GEOL 1110 class.

A Geowall system can be assembled for less than $10,000 with the following off-the-shelf hardware components and any software application that "supports side-by-side stereo" (according to the Geowall Consortium's Geowall Software List and Geowall Hardware List pages):

"a [personal or Macintosh computer] with a decent dual-head graphics card,
two [digital light processing] (DLP) projectors,
polarizing filters with matching glasses, and
a screen that preserves polarization."

Users wear special glasses to view the representations. For this project, the investigators will use the Geowall to illustrate concepts in class and to develop laboratory modules. The modules will be

drawn from local examples;
based on tools developed by the Geowall Consortium;
constructed from the IRIS Explorer toolkit supplemented by lower-level programming language components developed on the Duluth campus; and
Web-linked to enable students to download and use data available online.

The students will use the system and modules to complete tasks such as the following:

preview or review North Shore field trip scenes;
test their comprehension of related geological concepts;
view formations that cannot be seen on the actual field trip but can be represented with the Geowall, such as an incised channel that indicates the teaching assistant (TA) is standing in front of fluvial sandstone; and
manipulate "hot topic" data available to consortium institutions, such as Mars rover imagery.

Learning Outcomes

As of February 2004, the Duluth campus Geowall is up and running, the investigators are modifying consortium modules and developing new ones such as virtual field trips, and they are beginning to help other instructors in their department use the technology. They plan to divide their students into one of three groups, then track and compare their test scores:

a control group that will not use the Geowall;
a group that will watch a TA operating the Geowall; and
a group that will operate the Geowall themselves.

The investigators will then evaluate the results, refine the modules and develop new ones, and decide if the Geowall will be used in other courses. Preliminary test results indicate that students' comprehension increases after using the Geowall, particularlu if they operate the system themselves.

Related Resources

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