Science ID

I have some experience in museum education and found the paper “creating Museum Content and Community in Second Life” (http://www.archimuse.com/mw2007/papers/rothfarb/rothfarb.html) a practical document with a number of suggestions that explain how museums can use SL for exhibits. With regard to simulations, they highlighted SL’s ability to create 3-D interactive content. I believe that this approach is also very useful for science education and virtual workspaces.

Online science students need to work with 3-d interactive learning objects in RL and working in 2 dimensions is limiting. Moreover, the degree of modeling and manipulation available in SL is superior to many classroom models. For example, plate tectonics is can be described grossly on a 2-dimensional plane – areas that come together and separate can be examined in cross section. However the corners of plates and the overall movement is compromised in two dimensions.  In three dimensions, three plates meet and can converge, diverge and slide against each other at one corner, but in two dimensions the directions of the plates are not shown correctly and students get confused about how the plates actually move. Likewise, the plates don’t fit together in quite right in 2-dimensions. Once, I had the opportunity to play with a 3-d magnetic globes that allowed me to slide the plates around on the surface and I’ve been able to relate that experince to students to try to describe it, but I haven’t been able to share or simulate this with them. I’ve encountered similar examples of motion misconceptions and the need for 3-d models are apparent in chemistry, physics, metorology and astronomy. The Coriolis effect and the motion of the sun, moon and earth need to be understood in three dimensions.

I’d like to direct my next teaching experince toward 3-d modeling and building. Right now I’m on the fence about weather a teacher should develop the model, or if the students should build the model themselves. I’m leaning toward the later with assistance from the teacher in the form of building blocks, however, unlike a museum exhibit, I don’t think the teacher needs to present the student with a complete model.