Polar Explorer - A Virtual Learning Environment for Polar Science Education

Polar Explorer - 极地科学教育的虚拟学习环境

• 批准号: 2111058
• 负责人: Deborah Huntzinger
• 金额: $ 76.74万
• 依托单位: Northern Arizona University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-07-15 至 2026-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2111058&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Polar; Explorer; Virtual; Learning; Environment

Scientists at Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, and the University of Colorado at Boulder will collaborate to develop a digital learning environment called Polar Explorer for this Engaged Student Learning: Level III project. In this web-based, immersive environment, students will explore inaccessible polar environments and learn about polar science from their laptops, desktops, or mobile devices. The Arctic is a remote, rapidly changing region with extreme variations in temperature and sunlight. Much of the Arctic is underlain by permafrost, a layer of soil or sediment that is perennially frozen. Over the past three decades, the Arctic has warmed at twice the rate of the rest of the world and permafrost has started to thaw. Thawing permafrost can release enormous amounts of previously frozen greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, accelerating the pace of climate change. It can also threaten the food security and clean water of local residents, lead to the erosion of landscapes, the collapse of buildings and roads, and increased risk of wildfires. Thus, climate warming is transforming the Arctic, and this transformation threatens U.S. national security through its impacts on infrastructure, global climate, and public health. It is therefore imperative for the general public to understand how the Arctic is changing and why these changes have significant consequences for the U.S. and the rest of the world. However, teaching students about permafrost and its consequences is challenging because of the remoteness and inaccessibility of the Arctic. Polar systems are also complex and changes in polar environments occur on many different scales that can be difficult for the mind to grasp. Polar Explorer’s interactive, virtual field trips will leverage intelligent tutoring systems and virtual reality technologies to allow students to do science, rather than just being told about science. Using realistic, scientifically-accurate landscapes and learning experiences, students will experience and learn about the Arctic environment much like they would if they were physically there — regardless of a student’s socioeconomic background, physical ability, or level of academic preparation. Through innovative learning design and virtual reality technologies, Polar Explorer provides a novel and transformative approach for improving STEM education; one that will cultivate a sense of curiosity and connection-to-place and will generate new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning. The goal of this project is to design, build, deploy, and evaluate the effectiveness of Polar Explorer at increasing student conceptual knowledge of permafrost, its dynamics, and the consequences of permafrost degradation on ecosystems, infrastructure, climate, and society. Polar Explorer will consist of a suite of Learning Experiences (LXs) built around interactive Virtual Field Trips (iVFTs), connected via a high-resolution rendered landscape generated from real Arctic terrain data. Seven place-based LXs will cover topics of Arctic exploration, permafrost dynamics, indigenous perspectives on changing landscapes, and impacts of permafrost thaw on infrastructure, carbon feedbacks, and human health. Students will have autonomy in choosing their learning path through the LXs, which will leverage virtual reality technology, an engaging narrative, a diverse population of real polar scientists, and real-world data and places to provide context to student learning. An intelligent tutoring system will individualize the student experience and help address conceptual gaps in knowledge. Polar Explorer’s iVFTs will effectively promote active, inquiry-based learning and resolve the substantial accessibility challenges inherent to polar science. It is predicted that students will: (1) increase their polar science disciplinary knowledge; (2) examine and differentiate multiple scales; and (3) improve their comprehension of transdisciplinary connections in polar science. Polar Explorer will run on HTML5, which has ubiquitous support. The design of the student-driven exploration will target students in critical undergraduate introductory STEM courses, such as geology, earth science, climate, and biology. Overall the project will be assessed by analyzing student learning outcomes, and by formative and summative evaluations that measure the effectiveness of the iVFT-based LXs in meeting project goals. This project will provide much needed metrics on the degree to which iVFTs and adaptive digital learning environments, and the associated approach to learning design, promote STEM learning. Specific focus will be placed on how iVFT-based learning experiences help students work across scales and understand connections across STEM concepts and disciplines. This project, jointly supported by the Office of Polar Programs and the Division of Undergraduate Education, responds to the Dear Colleague Letter (NSF 19-086) calling for efforts that support the engagement of students and the public in polar research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

亚利桑那州立大学，亚利桑那大学和科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的科学家将合作开发一个名为Polar Explorer的数字学习环境，用于这项参与的学生学习：III级项目。在这个基于网络的沉浸式环境中，学生将探索无法访问的极地环境，并从笔记本电脑，台式机或移动设备中了解极地科学。北极是一个偏远，快速变化的区域，温度和阳光的差异极大。北极的大部分是由多年冻土（长期冷冻的土壤或沉积物）覆盖的。在过去的三十年中，北极的温度是世界其他地区的两倍，而永久冻土开始解冻。融化的多年冻土可以释放大量先前冷冻的温室气体到大气中，从而加速了攀岩变化的空间。它还可能威胁到当地居民的粮食安全和清洁水，导致景观的侵蚀，建筑物和道路的崩溃以及增加野火风险。这是气候变暖正在改变北极，这种转变通过对基础设施，全球气候和公共卫生的影响威胁到美国国家安全。因此，公众必须了解北极的变化以及为什么这些变化对美国和世界其他地区产生重大影响。但是，由于北极的遥不可及性和无法获取性，向学生传授永久冻土及其后果的挑战。极性系统也很复杂，极性环境的变化发生在许多不同的尺度上，这对于大脑来说可能很难掌握。 Polar Explorer的互动，虚拟实地考察将利用智能辅导系统和虚拟现实技术允许学生进行科学，而不仅仅是被告知科学。使用现实，科学精确的景观和学习经验，学生将体验和了解北极环境，就像他们在那里一样，无论学生的社会经济背景，身体能力或学术准备水平如何。通过创新的学习设计和虚拟现实技术，Polar Explorer为改善STEM教育提供了一种新颖而变革的方法；一种将培养好奇心和联系的感觉，并将产生有关STEM教学的新知识。该项目的目的是设计，建立，部署和评估极地探险者在增加学生对永久冻土的概念知识，其动态以及对生态系统，基础设施，气候和社会的多年冻土后果的有效性。 Polar Explorer将包括一套学习经验（LX）围绕交互式虚拟野外旅行（IVFTS）组成，该互动性通过由真实北极地形数据产生的高分辨率渲染景观连接。七个基于位置的LX将涵盖北极探索，多年冻土动态，对景观变化的土著观点以及永久冻融对基础设施，碳反馈和人类健康的影响。学生将拥有通过LXS选择学习路径的自主权，这将利用虚拟现实技术，引人入胜的叙述，真正的极地科学家的多样性人群以及现实世界中的数据以及为学生学习提供背景的地点。智能辅导系统将个性化学生体验，并帮助解决知识中的概念差距。 Polar Explorer的IVFT将有效地促进基于询问的积极学习，并解决极地科学固有的实质性可访问性挑战。可以预测学生将：（1）增加他们的极地科学学科知识； （2）检查和区分多个尺度； （3）提高他们对极地科学跨学科联系的理解。 Polar Explorer将在HTML5上运行，该HTML5无处不在。学生驱动的探索的设计将针对重要的本科生中的学生，例如地质，地球科学，气候和生物学。总体而言，该项目将通过分析学生的学习成果，以及衡量基于IVFT的LX在满足项目目标中的有效性的形成性和总结性评估来评估该项目。该项目将提供有关IVFT和自适应数字学习环境的程度以及相关学习设计方法，促进STEM学习的急需指标。具体的重点将放在基于IVFT的学习经历如何帮助学生跨尺度上工作并了解STEM概念和学科之间的联系。该项目由极地计划办公室和本科教育部门共同支持，他回应了亲爱的同事信（NSF 19-086）呼吁努力支持学生和公众参与极性研究。这项奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并认为通过基金会的知识优点和广泛的cribitia crietia criperia criperia criperia criperia criperia criperia criperia receptia rection the Alteria this奖项。