Title: Collaborative Space Science: AMPHION
Performer(s):
Jeffrey Van Baalen
University of Wyoming
Mike Lowry
NASA, Ames
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Cluster: CAPER
Contact Information:
Phone: 307-776-6231
email: jvb@uwyo.edu
Phone: 415-604-3369
email: lowry@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov
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1. Instructional Focus:
Content areas/topics: Science, space science (orbits of planets, related geometry problems.)
Process skills: Problem solving, inquiry.
2. Target Population: High school students and teachers interested in space science.
3. Summary Description: This project involves two interrelated tasks. 1) Enhancement of existing animation, program generation, graphical user interface, and debugging components of AMPHION. 2) Development of collaborative computer environments for investigating space science.
AMPHION is a system that overcomes many of the difficulties that have prevented more widespread use of automatic programming systems. AMPHION has already demonstrated its utility in making scientific software libraries easily accessible to space scientists without a programming background. This project will extend AMPHION for use as a fundamentally new education technology - it will provide a way of automatically generating software to support visualization and to create immersive environments.
In the first two years, the project will develop student-oriented collaborative environments for visualizing and animating planetary science projects, allowing students to play the role of space scientists. These collaborative environments could be used in stand-alone mode, or in conjunction with others, such as those produced by Lawrence Berkeley Lab's "Hands on Universe" project.
4. Training and Staff Development:
- Teacher prerequisite skills/knowledge needed: Able to read Web pages, run interactive programs. Experience teaching solar system astronomy and ability to design exercises and curriculum in this area are desirable.
- Student prerequisite skills needed: None specified.
- Training needed/provided: Training in use of modified AMPHION programming will be necessary but is not provided for.
- Technical support needed/provided: None provided for.
5. Technological/Resources Needed: Computers, Internet access.
6. Intended Outcomes:
Students: Students will demonstrate knowledge of space science and geometry by producing animation of planetary observations using modules developed by Performers and participating teachers.
Teachers: Teachers will be able to develop curriculum tools using a modified AMPHION system.
7. Instructional Time Required: Approximately a half hour to hour a day; the tools will be integrated into the curriculum.
8. Role of the Pilot Teacher(s): Using a modified AMPHION system, teachers will develop curriculum modules to be used in the study of space science. They will integrate them into their curriculum.
9. Example(s) of the Use of this Product (Scenario):
Students in a high school science class describe planetary observations by unmanned spacecraft, the Hubble Space Telescope, and Earth-based observatories (e.g. Hands on Universe.) They produce animation with projected data, for instance, illumination angles.
