Computer generated visualization is a powerful tool for teaching and learning that has only recently been seriously explored as a means of delivering and analyzing complex information in an inquiry-based learning environment. Scientific visualization is being used to improve science education and offers a model for other disciplines to explore as a means for improving teaching and learning of complex concepts in those fields. Teachers in all disciplines should learn about visualization. Learning about the WorldWatcher Project and exploring the WorldWatcher visualization software offer an excellent way to begin the learning process.
WorldWatcher, a visualization software, is one of two software tools that was developed as part of the WorldWatcher Project. The software, a teaching and learning tool, creates a scientific visualization environment, similar to visualization environment used by professional scientists, for the investigation of scientific and geographic data for use in middle-school, high-school, and introductory science and geography college classrooms. It is designed for displaying and analyzing gridded geographic data in the form of color maps.
The WorldWatcher Project and its two software tools, WorldWatcher and World, have been recognized as models of excellence for the improvement of earth and environmental science education by numerous organizations, including the National Science Foundation , NASA Earth Science Enterprise , Education World, the Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Schools (letus), Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE), and the Environmental News Network (ENN). The Toyota USA Foundation in December of 2002 awarded $259,000 to the WorldWatcher Project to fund professional development for teachers implementing the curriculum developed through the project. WorldWatcher software is a unique tool for use in earth and environmental science courses.
The WorldWatcher Project has an exciting, easy-to-use science and geography educational site. On this site, the goal of the project is clearly stated: “The WorldWatcher Project is dedicated to the improvement of Earth and environmental science education through the use of data visualization and analysis tools to support inquiry-based pedagogy. “ The site includes the project overview; descriptions of the curriculum developed; descriptions and access to software developed; hyperlinked lists of the research, publications, conferences, and presentations completed by the project members; hyperlinked list of organizations supporting and recognizing the work of the project; and a contact list of the project members. Most of the project members are from the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University.
Worldwatcher is free and can be downloaded from the WorldWatcher Project site. Users can also request CD-ROM versions by email. It is available for both Windows and Macintosh. There are two versions: a full version and a lite version. The full version installation requires 80 MB hard disk space, of which 50 MB is for data and 20 MB is for interactive help files. The lite version eliminates the inactive help files and some of the data files. The recommended system requirements for the PC environment includes an Intel Pentium Pro 200 or newer, Windows 98 SE or NT 4.0 or better, 64 MB RAM, 100 MB free space on the hard drive, 17” Monitor with 1024x768 video resolution or better and 24-bit video color card, Apple QuickTime 4.0 or better installed, MS Internet Explorer 5.5 or better installed, and Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. The recommended system requirements for the Macintosh environment includes a PowerMac or better, Operating System 7.5 or better, 4 MB free RAM, 100 MB free space on the hard drive, 17” Monitor with 1024x768 video resolution or better and 24-bit video color card, Apple QuickTime 4.0 or better installed, MS Internet Explorer 5.5 or better installed, and Adobe Acrobat Reader installed.
The WorldWatcher software site is located at GEODE : Geographic Data In Education Initiative. According to the web site, “the software's aim is to provide an accessible and supportive environment for students to explore, interpret, and analyze scientific data in a manner which allows them to emulate the work of actual scientists.“ The software creates dynamic color graphs and diagrams of a variety of different types of data that can show relationships among variables. The interface is simple but to find everything needed to complete an activity requires careful exploration of all the button choices.
WorldWatcher displays two-dimensional global data in the form of false-color, color maps with latitude and longitude markings and an optional continent outline overlay. A constantly updating readout follows the user's mouse as it travels over an image, displaying the current latitude, longitude, country or state/province, and data value. Users customize their scientific visualizations by modifying the color scheme, the mapping of colors to numerical values, the spatial resolution, and the magnification. Users can also choose to display units in either metric or alternative systems.
WorldWatcher provides statistical summaries for entire maps and for user-selected regions. Regions can be selected using rectangular and irregular region selection tools, as well as by specifying geographic areas by name (e.g., Virginia), or data values by range (e.g., all areas with temperatures above 32 degrees F.).
The WorldWatcher paint interface allows the user to "draw" new data values on a visualization using a paintbrush tool for painting cell by cell or a paint can tool for filling regions. Users specify the data values to paint by typing in a value or by using an eyedropper tool to select values from an image or its color scheme. Students can use the expressive capabilities of WorldWatcher to represent the state of their understanding of a concept and to create hypothetical scenarios.
The test of this software was completed on a Dell Optiplex GX260, 2.0 GHZ, Intel 4 PC with a 366 GB hard drive and 523,256 KM RAM. The computer runs on the WINS 2000 operating system and has a 17” monitor with 1280x1024 video resolution, 32-bit video color. The lite version was loaded to reduce the hard drive space needed. The download time was quick.
The opening screen has buttons under three headings: Introduction, Classroom, and Datasets. The button choices under Introduction include Getting Started and Getting Help; under Classroom include Activities and Looking at the Environment; and under Datasets include Energy Balance, Geography, and Data Info.
The Getting Started button points the user to General Information, Tutorials, Teacher Help, and Information Contact. Users can print any of the smaller screens that pop up from the hyperlinked list, but they have to figure out for themselves that a right click on the mouse will allow the screen to be printed or that they could right click to go back to the previous screen. The overview and background information screen are good, but they are written for the teacher rather than the student. In fact the Getting Started section is for two types of users: the General Information and Teacher Help are for the teacher and the Tutorials section is for the student.
The buttons under Classroom and Datasets point the user to the visualization activities on the site. The Looking at the Environment button takes the user to the links that create a four unit environmental science curriculum for high schoolers. However, in the lite version none of the links in the units worked.
By clicking on the Activities button under Classroom, users can access several activities that work, including Looking at the Environment, Global Warming, and Climate Activities. Again, here the Looking at the Environment is not work nor did the Global Warming links work, but the Climate Activities did work. The first choice under Climate Activities was titled “First-timer Seasons Activity.” This activity had a screen that could be printed, so the users could follow in print what they were to do in the visualization activity. This activity used datasets and graphical maps to let the users look at seasonal temperature differences and their relationship to incoming sunlight. The activity included specific directions about how to use all the tools available in the software as part of the experiment.
The next activity, “Thinking about Temperature,” is set up with a specific format; each activity has a blank visualization, instructions, sample, and Notebook window for answering the set of questions provided. In this activity users draw their own temperature visualization and compare it to the actual data. Getting used to the using the drawing tools takes some time.
The last activity reviewed is titled “Sea-level rise.” Here users use elevation and population data to examine the number and locations of people who would be affected by sea-level rises of various quantities. This is a complex activity that requires teacher guidance to complete. There are directions about how to use a new tool, the synchronized mouse feature included, but guidance during the activity is still needed.
The last area of the interface is the Dataset area with Energy Balance, Geography, and Data Info. Clicking on Energy Balance and Geography brings the user to a color diagram that allows the user to enter datasets along different points in the diagram. The graphical diagram provides access to data and helps users to understand the meanings of the variable names and their interrelations. The user can make quick time movies and line plots from the datasets if Quick Time is installed on the user’s computer.
WorldWatcher software is an excellent visualization software that has many educational uses. By using this software in classes, students are able to take complex data and visualize it so that the data makes sense. The software also allows students to replicate the type of activity performed in the real scientific world. The various modules that have already been completed offer students the opportunity to explore concepts based on data and to understand graphs, maps, and diagrams based on data. Adding the visual to the learning process helps all learners to build knowledge.