Work in Progress: 3D Stereoscopic Visualization as a Tool for Teaching Astronomy Concepts

Norman Moses Joseph; David M. Whittinghill; Kathleen C. Howell; David William Braun

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Vancouver, BC
Publication Date: June 26, 2011
Start Date: June 26, 2011
End Date: June 29, 2011
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Computers in Education Poster Session
Tagged Division: Computers in Education
Page Count: 7
Page Numbers: 22.1698.1 - 22.1698.7
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--18435
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/18435
Download Count: 464

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

Norman Moses Joseph Purdue University

visit author page

Graduate Student,
Computer Graphics Technology,
Purdue University

visit author page

author page

David M. Whittinghill Purdue University, West Lafayette orcid.org/0000-0002-2011-7893

biography

Kathleen C. Howell Purdue University, West Lafayette

visit author page

Professor Howell is the Hsu Lo Professor of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at Purdue University. Besides an active research program in Astrodynamics involving spacecraft mission planning and maneuver design, she teaches Orbital Mechanics and Attitude Dynamics for spacecraft applications.

visit author page

author page

David William Braun Purdue University

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Work-in-Progress: 3D stereoscopic visualization as a tool for teaching astronomy concepts3D visualization is becoming a more extensively used educational tool. 3D visualization tends tobe most useful when demonstrating concepts involving the very large – such as astronomy, or thevery small – such as nanotechnology. Stereo visualization allows students to familiarizethemselves with worlds which are not available to experience in real life. The objective of thisstudy is to evaluate the educational benefit of teaching lessons involving a highly spatially-oriented topic (astronomy) using 3D visualization technology.We propose to use a stereo visualization system, installed in a classroom, to deploy 3Dsimulation packages for use in classroom instruction. This educational tool is currently beingused for two descriptive astronomy courses in the Physics department, which involvevisualization of the galaxies and the solar system, and also for two courses in the School ofAeronautical and Aerospace Engineering, which involve simulation of orbital patterns of planetsand satellites. These courses are taken by engineering students as well as students from otherdepartments.This study will use a 3D visualization tool developed to view the local universe containingvisualizations of the local group of galaxies and our solar system and will use stereographicprojection. We will investigate whether the higher degree of spatial perception in stereographicdisplays results in an improvement in student knowledge and understanding. This interactivesimulation allows the user to navigate through the local group of galaxies, looking at variousgalaxies in the group, navigating from one galaxy to another and measuring the distance betweengalaxies. The system will also allow the user to navigate in a visualization of our solar systemviewing the planets revolving around the sun. The objects in this system are kept to scale so thatthe students understand the large variation in sizes of objects found in the universe and allowthem to experience the velocity required to travel the distance between two objects, two planetsor even two galaxies, in space.Upon completion of the application, we will experimentally test whether using 3D stereoscopicvisualization results in greater understanding of the core concepts in our study’s astronomylessons.

Citation
Format

Joseph, N. M., & Whittinghill, D. M., & Howell, K. C., & Braun, D. W. (2011, June), Work in Progress: 3D Stereoscopic Visualization as a Tool for Teaching Astronomy Concepts Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--18435

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -                                Work-in-Progress:          3D stereoscopic visualization as a tool for teaching astronomy                                     concepts3D visualization is becoming a more extensively used educational tool. 3D visualization tends tobe most useful when demonstrating concepts involving the very large – such as astronomy, or thevery small – such as nanotechnology. Stereo visualization allows students to familiarizethemselves with worlds which are not available to experience in real life. The objective of thisstudy is to evaluate the educational benefit of teaching lessons involving a highly spatially-oriented topic (astronomy) using 3D visualization technology.We propose to use a stereo visualization system, installed in a classroom, to deploy 3Dsimulation packages for use in classroom instruction. This educational tool is currently beingused for two descriptive astronomy courses in the Physics department, which involvevisualization of the galaxies and the solar system, and also for two courses in the School ofAeronautical and Aerospace Engineering, which involve simulation of orbital patterns of planetsand satellites. These courses are taken by engineering students as well as students from otherdepartments.This study will use a 3D visualization tool developed to view the local universe containingvisualizations of the local group of galaxies and our solar system and will use stereographicprojection. We will investigate whether the higher degree of spatial perception in stereographicdisplays results in an improvement in student knowledge and understanding. This interactivesimulation allows the user to navigate through the local group of galaxies, looking at variousgalaxies in the group, navigating from one galaxy to another and measuring the distance betweengalaxies. The system will also allow the user to navigate in a visualization of our solar systemviewing the planets revolving around the sun. The objects in this system are kept to scale so thatthe students understand the large variation in sizes of objects found in the universe and allowthem to experience the velocity required to travel the distance between two objects, two planetsor even two galaxies, in space.Upon completion of the application, we will experimentally test whether using 3D stereoscopicvisualization results in greater understanding of the core concepts in our study’s astronomylessons.
AU  - Norman Moses Joseph
AU  - David M. Whittinghill
AU  - Kathleen C. Howell
AU  - David William Braun
CY  - Vancouver, BC
DA  - 2011/06/26
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Work in Progress: 3D Stereoscopic Visualization as a Tool for Teaching Astronomy Concepts
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/18435
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--18435
ER  -