Rosemary Michelle Simpson

Experiments in Immersive Virtual Reality for Scientific Visualization

Abstract This article provides a snapshot of immersive virtual reality (IVR) use for scientific visualization, in the context of the evolution of computing in general and of user interfaces in particular. The main thesis of this article is that IVR has great potential for dealing with the serious problem of exponentially growing scientific datasets. Our ability to produce large datasets both through numerical simulation and through data acquisition via sensors is outrunning our ability to make sense of those datasets. While our idea of “large” datasets used to be measured in hundreds of gigabytes, based at least in part on what we could easily store, manipulate, and display in real time, todays science and engineering are producing terabytes and soon even petabytes, both from observation via sensors and as output from numerical simulation. Clearly, visualization by itself will not solve the problem of understanding truly large datasets that would overwhelm both display capacity and the human visual system. We advocate a human–computer partnership that draws on the strengths of each partner, with algorithmic culling and feature-detection used to identify the small fraction of the data that should be visually examined in detail by the human. Our hope is that IVR will be a potent tool to let humans “see” patterns, trends, and anomalies in their data well beyond what they can do with conventional 3D desktop displays.

Considering a full range of teaching techniques for use in interactive educational software: a practical guide and brainstorming session

The paper addresses a moment in the design of educational software that is crucial and yet often unrecognized and unexploited: the moment when the designers decide what traditional teaching techniques (and related pedagogies) will be used. In our experience, this decision is often reached without due consideration of the alternatives, with the result that many educational modules tend to approach their subject matter in the same few ways, e.g., an interactive visualization of an algorithm or physical process. Our goal is not to recommend one teaching approach over another, but to reinforce awareness of the breadth of choice that is available. To that end, we have selected thirteen common teaching techniques that are particularly appropriate for interactive software and describe them in a traditional context and in terms of their potential online incarnations.

Granularity in the design of interactive illustrations

We describe some issues in designing and building educational Java applets for an introductory computer graphics course. The design problem involves balancing educational goals of building intuition about fundamental concepts in a domain against heterogeneity both in subject material and in student backgrounds. We present our design approach for resolving these forces --- fine-grained units addressing small concepts --- and discuss its effects on other areas including hypertext structure, interface design, and software engineering.

Reusable hypertext structures for distance and JIT learning

in res sto of athe ABSTRACT Software components for distance and just-in-time (JIT) learning are an increasingly common method of encouraging reuse and facilitating the development process[58], but no analogous efforts have been made so far for designing hypertext components that can be reused in educational offerings.1 We argue that such structures will be of tangible benefit to the online learning community, serving to offload a substantial burden from programmers and designers of software, as well as allowing educators without any programming experience to customize available online resources.

Exploratories: an educational strategy for the 21st century

What computer-based learning environment will students of all ages be immersed in 5, 10, or 20 years from now? And, how can we best prepare for learning and teaching in that environment? Part of the answer to these questions will lie in a deep understanding of Web-based (or whatever succeeds it) interactive learning that engages a broad range of human capabilities. The Exploratories project, an interactive Web-based educational research project at Brown University, uses the introductory undergraduate computer graphics course as a testbed to address these questions. An exploratory is a computer-based combination of an exploratorium and a laboratory that embeds in a hypermedia environment a multifaceted interactive microworld that models objects, phenomena, and concepts.

Next-generation educational software: why we need it & a research agenda for getting it

The dream of universal access to high-quality, personalized educational content that is available both synchronously and asynchronously remains unrealized. For more than four decades, it has been said that information technology would be a key enabling technology for making this dream a reality by providing the ability to produce compelling and individualized content, the means for delivering it, and effective feedback and assessment mechanisms. Although IT has certainly had some impact, it has become a cliché to note that education is the last field to take systematic advantage of IT. There have been some notable successes of innovative software (e.g., the graphing calculator, the Geometers Sketchpad, and the World Wide Web as an information-storage and -delivery vehicle), but we continue to teach-and students continue to learn-in ways that are virtually unchanged since the invention of the blackboard.

Computing surveys' electronic symposium on hypertext and hypermedia: editorial

Hypertext and hypermedia are core concepts of the way we read, write, and access information in the electronic age. From office document systems to the World Wide Web, hypertext links are appearing everywhere, enabling immediate access between documents, and creating a radically different way of reading and writing. This electronic symposium of the ACM Computing Surveys is dedicated to exploring hypertext and hypermedia. Among the excellent papers comprising this symposium, we are pleased to be

Interaction in an IVR Museum of Color: Constructivism Meets Virtual Reality

Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) environments would seem naturally to lend themselves to hands-on approaches to learning, but the success of such virtual direct experience depends heavily on the design of interface and interaction techniques. IVR presents surprisingly difficult interface challenges, and the study of interface and interaction design for educational IVR use is just beginning. In this paper, the authors discuss three issues encountered in the creation of an IVR-based educational project: the use of architectural spaces for structuring a sequence of modules, the tradeoffs between metaphorical fidelity and convenience, and the use of IVR in interaction with visualizations of abstract concepts.

Memex and beyond

Meme× and 8ey0nd 7he Memex and 8ey0nd we6 51te (http : //~¢~w. c5.6r0wn, edu/raeraex/) 15 a maj0r re5earch, educat10na1, and c011a60rat1ve we6 51te 1nte9rat1n9 the h15t0r1ca1 rec0rd 0f and current re5earch 1n hypermed1a. 7he name h0n0r5 the 1945 pu611cat10n 0f Vannevar 8u5h • 5 art1c1e • • A5 We May 7h1nk • • 1n wh1ch he pr0p05ed a hypertext en91ne ca11ed the Memex. 7he 51te 15 very t19ht1y 1nter11nked thr0u9h 9raph1ca1, 5pat1a1, and textua1 repre5entat10n5 0f the re1at10n5h1p5 am0n9 the pe0p1e, pr0ject5, 1n5t1tut10n5, pu611cat10n5, c0nference5, and theme5 that c0mpr15e the hypermed1a c0mmun1ty. Memex and 8ey0nd 15 an 0utreach we651te 0f the N5F 6raph1c5 and V15ua112at10n Center, wh1ch 15 an N5F (Nat10na1 5c1ence F0undat10n) 5c1ence and 7echn0109Y Center. 7he Center 15 a c0n50rt1um 0f f1ve un1ver51t1e5, 1nc1ud1n9 8r0wn Un1ver51ty, Ca17ech, Un1ver51ty 0f N0rth Car011na, Un1ver51ty 0f Utah, and C0rne11 Un1ver51ty. 7he 9106a1 1ndex n0w c0nta1n5 entr1e5 f0r the f0110w1n9 pr0ceed1n95: When that w0rk 15 c0mp1ete, w0rk 0n the 9raph1ca1, 5pat1a1, and 5emant1c nav19at0r5 w111 pr0ceed. Nav19at10n 7he we6 51te c0mp0nent5 w111 pr0v1de a very r1ch m1xture 0f c0ntent and nav19at10n mechan15m5. 7here w111 6e three type5 0f mechan15m5: 9raph1ca1, 5pat1a1, and textua1. Current1y, 0n1y the textua1 nav19at10n mechan15m 15 1n p1ace. 6raph1ca1: 7he d1a9ram that 1ntr0duce5 the We6 51te (5ee f19ure at the t0p 0f the next pa9e) repre5ent5 the nature 0f hypermed1a 11nk5 a5 60th the 5tat1c, d15crete n0de-11nk re1at10n5h1p5 character15t1c5 0f trad1t10na1 hypertext and a5 the dynam1c, c0nt1nu0u5 f0rm5 5een 1n c0ntemp0rary 5y5tem5.

Beyond the plane: spatial hypertext in a virtual reality world

R05emary, a hypertext re5earcher, 15 w0rk1n9 w1th a 9r0up 0f c011ea9ue5 wh0 are at 9106a11y 5pread 0ut 10cat10n5.5he wear5 a 119htwe19ht head m0unted d15p1ay and u5e5 her feet, knee5, v01ce, and hand5 t0 d1rect the 5y5tem and f0r te1ec0mmun1cat10n5 w1th her w0rk9r0up. At the m0ment 5he 15 a10ne 1n her w0rk5pace, rap1d1y creat1n9 and 0r9an121n9 her 1nf0rmat10n farm 1n preparat10n f0r a meet1n9. 7he f1r5t th1n9 we n0t1ce a60ut her w0rk5tat10n 15 the t0ta1 a65ence 0f any key60ard, m0u5e, 0r c0mputer, a5 we kn0w 1t. 7he 5creen 5he u5e5 15 very 1ar9e. 1t 100k5, 1n fact, 11ke a 1ar9e f1at draw1n9 60ard 5et at a 45 de9ree an91e. At her feet are a 5et 0f peda15, n0t un11ke th05e u5ed 6y 0r9an15t5, except that the5e peda15 d0n•t 5eem t0 6e attached t0 anyth1n9. When y0u 100k at the v1de0 •draw1n9 60ard• y0u n0t1ce that 1n add1t10n t0 the 1ack 0f key60ard there 15 a t0ta1 1ack 0f menu5 0r w1nd0w5 0n the 5creen. What y0u 5ee 15 a 5er1e5 0f 3D 06ject5 that are m0v1n9 ar0und w1th0ut any apparent m0vement 0f her hand5. 06ject5 c0me 1nt0 v1ew, r0tate, 1nteract w1th 0ther 06ject5, and chan9e the1r appearance and 6ehav10r a5 they 1nteract w1th the env1r0nment. 1n 5h0rt, the d15p1ay 5eem5 t0 6e a11ve. Y0u n0t1ce that the 5he per10d1ca11y m0ve5 her head, appear5 t0 6e 115ten1n9, 5peak5, t0uche5 the 5creen 1n var10u5 p1ace5, 0cca510na11y mak1n9 draw1n9 9e5ture5 that are f0110wed 6y the appearance 0f an 06ject that then j01n5 the re5t 0f the mena9er1e. 7he appearance 0f the 5creen at t1me5 5h1mmer5 w1th the 5tar 7rek effect a5 06ject5 c0me 1nt0 v1ew and fade 0ut 0f v1ew. 0ther t1me5 an 06ject m0ve5, 5h0w1n9 m0t10n 61ur a5 1t d0e5, 6ut then appear5 t0 6e tw0 tran5parent ver510n5 0f 1t5e1f w1th 0ne ver510n 9radua11y fad1n9 away. What y0u n0t1Ce a5 y0u watch her w0rk 15 that 5he 15 u51n9 her v01ce, m0v1n9 her head, 9e5tur1n9 w1th her hand5, and 50met1me5 t0uch1n9 the 5creen. Her feet m0ve t0 t0uch the d1fferent peda15, and 0cca510na11y 5he u5e5 her knee t0 m0ve a prev10u51y unn0t1ced knee peda1. Her wh01e 60dy 5eem5 t0 6e 1nv01ved 1n 1nteract1n9 w1th th15 m0v1n9 d15p1ay. At 0ne p01nt 5he 1n5tant1ate5 a key60ard, apparent1y 6y u5e 0f a f00t peda1 and a t0uch 0n the v1de0 draw1n9 60ard where 5he want5 1t. Part 0f the head m0unted d15p1ay 15 a m1cr0ph0ne and an ear p1ece. W1th th15 5he 155ue5 v01ce c0mmand5 t0 the 5y5tem and hear5 re5p0n5e5 fr0m the 5y5tem a60ut h0w 10n9 1t•5 901n9 t0 take f0r a part1cu1ar act10n t0 0ccur. Rap1d 9e5tura1 m0t10n5 w1th 60th hand5 6r1n9 a 3D r00m 1nt0 v1ew, wh1ch attache5 1t5e1f t0 a h0u5e 1n the c1ty5cape a1ready pre5ent 0n the 5creen. 5he 5peak5 1nt0 the m1cr0ph0ne and a 9raph1ca1 d15p1ay, wh1ch we 1earn 15 a m0du1e 1nterc0nnect10n tracker, appear5 w1th 0ne 0f the n0de5 h19h119hted. When 5he 9e5ture5, 1t r0tate5, 6r1n91n9 0ther part5 0f the 9raph 1nt0 v1ew. 7hen, when 5he t0uche5 f1r5t the h19h119hted n0de and then an0ther part 0n the 5tructure, the n0de detache5 fr0m 1t5 0r191na110cat10n and reappear5 1n the new 10cat10n. At the 5ame t1me, the r00m a150 detache5 1t5e1f and reappear5, attached t0 a d1fferent h0u5e 5evera15treet5 0ver. 7h15 r00m 15 her 116rary and 5he ha5 ju5t p051t10ned 1t w1th1n the 116rary 0f CMU, wh05e phy51ca1 10cat10n 15 th0u5and5 0f m11e5 away 6ut wh05e v1rtua1 10cat10n 15 repre5ented at the 5treet where 5he ju5t put her 116rary. 1n fact the c1ty5cape we 5ee 15 her 0wn per50na1 w0rk1n9 1nf0rmat10n farm, 1n wh1ch each 10cat10n can have a550c1ated 50und5, an1mat10n5, and 1nteract1ve 51mu1at10n5. 8y p1ac1n9 her 116rary w1th1n the m0de1 0f the CMU 116rary 5he ha5 made a 11nk 6etween her 10ca1 1nf0rmat10n 50urce5 and the mu1t1med1a data6a5e at CMU. 7h15 11nk w111 1ater 6e ava11a61e t0 her c011ea9ue5 when they meet. 5he hear5 a r1n9 thr0u9h the ear p1ece and 50nja, the 1an9ua9e de519ner wh0 15 1n 6ermany appear5 1n her 5pace 50nja ha5 her 0wn r00m t0 wh1ch 5he ha5 added t0uche5 that are her 10ca1 ver510n5 0f re50urce5, that m0d1fy the 6a51c 5tructure wh1ch R05emary ha5 e5ta6115hed f0r her 9ue5t r00m5. At 0ne p01nt 1n the d15cu5510n R05emary 9et5 up and m0ve5 ar0und the r00m, t0uch1n9 var10u5 p01nt5 1n the r00m that have a 5ma11 meta111c d0t 0n them 7h15 free m0vement 15, f1r5t 0f a11, p055161e 6ecau5e 5he 15 n0t c0nnected 6y w1re5 t0 her 5creen. 1n fact, the ent1re r00m 15 her w0rk5tat10n and 15 1nterc0nnected thr0u9h the meta111c d0t5. 13