SUBJECT: Assignment #3, Annotated List
of Ten Computer-Based Learning Applications
COURSE: MCTE 625 - Survey of Courseware
Professor: Dr. George Fornshell
Student: Leanne C. Boyd
Usercode: boydl ( boydl@scis.acast.nova.edu )
Due date: December 7, 1997
___________________________________________________________
Leanne Carson Boyd
2311 W. 92nd Ave. #59
Federal Heights, CO 80211
(303) 428-6105
Professor George Fornshell, Ph.D.
School of Computer and Information Sciences
Department of Computing Technology in Education
3100 SW 9th Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315-3025
Dear Professor Fornshell:
During the course of MCTE625, Survey of Courseware, I have
deeply appreciated the opportunity to create a pathway of
discovery concerning Mindtools and other forms of computer-
aided instruction. In this final presentation to you, the
task has been to review ten computer-based learning
applications. Enclosed is my annotated list, as per
request.
For every application included in this review, I studied at
least another five. These ten learning programs were found
to be closest to the type of learning content I eventually
want to develop. They were carefully chosen according to
these main parameters:
* Applicability to personal career path, which is the
creation of interactive learning content for the
Internet, with a primary impetus toward learning
programs for children. My personal criteria were:
1) ALL applications are Internet-based, therefore
computer-based, with the aid of a modem.
2) Superior aesthetic and technological design.
3) Designed to be free of gender-based bias, with
additional components that invite children (of
all grade levels) of both sexes into the
studies of science, computer science, or math --
subjects which are traditionally under-
represented by females and minorities.
4) Most applications are in the format of discovery
or tutorial programs; several have additional
aspects of problem-solving or a simulation
program. One of my criterions was that the
application be suitable for use as an expanded
substitute for the traditional print textbook. I
searched for programs that indicated timely use
of electronic delivery in place of traditional
supplies, as many national districts are
currently studying the benefits and
possibilities of channeling funds into computers
rather than textbooks, for students.(See http://
www.sjmercury.com/gmsv/breaking/docs/070734.htm
-- San Jose Mercury News, Texas may drop all
textbooks for laptops, November 18, 1997). In
their current formats, none of the applications
provide online assessment or testing.
5) Designed to offer extended opportunities for
learning; since all programs are Internet-based,
this criterion usually was in the form of a list
of linked applications, references or resources.
Also worthy of note: the often-cited benefit of
collaboration or collaborative learning was very
prevalent in all of these programs -- much more
than was expected. Well-known entities such as
National Geographic, for example, teamed with
Nova Online or PBS, and delivered a much larger
and a thorough computer-based tool for learning.
6) Format, graphic interface and content were
chosen for their uniqueness and state-of-the-art
vitality; no drill-and-practice programs were
considered.
7) Finally, most of these computer-based programs
are ones that I personally have used and have
benefited from, for their abilities as Mindtools
and a means for much deeper understanding of
Art, Science, History, Social Sciences, and
Astronomy.
* Evaluation according to the nine (9) guidelines of a
Mindtool (strict CAI/Computer-Aided Instruction
Programs in the form of drill-and-practice were
intentionally not included in my review), as outlined
in _Computers In The Classroom: Mindtools For
Critical Thinking_ (Jonassen, 1996):
1) Computer-based.
2) Readily available, general applications.
3) Affordable.
4) Represent knowledge.
5) Applicable in different subject domains.
6) Engage critical thinking.
7) Facilitate transfer of learning.
8) Simple, powerful formalism.
9) (Reasonably) easy to learn.
* Evaluation according to the Software Appraisal
Checklist, as outlined in _Instructional Media and
Technologies for Learning_ (Heinich, Molenda, Russell
and Smaldino, 1996), and which primarily included
characteristics such as:
1) Format (discovery program, simulation, etc.).
2) Cost -- as an Internet-deliverable, one
important consideration was that the program
was FREE, with no further purchases necessary
to utilize the learning application.
3) Ratings in several categories (technical
quality, arouse motivation/maintain interest,
stimulates creativity, etc.).
4) Application’s strongest point (weak points were
not a consideration, as each program was chosen
for its power as a tool for deep thinking).
Within the boundaries of this assignment, I expanded
my research in the areas listed in order to personalize
this list of applications into a useful resource for my
future work. Descriptions and reviews of the learning
programs were derived from several sources, including (but
not limited to) trade-based or program author’s
description, first-hand experience, and scholarly source.
Again, I have appreciated the deep scope of the content of
MCTE625.
Sincerely,
Leanne Carson Boyd
___________________________________________________________
A Special Note on the Formatting of This Paper
Following the lead of the _Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association_ (Fourth Ed., 1996),
this annotated list is not utilizing "double-spacing." The
example of an annotated list, given in the manual, is
found, beginning on page 323. The explanatory paragraph, on
page 319, states, "The third section [of the Bibliography],
which is subdivided and annotated, suggests further
reading." Using this as a model, I applied "nested"
indentations of what appeared to be three, then five,
spaces. I have attempted to follow actual APA formatting
for my own annotated list.
Additionally, because the curriculum advised that
"[t]his report will contain a coversheet, and summary page
for each annotation..." I have designated this indicator
for separating individual pages for the examples:
<<_## words_________________________________end list item X
___________________________________________________________
Bowden, Mark, & The Philadelphia Enquirer. (1997).
Blackhawk down [Computer program, Internet-based]. In:
Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. Online. Philadelphia, PA:
Author & in-house news staff. [Online]. Available:
http://www3.phillynews.com/packages/somalia/nov16/
Increasingly, in the rapidly moving world of the
Internet, an opportunity for learning is announced
that is momentous in its delivery. In no other times
have the instances of history been so immediately
available to humanity. The Philadelphia Inquirer and
Daily News has inaugurated what looks to be the most
grandiose newspaper story project ever published on
the Internet. "Blackhawk Down" is a 30-part multimedia
series about the ruinous battle between U.S. soldiers
and Somalian rebels, October of 1993. "Blackhawk Down"
is also, aside from being a first-of-its-kind
journalistic experience, immediately being proven
as an excellent historical tutorial.
In an online response to author Mark Bowden, Mr.
Paul Gronke, of Durham, NC, at Duke University, wrote:
"Thanks for a wonderful series and site. I wonder if
you have considered additional site and material
development for the academic world. This site is
already being accessed by many IR [international
relations] classes that I know of. A set of case study
materials linked to the site and articles could be
valuable, and perhaps moderately lucrative. (Bowden,
Q&A 5, 1997). The site was inaugurated on November 16,
1997, and Gronke’s letter appeared within hours!
An unusual newsroom collaboration of multimedia
experts are simultaneously producing a video
documentary for the Public Broadcasting Service, a
companion 30-part text and still-photography series in
the Inquirer, and a book. The Web version is a
visually luxuriant multimedia environment, very much
like an encyclopedic CD-ROM. The website works like
any other tutorial-like application, but is so multi-
leveled that the learning possibilities seem endless.
Early reviews indicated that "[a]side from the running
text, every section is accompanied with sections of
video clips, audio files, still photos, animated maps,
and original graphic drawings that make the whole an
enveloping sensual experience, as well as fast-paced
read...It reconstructs the series of violent events
that led to the deaths of nearly 500 people and the
wounding of more than a thousand others in the 1993
‘Battle of Mogadishu.’" (Levins, 1997).
In the grandest sense, this program allows learners
of all ages, including young people, to begin to
understand the making and archiving of history. This
program is a very visual Mindtool that activates
thinking on a deep level, reasoning and logic, and
critical analysis. The series explores the
consequences of sending soldiers into lethal
situations where the subtleties of politics are
quickly lost in the combat. "Blackhawk’s" stories are
based on interviews with the men who fought in
Mogadishu. Other details have come from transcripts of
military radio transmissions and reviews of classified
videotape. The author, Mark Bowden, has been working
on "Blackhawk Down" for more than a year. (Bowden,
About the series, 1997).
Excellent use of Internet technology has been made
in the creation of this learning "alternative." In
fact, until the videos, books, and newspaper series
are made available, there IS no other medium for this
program. This single web location gives the background
and history of the Somalia unrest. Video spots are
available, including the Pentagon video of the raid,
troops describing helicopter flights, soldiers talking
about scaling buildings on ropes, and difficult
interviews that show the emotions of being in the
center of battle. Audio accounts describe battle gear,
takeoffs under fire, and the hurried mistakes leading
to disaster.
If there is one element that is so necessary to
understanding acts of history, it must be the emotions
of the participants. This Internet-based program has
captured this in a way that the learner has no doubt
about the reality or immediacy of the days in Somalia.
"The raid was barely under way, and already something
had gone wrong. It was just the first in a series of
worsening mishaps that would endanger this daring
mission. For Eversmann, a five-year veteran from
Natural Bridge, Va., leading men into combat for the
first time, it was the beginning of the longest day of
his life." (Bowden, Hail Mary..., 1997). This learning
program leads the user, step by step, through the
movements and emotions of soldiers in battle.
This historical documentary also offers excellent
sections on past and current photographs of Somalia,
including the finding of a schoolroom in the middle of
a battle zone (Bowden, Who’s who, 1997), maps, a
special map showing military locators, graphics used
in constructing the website, an excellent Glossary
that particularly outlines aircraft and weapons, a
Who’s Who directory (Bowden, Who’s who, 1997) that
provides invaluable historical as well as
autobiographical accounts. There is also a list of
related resources adds additional fullness to the
online site. The program also has an interactive
Forums section and an extremely lively "Ask the
Author" feedback option. (Bowden, Hail Mary..., 1997).
"Blackhawk" is a fine example also, of
collaborative learning. The online links are
extensive. One link is to the University of
Pennsylvania’s African Studies Department, which
offers an extensive website with a page on Somalia.
Here the learner will find the Greater Horn
Information Exchange. The GHIE provides site reports,
fact sheets, activity summaries, data sets, scientific
papers and analyses, field operations guides, and
disaster histories. The online learner, through an
exciting tool called "Interactive Data Rendering,"
GHIE users can pick specific data and create an
application -- for perhaps understanding the
demographics that led to the disaster in Somalia.
"The Web version of ‘Blackhawk’ is a new kind of
creature, something that couldn’t be done in any other
medium -- it’s a multidimensional book," [Bowden]
said. "To me it demonstrates the amazing potential for
online journalism to combine the dramatic narrative
capability of TV, film, and radio with the depth and
breadth of factual content afforded by print...anyone
interested in the Battle of Mogadishu can get lost in
it online for days." (Levins, 1997). It also seems, to
this reviewer, these are the highest indicators for an
effective computer-based learning application.
---
REFERENCES
Bowden, Mark, & The Philadelphia Enquirer. (1997).
Blackhawk down [Computer program, Internet-based]. In:
Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. Online. Philadelphia, PA:
Author & in-house news staff. [Online]. Available:
http://www3.phillynews.com/packages/somalia/nov16/
_____(1997). About the series. [Online]. Available:
http://www3.phillynews.com/packages/somalia/about.asp
_____(1997). Chapter 1: Hail Mary and then doom.
[Online]. Available: http://www3.phillynews.com/
packages/somalia/nov16/
_____(1997). Gronke, Paul, & Bowden, Mark. Questions
and answers 5 (Q&A 5). [Online]. Available:
http://www3.phillynews.com/packages/somalia/
ask/ask5.asp
_____(1997). Who’s who. [Online]. Available:
http://www3.phillynews.com/packages/somalia/who.asp
Levins, Hoag. (1997). Largest newspaper web series
ever? - Philadelphia Enquirer’s "Blackhawk Down." In:
Editor & Publisher Interactive News. [Online]. Available:
http://www.MediaINFO.com/ephome/news/newshtm/stories/
111997n1.htm
University of Pennsylvania, Black Studies Department.
(1997). Somalia page. In: African Studies home page.
Website modified: October 20, 1997. [Online]. Available:
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Country_Specific/S
omalia.html
<<998wds____________________________________end list item 1
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Denlinger, Mish, & The Exploratorium (San Francisco),
Science Learning Network. (1997). Auroras: paintings in
the sky [Computer program, Internet-based]. In:
The Science Information Infrastructure (SII) of the
Science Learning Network (SLN). San Francisco, CA:
Authors. [Online]. Available: http://
www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/auroras/
This Internet-based learning program, "Auroras:
Paintings in the Sky," is part of a much larger
learning environment. It is officially offered by The
Exploratorium (museum) in San Francisco. It is an
excellent Mindtool, as it offers ample opportunity for
creative thinking at a deep level in the science of
Astronomy. It is available free of charge, as are all
the learning programs of The Science Learning Network
(SLN). This website consists of an online community of
students, schools, educators, science museums and
other institutions. The entire site is a new model for
inquiry in science education. Funded by the National
Science Foundation and Unisys Corporation, SLN is also
a three-year, $6.5 million project that incorporates
telecomputing, inquiry-based teaching approaches,
collaborative educational presentations among
geographically-distant teachers, and resultant
collaborative learning environments for learners. It
makes excellent use of Internet content resources.
SLN is made up of science museums and "testbed"
schools, the formal participants in the SLN project.
The learning programs are initiated by these members
of the project: The Exploratorium (San Francisco) and
Ross Elementary School, The Franklin Institute
(Philadelphia) and Levering School, Miami Museum of
Science and Avocado Elementary School, Museum of
Science (Boston) and Hosmer School, Oregon Museum of
Science and Industry and Buckman School, and Science
Museum of Minnesota and Museum Magnet School. (SLN,
1996).
Within this group, a collaboration among teachers
and scientists is found -- The Science Information
Infrastructure (SII). The SII at the Exploratorium is
developing learning resources utilizing NASA images
and datasets. SSI offers exciting topics in Astronomy,
for children of all ages, such as "Listen to
Scientists: RealAudio Interviews," "Science Online
Resource Toolkits," which are additional resources
from other SII partners, nation-wide, learning
programs like "ExtraSolar Planets: Searching for Radio
Signals, and "Spectra From Space," which tracks
satellites that are observing special parts of the
electromagnetic spectrum. One of their most intriguing
online learning environments is "Auroras: Paintings in
the Sky." (SII, 1997).
The introduction to the application is tantalizing,
describing the mystery of the aurora phenomenon: "Far
north in the night sky, a faint glow appears on the
horizon. Green and red flames of light stretch across
the sky. A glowing curtain of light forms, waving and
swirling above you. As the lights fade away the dark
night closes over you once again." (Mish and
Exploratorium, Auroras: paintings in the sky, 1997).
"Auroras" provides the learner with a "Self-Guided
Tour," that offers these main topics:
* What do auroras look like?
* What do auroras look like from space?
* What makes them happen?
* Where can you see them?
* Why are they different colors? (Denlinger, What
do auroras look like from space?, 1997).
An example of the more critical thinking that
becomes necessary when pondering science is found in
one of the activities. Utilizing an image taken from
the Space Shuttle, the problem shows the
characteristic ring shape of an aurora. Information is
given: "Auroras are about 80 to 130 km (50 miles)
above Earth. The width and size of the ring change
each time. A bigger ring would be seen by people in
lower latitudes on the Earth. Usually though, only
people high in the north or south get to see them."
(Denlinger, What do auroras look like from space?,
1997). The learner then may use online links to
discover why persons at the poles are more likely to
view this mysterious natural force. In fact, the
Teacher Pages and activities offer many discovery
processes using the "Aurora Links" section. It is a
starting point for research on related subject matter.
Students might explore how to photograph auroras,
learn about the Sun, dive deeply into x-ray imaging
and its history, research the Earth’s magnetosphere,
or study the relationship of electricity and
magnetism. (Denlinger, Teacher’s pages, 1997).
This online learning application makes excellent
use of the single-computer environment in Internet-
based learning. "Auroras" is singularly attractive,
with many links provided for further study. It offers
a non-gender-biased and attractive approach to
science. As with all of the Exploratorium’s learning
programs, the technical aspects and graphical
interface are superior.
---
REFERENCES
Denlinger, Mish, & Exploratorium, The (San
Francisco), Science Learning Network. (1997). Auroras:
paintings in the sky [Computer program, Internet-based].
In: The Science Information Infrastructure (SII) of the
Science Learning Network (SLN). San Francisco, CA: Authors.
[Online]. Available: http://www.exploratorium.edu/
learning_studio/auroras/
_____(1997). Teacher’s pages. In: Auroras: paintings
in the sky [Online]. Available: http://
www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/ auroras/
teachers.html
_____(1997). What do auroras look like from space? In:
Auroras: paintings in the sky. [Online].
Available: http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_
studio/auroras/fromspace.html
Exploratorium, & Science Information Infrastructure
(SII). (1997). The SII at the Exploratorium index page. In:
The Learning Studio. Website modified: September 18, 1997.
[Online]. Available: http://www.exploratorium.edu/
learning_studio/sii/index.html
Science Learning Network (SLN). (1996). About the
Science Learning Network. Website modified: August 26,
1997. [Online]. Available: http://www.sln.org/info/
index.html
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Garber, Darren D. (1997). Other worlds, distant suns:
Catalog of extrasolar planets, with astronomy and
astronautical engineering links [Computer program,
Internet-based]. In: Current News. [Online].
Available from: http://garber.simplenet.com/main.htm
From its beginning, the Exploratorium has been
about participation, much like the Web of today. To
understand ONE of its discovery programs, it is
necessary to understand the Exploratorium as a WHOLE.
It is a museum of art, science, and human perception
with over 500 interactive "hands-on" displays. More
than 2,000 teachers attend development programs that
enhance the understanding and use of inquiry-based
teaching and learning in the K-12 classroom.
(Exploratorium, Welcome..., 1997).
More than just a few of these interactive displays
have journeyed out of the Exploratorium and onto the
World Wide Web, and have become a powerful collection
of Internet-/computer-based learning applications.
Specifically, these programs hail from the Center for
Teaching and Learning, which teaches teachers about
science education. Museum statistics show that more
than 90,000 schoolchildren take field trips to the
Exploratorium each year, and 100 high school students
are prepared as "explainers" to escort museum visitors
through the exhibits, which include animal behavior,
language, sound, light and color, electricity, and
weather. Well over 600,000 visitors enter the Palace
(of Fine Arts) halls. (Farnady, 1997). With the
extensive base of learning applications on the site,
bearing the name of ExploraNet, it is easy to see that
many more thousands of learners benefit from the
Center’s expansive knowledge base. (Exploratorium,
Welcome..., 1997).
One exciting offering on this site is its "Top Ten
Cool Sites." Here, an ever-changing array of discovery
programs are introduced, which then become permanently
linked to the Museum, for having won the award. One of
these pages is the Top Ten Cool Astronomy Sites, which
sports enticing titles such as "The Astrobiology Web:
Life in Extreme Environments," "GalacticSky Charts,"
and one very impressive site called "Other Worlds,
Distant Suns." This was the Cool Site for February,
1997. (Exploratorium, Astronomy, Ten..., 1997).
It cannot be overstated that one of the most mind-
boggling aspects of learning applications on the
Internet is that of the collaborative effort of so
many learning institutions. For example, "Other
Worlds" is accessible from the Exploratorium. From
there, literally there is an entire universe at the
disposal of the learner. Set up in a straightforward
and linear manner, this Internet-based application can
be used as a tutorial or as a deeper means for
discovery. It is a visually captivating site, with
dozens of 3D, multimedia learning opportunities. There
are star maps, solar system models, universe models,
and minutely detailed overviews of planets -- all are
presented in VRML, the 3D modeling language. The
learner is able to download necessary software and
explore the models in a very meaningful, real-life
way. In this sense, a great portion of "Other Worlds"
is also a simulator experience. (Garber, 1997).
Darren Garber, the creator of "Other Worlds," has
made the interface very navigable for the learner.
Each exploration choice opens up a new browser window,
which allows the learner to explore the hundreds of
selections without losing his/her place. Some of the
links lead to additional pages created by Garber; most
times, however, they direct the learner to Expert
Sites, which massively broaden the learning
experience.
This application serves as a strong Mindtool, for
its ability to lead the learner to deeper and deeper
levels of critical thinking in many scientific
categories. Perhaps one of its strongest points,
however, is that Garber has already set up a logical
interface for the home page. The categories are simple
to follow, and although the initial page is jam-packed
with a long "scroll" bar, it is all text-based and
loads immediately. The user is able to easily follow
his interests in linking thoughts to subjects offered.
A learner new to the site will be astounded at the
topics. From the Extrasolar Planet Catalog, to the
long list of international observatories, to the space
art of Chesley Bonestell and NOVA graphics -- this
learning tool invites students of all ages. There
literally is something for everyone!
Many of these links provide learning in not just
the Astronomical Sciences, but also in areas like
world history or political science. The link to the
Russian Space Agency page, for instance, causes the
learner to ponder not just space-race issues, but also
recent historical changes in the previous USSR. In
fact, this home page for the RKA is sponsored by NASA,
itself! (NASA, Russian..., 1997). NASA also offers a
unique learning environment as well as a truly
singular free software, called J-Track 2.0. This
allows the learner to track some 8,000 satellites (not
all of them "live") in earth’s orbit, but from their
own computer! The "Spacecraft" category of this
software has followed the actions of Mir and Shuttle,
as well as Hubble, UARS, and COBE. The other highly
interesting category is that of the weather
satellites. This site, an "Other Worlds" partner,
offers hours of intense learning opportunities.
(NASA, J-Track..., 1997).
Garber’s site is such an extraordinary learning
tool that it has been cited by some of the top experts
in the field of Astronomy. PBS and its "NOVA Online:
Hunt for Alien Worlds" had this to recommend
concerning "Other Worlds": "Interesting VRML
simulations of the extrasolar planets for the high
power user. This site also includes simpler observing
guides and lots of links." (PBS, NOVA online, 1997).
"Other Worlds" has received much acclaim for its
educational contributions. Some of these awards
include: Windows Magazine’s Hot Spot for September 25,
1996; Sky & Telescope’s Featured Site for October,
1996; USA Today’s Hot Site of the Day for March 27,
1997; the Education Index’s Top Site for Astronomy;
and the British Examination Technique Academy of the
UK’s 5-Star Award for educational content. (Garber,
Awards, 1997).
---
REFERENCES
Exploratorium, & ExploraNet. (1997). Home page.
[Online]. Available: http://www.exploratorium.edu/
learning_studio/cool/astronomy.html
_____(1997). Astronomy: Ten cool sites. In: The
Learning Studio. Website modified: October 31, 1997.
[Online]. Available: http://www.exploratorium.edu/
learning_studio/cool/astronomy.html
_____(1997). Welcome to the Learning Studio. Website
modified: October 30, 1997. [Online]. Available:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ index.html
Farnady, Kate. (1997). SF Dream Job: The original
interactive museum. In: Internet news from Wired News,
October 24, 1997. [Online]. Available: http://
www.wired.com/news/news/business/story/7940.html
Garber, Darren D. (1997). [Online]. Available: http://
garber.simplenet.com/main.htm
_____(1997). Awards. Website updated: April 14, 1997.
[Online]. Available: http://garber.simplenet.com/
recognition.htm
_____(1997). Other worlds, distant suns: Catalog of
extrasolar planets, with astronomy and astronautical
engineering links [Computer program, Internet-based].
In: Current News. [Online]. Available from: http://
garber.simplenet.com/main.htm
NASA. (1997). [Online]. Home page. Available: http://
liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/
_____(1997). J-Track satellite tracking. [Online].
Available: http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/
RealTime/JTrack/
_____(1997). Russian Space Agency: History, programs,
administration and launch control. [Online].
Available: http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/rsa/rsa.html
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). (1997). NOVA
Online: Hunt for alien worlds. [Online]. Available:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worlds/resources.html
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Kallen, Christian, & Microsoft Network. (1997). Mungo
Park: Into the Canopy, A Multimedia Rain Forest Tour
[Computer program, Internet-based]. In: Microsoft
Network, Mungo Park, Media Trip. Redmond, WA: Authors.
[Online]. Available: http://www.mungopark.com/199711/
features/media_trip/intro.asp
Microsoft, never a one to do anything in a small
way, has done it again. There is a myriad of
educational options to be found on the Microsoft
Network’s expansive website, but one of the most
interesting and attractive learning environments was
recently discovered by this writer. Mungo Park is a
vibrant, colorful spot on the Internet that provides
extremely high-tech multimedia choices for learners,
surfers, and accidental tourists, such as myself.
On a monthly basis, new Expeditions take the user
into unique, out of the way spots to explore regions,
religions, flora, fauna, food and fun. Now that this
Mungo Park review sounds like a tourist ad, it must be
noted that this computer-based learning application --
for, very definitely that is what it is -- is attached
to Microsoft’s Expedia site, which is probably the
most extensive and informative travel site on the
Internet. In fact, the options found at Expedia are
expansions to the tremendous options already found in
Mungo Park. This application is a discovery program, a
tutorial, a simulator and one massive game-like place
to be. It’s hard to leave Mungo Park!
One of the current learning programs at Mungo Park
is called "Into the Canopy: A Multimedia Rain Forest
Tour." This is only one of the many choices in the
overall Month-of-November learning program that covers
Costa Rica and the rainforests. "Canopy" is an
informative, almost encyclopedic look at the
rainforest through the eyes of explorer/author,
Christian Kallen. The learner is introduced to the
project by means of lush graphics, animation, video,
and sound. Streamed audio files deliver even personal
accounts of Kallen the sojourner, and his peers. The
verdant Costa Rican rainforest is introduced to the
learner this way:
"The world we walk through on shaded trails is
only a small portion of the ecology of the tropical
rainforest. The forest is built in layers, and each
layer is its own ecological niche. On the forest
floor, sunlight but dimly penetrates, and
identifying separate species is often difficult in
the riot of shrubs and seedlings. Lift your vision
a few feet, and you’ll see three or even four other
layers rising above you -- one to three closed
canopies. At the top level is the upper canopy, 100
to 160 feet above the forest floor." (Kallen,
1997).
Through interactive and multimedia means, the
learner then ascends those 160 feet in a bucket on a
rope, with the author of the program! In a slow, but
seamless interface, the tour begins. Users are
introduced to the sights and sounds of the animals and
plants of the rainforest. Some of the topics included
the 150-foot Ajo Tree (Caryocar costaricense), the
really not-pretty Three-toed sloth (Bradypus
variegatus), the Pale-billed woodpecker (Gampephilus
guatemalensis) and his drum-song by audio file, the
Spider monkey (Mono arana) and a colorful array of
exotic birds. The audio files that accompany these
topics lend much to the multimedia environment. The
histories of the Scarlet macaw (Ara macao) and the
Chestnut mandibled toucan were interesting. My two
favorites were the Cicadas, which provide the loud,
predominant buzzing in the rainforest; and the antics
of the Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryus).
(Kallen, 1997). I took as much delight in this online
virtual Zoo as my 10-year old daughter did. We both
learned a lot about rainforest citizens.
Microsoft is very good about walking the user
through the necessary means to participate in their
online educational adventures. Mungo Park and "Canopy"
are no different. Along with instructions concerning
browsers, the learner is asked to download the
essential components to use the online multimedia
choices. These include the RealAudio Player to hear
sound clips and background sounds, the Surround Video
Player to view 360-degree panorama photographs, the
Netshow Player to experience features such as live
audio and video during select chats and special events
(NetShow will soon be providing streaming video and
audio clips!), Shockwave Flash, and the VivoActive
Player for viewing interviews and expedition events.
(Microsoft Corporation, Toolbox, 1997). All of these
software are free. One good benefit of these downloads
is that once the software is installed, it allows the
learner to more readily utilize most educational
content on MSN, as well as many other websites.
Interactive content abounds on the Mungo Park site!
A truly enticing part of the learning events has to do
with communication on a worldwide basis, in the
"NetShow Events" area. People are able to learn new
topics in a collaborative manner, with feedback from
online experts. Live chats for November included:
1) "Coast to Coast in Costa Rica: A Journey from
Sunrise to Sunset in Central America" -- with
Shari Belafonte. There were daily dispatches
from the expedition team, as well as chat
sessions.
2) "@ the Park" – Chat sessions about life in the
rainforest with the students of the Children’s
Eternal Rain Forest, a unique Costa Rican
biological preserve funded by donations from
kids around the world.
3) "Club Mungo Chat" -- Adventure sports including
paddle sports (rafting, canoeing, and
kayaking), mountain sports (hiking, trekking,
and mountaineering), underwater sports
(snorkeling and scuba diving), and wildlife.
(Microsoft Corporation, What’s up..., 1997).
As with most of the professionally-executed
Internet-based learning programs, the element of
collaborative teaching and learning is one of the best
features of the application. Mungo Park is, itself, a
linked partner with Microsoft’s Expedia. This travel
site is a learning experience in its own right, with
choices for viewing 360° Surround Video tours of top
destinations, studying their World Guide, a 14,000-
page virtual guidebook with links to thousands of
sites around the Web, exploring their Currency
Converter, to see how many Andorran pesetas equal how
many Zambian kwachas, or learn the money system of 200
other countries. The site offers extensive maps of the
world, as well as in-depth documentation of small and
large locations. (Microsoft Corporation, Expedia TOC,
1997).
There are many partners in the collaborative setup
of "Canopy," for instance. The learner may link to
documentaries and interactive learning sites such as
The Rain Forest Aerial Tram site (Braulio Carillo
National Park outside San José), the Habitats website,
a pioneer in rainforest canopy projects, or Mama
Planet, a new environmental issues website developed
by the Microsoft Network. Some excellent resources are
offered, such as the book, _El Bosque Tropical/Rain
Forest_, by Helen Cowcher Farrar, which is a bilingual
introduction to the issues threatening tropical rain
forests, geared toward younger readers. (Microsoft
Corporation, Tools and Tips..., 1997).
Mungo Park’s current sojourns, "Into the Canopy,"
NetShow, Expedia -- as well as their past expeditions
into the fossils and Mesozoic mysteries of Dinosaur
Park in western Colorado (Microsoft Corporation,
Dinosaur Fossil Hunt, 1997), and the heart-torn
memories of Vietnam (Microsoft Corporation, 30 Years
After..., 1997) -- offer hours of learning
opportunities. Their upcoming journey into the Holy
Land, "In Search of the Birth of Jesus, will provide
yet another powerful Internet-based learning
application. (Microsoft Corporation, What’s Up...,
1997).
These are powerful tools for learning. They are
rife with color and sound, and are enticing starting
points for all learners. Each application within the
larger scope of Mungo Park’s environment is a
Mindtool, an implement to expand one’s creative
thinking. Each step is an act of discovery.
---
REFERENCES
Kallen, Christian, & Microsoft Corporation. (1997).
Mungo Park: Into the Canopy, A Multimedia Rain Forest Tour
[Computer program, Internet-based]. In: Microsoft Network,
Mungo Park, Media Trip. Redmond, WA: Authors. [Online].
Available: http://www.mungopark.com/199711/features/
media_trip/intro.asp
Microsoft Corporation. (1997). Mungo Park Home page.
[Online]. Available: http://www.mungopark.com/
_____(1997). 30 years after a hollow victory. In:
Mungo Park, June, 1997. [Online]. Available:
http://www.mungopark.com/199706/features/
wildlit/contents.asp
_____(1997). Dinosaur Fossil Hunt. In: Mungo Park,
August, 1997. [Online]. Available: http://
www.mungopark.com/199708/CONTENTS.ASP?issue=199708
_____(1997). Expedia Table of Contents (TOC).
[Online]. Available: http://expedia.msn.com/daily/toc/
_____(1997). Toolbox. [Online]. Available:
http:// www.mungopark.com/help/toolbox/
contents.asp?issue=199711
_____(1997). Tools and tips for learning more about
the world’s tropical rain forests. [Online].
Available: http://www.mungopark.com/199711/
features/media_trip/resource.asp
_____(1997). What’s Up with Mungo Park? [Online].
Available: http://www.mungopark.com/199711/home/
events/contents.asp
<<1232wds___________________________________end list item 4
---
Meadows, Mark. (1997). c r u t c h [Computer program,
Internet-based]. In: Portfolio -- Construct Internet
Design. Mountain View, CA: Author & Construct.
[Online]. Available: http://www.construct.net/projects/
crutch/
A world of WRLs (3D models produced using the
Virtual Reality Modeling Language, or VRML) is
available on the website of Construct Internet Design.
The learning experience begins the very second the
site is accessed. This review will go as far as to say
that the larger Internet- and computer-based learning
program IS Construct, itself. To understand that
statement, a basic understanding of VRML is necessary,
as well as an awareness of the general trends for
content delivery.
Simply stated, current languages such as Java, C++,
and other object-oriented programming languages are
the tools for more effective delivery of content,
educational or otherwise. Daily users of the Internet
have recently seen that great numbers of websites are
utilizing the abilities of these programmers’ tools.
The VRML model is a file, designated with the suffix,
".wrl", and it gives the user the opportunity to
explore and learn in a realistic, three-dimensional
"location." Construct Internet Design is all about
WRLs.
c r u t c h -- is all about WRLs...
Secrets of the Web Design Masters, Construct--The
Art and Science of Building Worlds, On the Web’s
Cutting Edge, Netscape 3.0 Innovators. (Construct,
Press, 1997). What do these article titles have in
common? These writings apply to the Construct company
of Mountain View, California. Construct constructs
website design, in three-dimensional reality. They
have worked with international entities in education,
science, technology, metallurgy, and many other
advanced subjects. Each WRL that is produced is a
state-of-the-art, computer-based learning application.
These WRLs have been used as tutorials, simulators,
and games. The object-oriented languages have been
used by businesses worldwide in corporate training and
education. Construct has worked with top names in
multimedia advancements, and have had their place in
the establishing of standards.
Author Mark Meadows is a strong political advocate
(themes of politics, religion and sex -- as well as
abortion, bloody wars and nuclear this-and-that) and
"Crutch" is a somewhat grisly evidence of that.
(Meadows, boar|bore, 1997). He is the company’s self-
appointed "Chief Investigating Officer." (Construct,
Hipness..., 1997).
He says of his work, that it is an interactive
narrative that tells a story from three perspectives.
He says that it is extensible into a MUD (an online
role playing website). (Meadows, ...digital comic,
1997). It began as a short story in the winter, 1996.
"The Crutch - or, technical difficulties." (http://
www.construct.net/projects/crutch/original_text.html )
Fashioned loosely after a Greek tragic myth, "Crutch"
won an award, so Meadows decided to "grow" his work.
The story of the old man, walking in the desert,
and...well...literally falling to pieces...grew into
a non-linear narrative with more characters. (Meadows,
Sum history, 1997). Meadows calls "Crutch" dubious --
a digital comic. (Meadows, ...digital comic, 1997).
c r u t c h -- not dubiously, a digital comic...
...in the same sense as you would find a copy of
Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" by Marvel Comics (if you can
envision the comparison). Who is able to determine
what application can become a veritable learning tool,
a Mindtool? If you ask the aeronautical engineer what
the most astounding feat of his life was, and he
responds that his fingerprints are roaming the fields
of Mars with the Rover, then it is obvious he had
mighty learning challenges to get to that point. If
you ask him what inspired him toward his career, and
his response is that comic books as a child gave him
visions of outstanding weaponry, rocket travel and
super heroes, who are *you* to argue with him that a
comic book cannot be a Mindtool? (W. L. Boyd, personal
communication, May, 1995). "Crutch," the comic, the
symbol of Greek literary pathos, was inspired within
Construct’s general philosophy of ‘Evolve or Die.’ All
comic book characters MUST evolve or die! As with all
their products, "Crutch" is such an evolution, a
fusion of the technical and aesthetic elements of an
immersive online environment.
c r u t c h -- IS immersive, an evolution...
Construct states, "We specialize in multi-user,
multi-protocol sites that integrate VRML, Java, MUDs,
and HTML with a clear understanding of presentation
and communication." (Construct, Portfolio, 1997). To
understand why that is meaningful in assessing
"Crutch" as a learning tool, the reader needs to have
an understanding of what these multimedia tools are
used for. Increasingly, they are used to create
educational or instructional content for the Internet.
Construct was a forerunner in that category! Their
earliest highly-recognized effort was done in the
infancy of the VRML language: the Arc Gallery, which
was a large-scale VRML 1.0 project. The date was June
of 1995.
Construct, given a "Top 1% Web Sites" Award for
1996 by the Multimedia Research Group, Inc. of
Sunnyvale, California, was one of 80 sites who
illustrated the highest quality of both web content
and design that can be found on the World Wide Web.
Their award was in the Creative category, with an
emphasis on artistic content. (Leon-Guerrero, 1997).
As this review has shown, much of that creativity is
focused on learning programs.
Some of their company clients have included
Netscape and Microsoft, CollegeNet (a medium scale
VRML-2.0 presentation), Stratus (a large scale HTML
and VRML-1.0 online art gallery), and Silicon Graphics
with the VRML world, "SGI’s oobe" (a large scale HTML
and VRML-2.0 presentation). (Construct, Projects,
1997). Each learning application, like "Crutch,"
invites the learner into a constructed world, a total
environment, an engaging discovery that takes hours
and weeks to explore.
c r u t c h -- took hours and weeks to explore...
What is the correlation between a multimedia tool
such as VRML, and learning? The key stimuli to which
humans respond are: sound, motion and emotion. We
react to human body language. Putting some emotional
resonance into action makes communication across the
Internet more potent. (Haney, 1997). In other words,
more effective communication happens when our eyes and
ears have something to do. The learning process is
enhanced by sight and sound. The lesson is less likely
to be forgotten.
c r u t c h -- literature, resonance in action...
If sound and movement enhance a literary learning
tool, what can be done with a technical science
lesson, so often delivered in a dull drill-and-
practice program? Visualize this...two visualization
demonstrations aimed at the educational market! One
shows the Earth, viewed from space in real time! The
other shows the anatomy of the human body. In the VRML
display, the learner can navigate around the body. The
skin and bones can be removed to observe the viscera
in 3D, with motion and sound effects. Nearing the
chest cavity, the learner can see and hear the heart
beating in a real-time simulation. (Haney, 1997). Yes,
a simulation. Delivered via the Internet. These were
actual presentations at the Object Expo Conference, in
New York, in June of this year. (Haney, 1997).
c r u t c h -- a literary online simulator?
Construct says, "Every project we take on requires
invention -- in process, in tools, in design. We often
work parallel to the next-stage development of the
VRML protocol...[w]orking with any ‘leading edge’
technology requires a lot of flexibility and patience.
(Kimen, 1997). Mark Meadows, in creating "Crutch"
seemed to have adhered to that concept. The 53-pages-
of-Crutch (Meadows, ...digital comic, 1997) was
a virtual loner for a while on the Web. Working a step
ahead of the technology extracts its price, however.
Those early 1997 weeks were slow viewing, in spite of
Meadows’ efforts to keep the pages below 150k. He was
more or less successful, as sound files and animations
are memory-intensive. (Meadows, Techniques, 1997). The
creation of "Crutch," it appears, was a learning and
discovery mode, as much as the *exploring* of...
c r u t c h -- was revelation in the purist form...
Here is what makes "Crutch" an excellent learning
application. It is simply exemplary of its creators.
The Construct website is actually one highly effective
learning application. Why is this so? Construct
plainly practices what it preaches. They give you...
Tools.
Construct gives you Java, HTML, VRML, and what they
call their Backyard Tools. Their exact words were: "A
ton of multi-build.your.owns." Goodies like multimedia
viewers and players, imaging, sound, video, and
multimedia authoring software, tutorials, and special
Internet aids such as ShockWave and QuickTime. All
free. It truly is a delightful compendium -- one of
the best I’ve ever seen on the Web. Construct says,
"Get some start on authoring multimedia files with
the shareware that’s available." (Construct, Tools,
1997).
This reviewer agrees. Learn to create a learning
environment. Make it move. Make it moving. Pick up the
pieces where "Crutch" left off. (Pun intended.)
---
REFERENCES
Construct Internet Design. (1997). Home page.
[Online]. Available: http://www.construct.net/
_____(1997). Hipness in slavery. Website modified:
November 19, 1997. [Online]. Available: http://
www.construct.net/who/who_list.html
_____(1997). Portfolio. Website modified: May 16,
1997. [Online]. Available: http://www.construct.net/
projects/body.html
_____(1997). Press. [Online]. Available: http://
www.construct.net/who/press/
_____(1997). Tools. [Online: Base location for various
sites]. Available: http://www.construct.net/tools
_____(1997). Backyard tools. [Online]. Available:
../multimedia/body.html
_____(1997). HTML tools. [Online]. Available:
../html/body.html
_____(1997). Java tools. [Online]. Available:
../java/body.html
_____(1997). VRML tools. [Online]. Available:
../vrml/body.html
Haney, Clare. (1997). Virtual reality adds emotion to
the web. In: TechWeb News. [Online]. Available:
http://www.techweb.com/se/directlink.cgi?WIR1997060604
Kimen, Shel, & Silicon Graphics, Inc. Wired woman:
Lisa Goldman. In: vrml.sgi.com: January 9, 1997. [Online].
Available: http://vrml.sgi.com/features/lisa.html
Leon-Guerrero, Marc. (1997). MRG: Top 1% web sites
award for 1996. Sunnyvale, CA: Multimedia Research Group,
Inc. Website modified: November 30, 1997. [Online].
Available: http://www.mrgco.com/webawardpr.html
Meadows, Mark. (1997). boar|bore: author’s home page.
[Online]. Available: http://www.construct.net/who/pighed/
_____(1997). c r u t c h [Computer program,
Internet-based]. In: Portfolio -- Construct Internet
Design. Mountain View, CA: Author & Construct.
[Online]. Available: http://www.construct.net/
projects/crutch/
_____(1997). Crutch is a digital comic. [Online].
Website modified: June 06, 1997. Available: http://
www.construct.net/projects/intro/crutch.html
_____(1997). Sum history. Website modified: Friday,
May 30, 1997. [Online]. Available: http://
www.construct.net/projects/crutch/history.html
_____(1997). The crutch -- or, technical difficulties.
Website modified: June 04, 1997 . [Online: digital
short story]. Available: http://www.construct.net/
projects/crutch/original_text.html
_____(1997). Techniques. Website modified: Wednesday,
June 04, 1997. [Online]. Available: http://
www.construct.net/projects/crutch/pages.html
<<1446wds___________________________________end list item 5
---
March, Tom. (1996). Donner online [Computer program,
Internet-based]. In: Knowledge Network Explorer/
Education First. San Diego, CA: Author, & Applications
Design Team/Wired Learning, Pacific Bell. [Online].
Available: http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/donner/
index.html
Leave it to someone at Silicon Graphics to bring
new perspectives to old themes. This online/offbeat
piece of humor stands as introduction to a truly
effective example of Internet- and computer-based
learning applications. In fact, the author of the
program included a role-play for "The Jester," within
the application. An online link leads to this:
Dinner Time
Overheard at a restaurant near Trukee in
the Sierra Mountains:
"Donner, party of eight..."
(pause)
"Excuse me, Donner, party of seven.
Your table is ready."
by: kubey@summit.engr.sgi.com (Kubey, 1996).
It has been said that if we can’t laugh at
ourselves, then at whom can we laugh? The author of
the Internet application, "Donner Online," was wise to
include a section of humor for such an uncomfortable
lesson in history as the necessity (?) of cannibalism.
Author, Tom March, within his program, even asks, "Can
jokes about cannibalism be in good taste?" (March,
Donner online, 1996). Note that this title even
broadens the humor. Nevertheless, the online learner
is given a choice portion to chew on for a while.
Seriously, the purpose of the query is to invoke
deeper thinking about political, societal, and ethical
questions.
There is a consistent thread in the new genre of
electronic learning applications that are appearing on
the Internet. The very nature of the World Wide Web
lends itself very well to one descriptive factor of a
valuable Mindtool, which is collaboration. Many of
these learning sites include effective collaboration
on not just the part of students, but starting within
the teaching ranks. Most online learning applications
have a plethora of resources and links to partners in
the overall educational sequence. At times, these
partners are, in the "real world," even competitors.
It seems to be the atmosphere of only the Internet
that allows for this kind of handshaking, especially
in the offering of information. "Donner Online" is one
of these sites. Extended references keep learners
active and vitally interested for long periods of
time.
At San Diego State University’s Department of
Educational Technology, Pacific Bell has funded three
fellowships in the College of Education, as part of
the Education First Initiative. The "Applications
Design Team" (also known as the SDSU/Pacific Bell
Fellows) are building videoconferencing and Internet
applications for public libraries, K-12 schools, and
community colleges.
These tools, lessons, activities, references, and
resources are developed to support learning across the
Internet. (Pacific Bell, 1996). Tom March has been a
vital part of the team. Along with "Donner Online," he
has created:
* Non-Profit Prophets:
Students Create Websites for Nonprofits
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/prophets/
* Eyes on Art:
Seven Comprehensive Arts Education Activities
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/art/art.html
* Black History:
A Sampler Exploring African-American Issues
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/AfroAm.html
* Searching for China, A WebQuest:
Looking at China from five perspectives
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/China/
ChinaQuest.html
(March, Websites, 1997).
In "Donner Online," Tom March has taken this type
of educational product a step further, and has created
a downloadable companion software for this tool. It is
free, and available for both PC and Macintosh
platforms. The product is an organized "shell" for the
online discovery program. It is used by students to
create a "scrapbook" (digital, with abilities to take
to printed form) of the learning experience. Journeys
made by one class then have archived histories that
may be compared with future journeys, or used as
models. (March, Donner online, 1996).
The dilemma of the Donner Party holds its place as
one of the most passionate episodes in the history of
westward movement during the 19th Century. "Donner
Online" is an Internet-based learning program in which
the student learns about a subject by a series of
interactive and collaborative means. By collecting
information, images, and insights from the Internet,
the student can then "paste" them into a "multimedia
scrapbook" -- a HyperStudio stack for the Mac or a Web
page for PC or Mac. This allows the learning to be
shared with others. Students work in teams, where
group members take on distinct roles and look for
differing kinds of information, answers, and
understanding. When the group assembles all of the
elements to create the scrapbook, each member will
then be exposed to what all team members have learned
in the study of the Donner tragedy.
The last phase of creating this multimedia product
focuses learners on deeper thinking, in order to
answer questions such as:
* How would it have felt to be a member of
the Donner Party?
* How would modern day citizens cope with
the difficult conditions faced by Donner?
Would age or gender be a factor?
* When facing tragedy, is humor appropriate?
* When contemplating an opportunity, what thoughts
should one have toward the risks?
* In studying history, how can facts and theories
clarify or confuse the truth?
* Natural beauty often is paired with life-
threatening danger. Can humans find peace and/or
harmony in such natural settings? What measures
must be taken?
The project is formed in three phases. Phase 1
consists of gaining background knowledge, in a role-
playing mode. Before taking on a role, each learner
should make sure that everyone in the group knows the
basic history of the Donner catastrophe. Students use
the links listed online to glean information. The use
of role-playing for the journey west is such an
excellent concept, in the eye of this reviewer. The
roles include: the Historian, the Diarist, the
Cartographer, the Correspondent, the Pictorialist, the
Jester, the Provisioner, and the Scientist.
Now, the group goes into Phase 2, collecting
information. Within their roles, learners explore the
related Internet links, looking for interesting
things, important things, and surprising things -- and
having fun! As an example of one of the roles, the
Learner-as-Historian is required to look into early
Discoverers and Explorers. The question is posed, "Who
really found the Oregon Trail?" Links lead to engaging
histories of:
* Lewis and Clark * Mountain Men
* The Astorians * Fur Trading Companies
* Pike and Long * Fremont
(Trinklein & Boettcher, 1997)
Learners are warned to note URL locations as they
look for things borrowed from the Internet, as it is
quite easy to "get lost" and never be able to return!
The items collected are "pasted" into the digital
scrapbook.
Phase 3 gives learners the opportunity for actually
creating learning products, which challenges them to
expand and refine their ways of thinking. This is
achieved in the assemblage of the multimedia
scrapbook. Students are asked to write about their
roles, and, working with partners, to think deeply
about questions such as those mentioned above. The
entire project is then presented to the class.
What makes "Donner Online" such an excellent
learning tool? When learners of all ages are asked to
think deeply about the human condition and the daily
choices we must make, oppositional settings such as
opportunity versus risk, or beauty that might harbor
danger, it often appears that life gives us
experiences that are complex and perhaps deadly. Each
person, through looking closely at the facts and
issues in the Donner Party tragedy, comes a bit closer
to knowing his or her own spirit, and gains an
understanding of how to cope with extreme decisions.
Hopefully, the learner will also come to understand
those around him more clearly -- gaining insight into
what it means to be human.
---
REFERENCES
Kubey, Ken, & ClariNet, Inc. (1996). Dinner time.
In: Fun stuff & jokes, RHF joke archives. Link from: Donner
online, http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/donner/index.html
[Online]. Available: http://comedy.clari.net/rhf/jokes/
95q4/donner.html
March, Tom. (1996). Donner online [Computer program,
Internet-based]. In: Knowledge Network Explorer/Education
First. San Diego, CA: Author, & Applications Design
Team/Wired Learning, Pacific Bell. [Online]. Available:
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/donner/index.html
_____(1997). Websites: Pacific Bell education first
fellow. [Online]. Available: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/
edfirst/tmarch/websites.html
Pacific Bell. (1996). Wired learning in the classroom
& library. In: Knowledge Network Explorer. [Online].
Available: http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/
Trinklein, Mike, & Boettcher, Steve. (1997).
Discoverers and explorers: Who really found the Oregon
Trail? In: The Oregon Trail Website. [Online]. Available:
http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Discoverers.html
<<1245wds___________________________________end list item 6
---
[Note: there are two separate software in this review]
Ray, Thomas S. (1997). Compile Tierra from code [Computer
program, V4.3 source code]. Website modified:
August 13, 1997. Santa Fe, NM: Author [Primary creator].
[Online]. Available: http://www.hip.atr.co.jp/~ray/
tierra/djgpp/djgpp.html
_____(1997). Getting Tierra on disk [Computer program,
V4.3 source code]. Website modified: February 14, 1997.
Santa Fe, NM: Author [Primary creator]. [Online].
Available: http://www.hip.atr.co.jp/~ray/tierra/
disk.html
_____(1997). How to get Tierra by ftp [Computer
Program, V4.3 source code]. Website modified: April 23,
1997. Santa Fe, NM: Author [Primary creator]. [Online].
Available: http://www.hip.atr.co.jp/~ray/tierra/ftp.html
Construct Internet Design. (1995). Tierra2VRML source code
[Computer program, version Tierra2VRML source code].
Mountain View, CA: Meadows, Tom, & Waldrop, James, of
Construct Internet Design [Secondary creators].
[Online]. Available: http://www.construct.net/tierra/
scripts/tierra2vrml.html
For the purposes of this review, it would be best
for the reader to first take a look at a graphic --
or, better yet -- a three-dimensional world of
movement, of the community under consideration. There
are creatures growing in this unknown (or unknowable)
place. They have been the topic of much conversation
for many years. They are residents within a computer-
based learning tool. They are citizens of a realm not
made by man, but also not created by God or any other
universal, spiritual force.
They are inhabitants of Tierra.
To view the folk of Tierra, go via Internet to:
http://www.construct.net/tierra/images/tierra_1.gif
These natives were captured within a VRML (virtual
reality) environment by the software efforts of
Construct Internet Design. The creatures are
represented by smaller spheres clustered about a
nucleus. (Construct, Tierra Nodes, 1996).
Take a stroll through their inspired vision:
http://www.construct.net/tierra/data/
tierra.192.12.12.9.wrl.gz
Please return when you have finished your walk in
digital space...
As we proceed into a look at "The Tierra Project,"
keep in mind...the more "generator" power something
has, THE BIGGER IT IS.
Thomas Ray has provided a most advanced platform
for studying and learning about the evolution of
artificial organisms. "Tierra’s" goal is to render an
environment in which Darwinian evolution can progress
within a computer -- but without controlling influence
or intervention from a human. This is NOT science
fiction.
This review contains many explanations and
definitions. Without these, the concept of the
computer program is lost. The reader will have no idea
what this discovery program, this simulation,
currently does, or -- more importantly -- what it is
theoretically capable of doing.
The Santa Fe Institute of New Mexico, specialists
in Artificial Life (AL or Alife), say this about Ray’s
computer program: "In Tierra organisms are machine-
language computer programs. An organism is thus a
linear string of instructions. The organism is
executed by moving an execution pointer along the
organism, executing in sequence the instructions
encountered. The major conceptual advance in Tierra is
the construction of a robust machine-language
instruction set." (Santa Fe Institute, ...Radically
Bottom-Up, 1995). In other words, the computer is
programmed to begin creating its own programming!
It is better to think of Tierra as an artificial
"biosphere" governed by its own artificial regimens,
rather than as an unwavering model of any real
biological function.
Hoping that the reader is still following this
description, one observation is necessary:
Unfortunately, user-interface features are still
fairly undeveloped in the Tierra program. This makes
it more difficult for the average learner to get
started (but not so much so, at a later date, when
they are hooked!). While there are some abilities for
visual display of data in the MS-DOS version, even in
the latest version (4.0), there is no toolbox or X-
windows interface. (Santa Fe Institute, ...Radically
Bottom-Up, 1995). That is a definite drawback, in the
opinion of this writer, for the use of a really
intriguing software is thus limited to users who are
more scientifically oriented.
Until, that is, a few well-known entities
(interested in Zen ideologies and theories on creating
life, and we won’t mention that they are the Grateful
Dead [famous rock band], or that the G.D. is a major
financial grantor for the Tierra Project) caught the
fervor. (We also won’t mention that Thomas Ray wrote a
paper entitled, "An Evolutionary Approach to Synthetic
Biology, Zen and the Art of Creating Life. [Artificial
Life, 1(1), 1994] -- it would make our own carbon-
based world seem entirely too small.) (Santa Fe
Institute, References [Thomas Ray], 1995).
We WILL mention that an up-and-coming high-tech
multimedia group out of California (also because of
Zen-based interests) took a very close look at Ray’s
works on Alife. Construct Internet Design decided to
take Tierra’s critters into a seriously visual realm.
Using VRML version 1.0, Mark Meadows
(pighed@well.com) and James Waldrop (sulam@well.com)
of Construct, spent one cozy Friday afternoon in May
of 1995 consulting with one Mr. Thomas Ray on the
specifics of how Tierra works. They took a Tierra
server’s output and turned it into a VRML ".wrl"
(world), written in what became Tierra2VRML source
code. Mr. Ray later also provided server-side changes
that were needed to make Tierra facilitate the
collection of data. (Construct, Tierra2VRML..., 1995).
Not quite a big bang, but a world was born. The gods
could see that it was good.
Construct’s "Tierra" is a visualization of Thomas
Ray’s Digital Biodiversity Range. The NETWORK -- as
seen by Ray’s DIGITAL ORGANISMS -- is "a constantly
changing landscape of CPU cycles and the memory on
which they feed." (Construct, Introduction..., 1997).
Keep in mind...the more "generator" power something
has, THE BIGGER IT IS.
What tremendous understanding of artificial life
did Meadows and Waldrop have, when they actually put
code to a concept in May of 1995? This is how they
describe it: "[Tierra is a] large and topologically
complex region of cyberspace (a virtual sub-net within
the Internet), within which digital organisms will be
able to live, wander and evolve freely, without human
interference. In essence, this is a wildlife reserve
for digital organisms. The Tierra Project is an
environment of various operating systems. Digital
organisms are introduced into this environment and
encouraged to migrate, compete, and evolve. This
ecosystem of digital organisms is monitored and the
data is ported to a VRML file for interface purposes."
(Construct, The Tierra Project, 1995).
For those of us among us (reviewer included), who
are unfamiliar with modern "ultra-Science," we will
call this next section "Introduction to Artificial
Life 101." Biology is the scientific study of life --
in principle anyway. In daily action, biology is the
scientific study of life *on Earth* BASED ON CARBON-
CHAIN CHEMISTRY.
In order to come up with general theories
concerning life, we need a GROUP of case histories to
generalize over. Since it’s very unlikely that alien
life forms will neatly introduce themselves to us for
study in the near future, we are left to try to create
alternative life forms, ourselves.
Artificial Life is the name given to a new
discipline that studies "natural" life by attempting
to recreate biological phenomena, "home-baked," within
computers and other "artificial" media. In Alife,
rather than studying biological phenomena by taking
apart living organisms to see how they work, one
attempts to put together systems that ACT like living
organisms.
The process of synthesis has been an extremely
important tool in many disciplines. For example,
synthetic chemistry -- the ability to put together new
chemical compounds not found in nature -- has not only
contributed greatly to our theoretical understanding
of chemical reactions, but also has allowed us to put
together new chemicals and materials that are
tremendously useful for industry and technology.
(Santa Fe Institute, Introduction..., 1997).
"Where is all this leading?" readers are moaning.
"And, what does Tierra, just a computer program, have
to do with it all? Why is the Grateful Dead
interested in artificial LIFE?"
Keep in mind...the more "generator" power something
has, THE BIGGER IT IS.
Thomas Ray answers the readers’ cry: "Ideally we
would like to generate software that utilizes the full
capability of our most advanced hardware...Successful
efforts at the evolution of machine codes have
generally worked with programs of *under a hundred
bytes.* How can we provoke evolution to transform such
simple algorithms into software of vast complexity?"
(Construct, Tierra Nodes, 1996). In other words, if we
give Tierra enough room, enough space, enough
CYBERSPACE, and enough POWER -- theoretically, things
will begin to expand to the "limits of the
capabilities of our most advanced hardware."
What ARE the artificial life forms of Tierra
capable of accomplishing? Those who have used Ray’s
programming code as a means to deeper thinking in the
arenas of evolution, can tell you what is possible!
For those who have used this mind-boggling software,
Ray puts forth an invitation for participation! Those
who understand what is going on within the Tierran
realm will be those who wish to support the Digital
Biodiversity Reserve by contributing spare CPU cycles.
(Could this be called "synthetic time-sharing"?) No
one knows how long it will take for complex software
to evolve in the Reserve. If the desired elaborateness
does begin to evolve, then the Reserve would probably
become a constant "appliance," "living" within the
Internet. (Ray, A proposal..., 1994).
Alife boils down to the practice of "synthetic
biology." Holding to the analogy with synthetic
chemistry, if we attempt to generate biological
phenomena in an alternative media, our results will
(following the example of synthetic chemistry) most
likely be in advancements in things like computer
hardware, software, spacecraft, medicine, industrial
fabrication, and other vital engineering projects.
(Santa Fe Institute, Introduction..., 1997). However,
learners in the realm of the creation of artificial
life should NOT attempt to guide evolution in order to
generate the application that we think we seek. Thomas
Ray admonishes that, "Instead, we should wait to see
what evolution offers us. After all, we don’t
necessarily know what we want." (Ray, A proposal...,
1994).
Keep in mind...the more "generator" power something
has, THE BIGGER IT IS.
We also don’t necessarily know what we will GET!
Everyone in computing, it would seem, screams for
the next "dynamite application" -- some genre of
software that the whole world will want -- but which
nobody has thought of yet. Growth of the software
industry relies on the arrival of completely new
applications, but they haven’t yet been invented! We
don’t need to try to use evolution to make superior
versions of existing applications...that seems to
happen anyway. Instead, the deep-thinker using Tierra
will see that evolution, if allowed, will find the new
applications for us! Ray says there is proof of that
statement provided by organic evolution:
"[R]ice, corn, wheat, carrots, beef cattle,
dairy cattle, pigs, chickens, dogs, cats, guppies,
cotton, mahogany, tobacco, mink, sheep, silk moths,
yeast, and penicillin mold. If we had never
encountered any one of these organisms, we would
never have thought of them either. We have made
them into applications because we recognized the
potential in some organism that was spontaneously
generated within an ecosystem of organisms evolving
freely by natural selection." (Ray, A proposal...,
1994).
One of the most paramount events in Earth’s history
was the "Cambrian explosion of diversity," about 600
million years ago. Complex multi-celled life, after
three billion years of dominance by single-celled life
forms, made a grand debut! If something comparable
could be made to happen in digital organisms, it would
be possible to confirm the essential elements required
for the transition. By systematically removing
(computerized!) each of the conditions that were
activated to GENERATE the transition, a minimal set of
requirements for evolution would eventually be
pinpointed. (Construct, Tierra documentation, 1996).
We know very little about the new technology of
natural evolution in the digital medium. For those who
use the learning opportunities of Tierra and have
followed the new science of artificial life, the hope
is to evolve a genre of software with sophisticated
functionalities far beyond anything that has ever been
calculated by humans. As presented before in this
review, just how long might this take?
Ray says that, "[e]volution in the organic medium
is known to be a slow process. Certainly there remains
the possibility that evolution in the digital medium
will be too slow to be a practical tool for software
generation. [However, computer] processes occur at
electronic speeds, [such] as during the Cambrian
period, [when] evolution produced such a rapid
inflation of complexity and diversity, that it has
come to be known as an ‘explosion.’" (Ray, A
proposal..., 1994).
After much study of the world of Tierra, it is the
opinion of this reviewer that the computerized world
should get ready for a new explosion!
Many readers, by now, will see that Tierra is a
valuable learning application. If you would like to
know more about the workings of Tierra, there are many
documents available for online research or via
anonymous ftp.
* The Tierra V4.3 source code, the source
code of all Tierra tools, and documentation and
manuscripts are available at:
ftp://tierra.slhs.udel.edu/tierra/doc
* The DJGPP compiler recommended by Ray:
http://www.hip.atr.co.jp/~ray/tierra/
djgpp/djgpp.html
http://www.hip.atr.co.jp/~ray/tierra/djgpp/
compiler.html
* Getting Tierra on disk: You may obtain everything
on 3.5" 1.4M DOS disks by making a check for $50 (US
dollars drawn on a US bank) payable to Virtual Life.
The disks include executables, source code, all
Documentation, and an easy installation program.
As a final note to those interested in joining the
learning revolution concerning creating artificial
life, citizens of worlds such as Tierra most likely
will eventually dwell on our Internet. Proceed with
care, but proceed with celebration. It may someday
turn out that we are alone in the universe, but we
will soon NOT be alone in the ether.
---
REFERENCES
Construct Internet Design. (1995). The Tierra Project:
A network-wide biodiversity reserve for digital organisms.
Website modified: May 12, 1997 . [Online]. Available:
http://www.construct.net/tierra/
_____(1997). Intro to Tierra. Website modified:
March 25, 1997. [Online]. Available: http://
www.construct.net/projects/intro/tierra.html
_____(1995). Screen capture of Tierra, July 23, 1995.
[Online]. Available: http://www.construct.net/tierra/
images/tierra_1.gif
_____(1996). Tierra documentation. Website modified:
July 23, 1996. [Online]. Available:
http://www.construct.net/tierra/documents.html
_____(1996). Tierra nodes -- TPING translation.
[Online]. Available: http://www.construct.net/
tierra/node.html
_____(1995). Tierra via VRML. [Online]. Available:
http://www.construct.net/tierra/data/
tierra.192.12.12.9.wrl.gz
_____(1995). Tierra2VRML source code [Computer
program, version Tierra2VRML source code]. Mountain
View, CA: Meadows, Tom, and Waldrop, James, of
Construct Internet Design [Secondary creators].
[Online]. Available: http://www.construct.net/tierra/
scripts/tierra2vrml.html
Ray, Thomas S. (1994). Author’s home page. [Online].
Available: http://www.hip.atr.co.jp/~ray/
____(1994). A proposal to create a network-wide
biodiversity reserve for digital organisms. Website
last modified: May 12, 1997. Originally written: ATR
Human Information Processing Research Laboratories, 2-
2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, 619-02,
Japan: March 18, 1994. [Online]. Available: http://
http://www.construct.net/tierra/essay.html or
ftp://tierra.slhs.udel.edu/tierra/doc
(listed as reserves.txt)
_____Compile Tierra from code [Computer
program, V4.3 source code]. Website modified:
August 13, 1997. Santa Fe, NM: Author [Primary
creator]. [Online]. Available: http://
www.hip.atr.co.jp/~ray/tierra/djgpp/djgpp.html
_____(1997). Getting Tierra on disk [Computer program,
V4.3 source code]. Website modified: February 14,
1997. Santa Fe, NM: Author [Primary creator].
[Online]. Available: http://www.hip.atr.co.jp/~ray/
tierra/disk.html
_____(1997). How to get Tierra by ftp [Computer
Program, V4.3 source code]. Website modified:
April 23, 1997. Santa Fe, NM: Author [Primary
creator]. [Online]. Available: http://
www.hip.atr.co.jp/~ray/tierra/ftp.html
Santa Fe Institute. (1997). The Santa Fe Institute,
Artificial Life Online home page. Website modified: April
24 1997 . Santa Fe Institute, New Mexico. [Online].
Available: http://alife.santafe.edu/alife/
_____(1995). A radically bottom-up approach: Tierra.
Website modified: October 29, 1995. Submitted by:
Gutowitz, Howard A. [Online]. Available: http://
alife.santafe.edu/alife/topics/simulators/dret/
node11.html#SECTION00051000000000000000
_____(1997). Introduction to artificial life (a
definition). Website modified: May 9, 1996. [Online].
Available: http://alife.santafe.edu/alife/
alife-def.html
_____(1997). References [Thomas Ray]. Website updated:
October 29, 1995. [Online]. Available: http://
alife.santafe.edu/alife/topics/simulators/dret/
node29.html#ray91
<<2216wds___________________________________end list item 7
---
Reinhard, Johan, & National Geographic Society (NGS).
(1996). Ice treasures of the Inca: An interactive
expedition with Johan Reinhard [Computer program,
Internet-based]. In: Features: Mummy. Washington, DC:
Authors. [Online]. Available: http://
www.nationalgeographic.com/features/96/mummy/
"The people of the Andes have worshipped and
feared the gods of the mountains -- "
(Reinhard & NGS, Journal, 1996).
[The reader, in his mind’s eye -- the best paint
tool of all time -- can clearly see the gold and
glamour of high priests bowing before the mighty
mountain rocks that hide the silent gods.]
When "shopping" for any product, one highly
important characteristic of that item is the
aesthetics. Software is no different. It’s a fact that
design budgets are well spent, for the physical
attraction factor provides the initial appeal for the
article.
"...the gods of water, wind, avalanche, and hail
-– for centuries, even before the Inca ruled their
homelands." (Reinhard & NGS, Journal, 1996).
[The reader, in his mind’s ear -- the best audio
tool of all time -- trembles as the gods belch
their demands in fire and ice.]
One observation of this reviewer’s path in search
of the best-of-the-best in Internet- and computer-
based learning applications, is that most
manufacturers of educational content have recognized
the importance of physical beauty when designing their
interface and packages (either in-store physical
packages, or in web site design). For many decades,
the National Geographic Society has provided the
highest quality design, illustration and photography
in the print world.
"In Inca times, priests occasionally demanded
the highest tribute -- human sacrifice."
(Reinhard & NGS, Journal, 1996).
[The reader, in the center of his mind’s
imagination -- the best creative tool of all
time -- grimaces in anticipation of the grisly
image.]
And, as ever, National Geographic DELIVERS.
Not with the turning of the paper page, but with
the click of a mouse button (terminology that would
have had no meaning in most earlier epochs of this
scholarly media).
"Ice Treasures of the Inca" is a powerful,
emotional, poignant production. It is a colorful
"book," a demanding exercise in discovery, and a step-
by-step tutorial of a journey into high mountains and
high intrigue. It gives the earnest student as well as
the curious bystander the opportunity to think deeply
about the mysteries of the world and the meanings we
attach to life. It gives the viewer a chance to ponder
the significance of one small girl or one gigantic
civilization -- both *gone* in just tiny moments of
time, victims of faith and circumstance.
Ice Treasures is one of the Society’s recent
documentary-type discovery tools. It offers the
traditional NGS level of loveliness, but not in the
printed word. This discovery application, linear in
format, is an online, interactive tool for education.
It should be noted that nothing in the way of
superior excellence of product has been forsaken in
the National Geographic Society’s ONLINE "magazine."
If anything, their products are stronger tools for
education, as they also offer the best in multimedia
techniques, such as the requirement for RealAudio, a
top-of-the-line electronic plugin for your web
browser. (NGS, Ice treasures home page, 1997). This
free software adds tremendous functionality to an
already well presented and informational product.
Johan Reinhard has been an expert in this-Andean
and that-Peruvian for many years. A quick look at the
resource page of this program reveals that, as early
as 1983, Reinhard was traipsing the Andes and writing
about it. That was the year The American Alpine
Journal published "High-Altitude Archaeology and
Andean Mountain Gods." In 1985, NGS published Chavin
and Tiahuanaco: A New Look at Two Andean Ceremonial
Centers," and Mountain Research and Development
published his "Sacred Mountains: An Ethno-
Archaeological Study of High Andean Ruins." (Reinhard
& NGS, Resources, 1996).
It took at least those thirteen years from 1983 to
the September, 1996 discovery of an Inca girl’s body,
for the mountains to cough up such intricate history.
(CNN, 1996). For the student of ancient histories,
geography or archaeology, this resource page is a
valuable tool.
This program begins with a close-up photograph of
the young lady that would later come to be known as
the "Ice Maiden" or "Ampato Maiden," or simply
"Juanita." She was introduced to the world as a mummy,
and the very elite, including Hillary Clinton, came to
visit her, in May of 1996. That was Juanita’s debut
into a society that was thousands of miles from home
and light years away from her culture. Juanita never
noticed the crowds in modern Washington DC, at the
National Geographic Society building in Washington.
She had been brutally murdered by a blow to the head,
in a religious sacrifice ceremony on 20,000-foot Mt.
Ampato, 500 years before. (CNN, 1996).
Juanita was deaf to the words spoken around her --
but the world was very much alive to what she had to
say!
Ice Treasures draws the learner into its pages of
mystery in much the same manner that a terrific book
would. The website is filled with color and
interactive possibilities, from a series of
informative maps (NGS is so good at that!) (Reinhard &
NGS, Maps, 1996) to audio and video files for detailed
explanations or tremendous sights of the Andes.
Reinhard describes the initial sighting of the girl’s
body: "The wind was fierce on the summit and the
altitude made us lightheaded, but we didn’t care -- we
now knew that snowy Ampato had been the site of
important Inca rituals. At the head of two gullies, we
saw what looked like stones from an Inca ceremonial
platform." (Reinhard & NGS, Journal, 1996).
National Geographic has been creating learning
tools -- pictorial issues and in-depth videos -- for
years. Imagine, if you will, this particular scene, as
a videotaped sequence: "Miguel had to carefully
dislodge the bundle with his ice ax. One slip of the
pick and he might have irreparably damaged it. But
soon he was able to turn it over... I didn’t think the
mummy, only a small bundle, would be very heavy. But
when I tried to lift her, I found she weighed at least
80 pounds (36 kilograms)." (Reinhard & NGS, Journal,
1996). The learner, in his mind’s eye, clearly sees
something similar to NGS’s extraordinary
cinematographic quality, because we are so familiar
with it. Years and years of excellent learning tools,
NGS has brought us.
Traditional news media has also been a tried-and-
true learning instrument. When faced with utilizing a
newspaper as a learning tool, many students groan and
reluctantly read: "When we turned it over and saw the
face, I thought, ‘Uh-oh, she’s dried out,’" Dr. Johan
Reinhard recalled. "But when we lifted her up ... that
was the moment the electricity ran through the body,
because we knew that we had something absolutely
unique. It’s the first frozen body from pre-Columbian
times in the Andes." (CNN, 1996). As exciting as the
content is, a bored reader may have only glanced, and
missed the telling of an unprecedented moment in
history.
Now, imagine all of these items delivered in an
interactive environment, with photos, videos, personal
journals, sound files, and about a hundred links to
related websites. The learner, within the organized
environment of Ice Treasures, may, in his own timing,
review each piece of the program. He can reach out for
more information, and then easily return to
consolidate his learning. He can replay videos, and
quickly glance away to another accounting, perhaps
more detailed, of the same topic.
Ice Treasures is an example of the superior
functionality and performance of the online
documentary, the digital discovery room. It allows the
viewer to visit the Mountain Institute organization,
in Franklin, West Virginia, who supports the work of
Dr. Reinhard and others. There, you will again find
Juanita, the Ice Maiden, and the learning goes on...
The online documentation goes into further detail
of this amazing archaeological find. "[T]he body was
found frozen rather than freeze-dried or desiccated.
Therefore, biological tests can be run on lung, liver,
and muscle tissue revealing new insights on Inca
health and nutrition. Genetic testing may determine
who her present descendent relatives might be. CT
scans will determine the condition of any intact
organs." (The Mountain Institute, Ampato Ice Maiden,
1997).
The online student thus is introduced to more than
archaeology -- but also to biology, medicine, genetics
and genealogy. The difference that NGS’s production
makes is this: if the learner wants more information
on, for example, genetics -- he or she has an entire
world of knowledge at his fingertips. The excellent
Internet-based computer program is linked to the
whole...Internet!
The Institute then invites the viewer to relive
interesting accounts of Reinhard’s subsequent
journeys, such as his recent Sara Sara Archaeological
Expedition on the volcano-ash-blackened ice and snow
of Mt. Ampato. More mummies were found in these
journeys. (The Mountain Institute, What’s New, 1997).
Returning to Ice Treasures, the learner can again
choose a new side venture. A journey to NOVA online
reveals that Juanita’s name was also Sarita, "little
Sara," after the town of Sara. Reinhard’s new
journeys, then, were called after this town, near the
Arequipa village near Mt. Ampato. (NOVA/PBS, 1996). In
the online learning process, the ease of browsing adds
much to the student’s experience. Information can be
collected and compared in an amazingly short time.
Ice Treasures of the Incas delivers a mighty
message to all who visit there. This Internet-based
learning program leaves what this reviewer calls
"aftershocks to the spirit." The haunting face of
Juanita Sarita stays with you long after you’ve shut
down the computer. Facts of her death and glimpses of
her life, bring new ways of thinking to one who has
"journeyed" Ampato’s sides. Dr. Reinhard has become a
living entity instead of a dusty paragraph. Reinhard
said of the pilgrimage:
"After we had carried the mummy safely down,
we showed respect for Ampato with the traditional
offering of food, incense, and coca leaves.
Taking something from the mountain requires
asking its permission and giving something back."
(Reinhard & NGS, Journal, 1996).
The sense of quiet one has upon leaving this
website, having traveled through history and
culture...it almost makes you want to leave a gift of
respect for the creators of this adventure.
---
REFERENCES
Cable News Network, Inc. (CNN). (1996). Incan girl’s
mummy goes on display: Killed 500 years ago in apparent
ritual sacrifice. In: CNN US News/CNN Interactive.
[Online]. Available: http://cnn.com/US/9605/22/
mummy/index.html
(The) Mountain Institute. (1997). The Mountain
Institute [home page]. [Online]. Available:
http://www.mountain.org/
_____(1997). The Ampato Ice Maiden. [Online].
Available: http://www.mountain.org/icemaiden.html
_____(1997). What’s new. [Online}. Available:
http://www.mountain.org/zwhatsnew.html
NOVA/PBS Online Adventures. (1996). Preserving the
past. In: Peru: Expedition. [Online]. Available:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/peru/expedition/index.html
Reinhard, Johan, & National Geographic Society
(NGS). (1996). Ice treasures of the Inca: An interactive
expedition with Johan Reinhard [Computer program, Internet-
based]. In: Features: Mummy. Washington, DC: Authors.
[Online]. Available: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
features/96/mummy/
_____(1996). Journal of Johan Reinhard. In: Features:
Mummy. [Online]. Available: http://
www.nationalgeographic.com/features/96/mummy/
page1/index.html
_____(1996). Maps. In: Features: Mummy. [Online].
Available: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
features/96/mummy/maps/
_____(1996). Resources. In: Features: Mummy. [Online].
Available: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
features/96/mummy/page20/ref.html
<<1710wds___________________________________end list item 8
---
The Tech Museum of Innovation, BBH Exhibits, Silicon
Graphics, Inc. (SGI), & Time, Inc. (1997). The Robot
Zoo home page [Computer program, Internet-based]. San
Jose, CA, San Antonio, TX, Mountain View, CA, & New
York, NY: Authors & contributors. [Online]. Available:
http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/robotzoo/
That smart and obnoxious parrot in "Dr. Doolittle,"
of Rex Harrison fame, DID something to this writer as
a child. Then, of course, Mary Poppins’ umbrella
handle, also a smart-lipped parrot, was a captivating
beast. The next ornery critters were those Wild Things
that Max found when he sailed across the sea, in
Maurice Sendak’s "Where The Wild Things Are." (In
fact, Sendak’s book about what happens when you are
bad and get sent to bed with no dinner, set the tone
of an eventual career in children’s illustration.)
Therefore, an online adventure into a magical realm
called "The Robot Zoo" was only a natural wandering
down a familiar path.
For purposes of this review, this Internet- and
computer-based learning application is a multi-level
educational experience for students and teachers, both
of whom become LEARNERS. It is also organized so that
students and teachers may become content creators and
create their own learning programs! Robot Zoo is a
discovery program and a tutorial, and there are online
activities in which students may participate in role-
playing. Finally, the actual physical Robot Zoo,
housed in the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose,
California, is a very high-tech simulator.
The Robot Zoo entices the online learner into
deeper thinking about modern technologies, sciences
such as robotics and zoology, and creative thinking in
terms of animals, natural camouflage, and innovative
design.
The entryway into the program has a fine example of
HTML and JavaScript programming -- the first of its
kind of interactivity seen on the Internet by this
reviewer. The scripting is called an "applet erasera,"
which allows a very specific form of interaction by
the learner. The graphic depicts one of the Zoo’s
inhabitants, a mechanized chameleon. Sitting among the
leaves, he looks mechanical and out of place.
As the user runs his mouse over the picture, a
"selector box" appears. When the mouse button is
pressed, the box "paints" the camouflage over the
critter. There are several more samples to click and
point to. The innovative technologists who created
this application utilized the very latest in Java
technique. Although this function is similar to using
utilities in a paint program, this was exciting to see
on the Web! (The Tech Museum, The Robot Zoo home
page, 1997).
It is not unusual that the Tech Museum would offer
such a program as the Zoo. Their website, like most of
this genre of discovery sites, offers a multitude of
online learning experiences. When you jump aboard this
site, the Museum invites you to learn about the
beginnings, thoughts, and dreams of technology’s
revolutionaries. They offer The PCWebopedia and an
annual robotics competition. (The Tech Museum, The
Tech Museum home page, 1997). There is also a very
good glossary of terms (The Tech Museum, Glossary...,
1997) that helps the learner define items within the
website and also provides suggestions for further
research.
Their Mission Statement declares that they are "an
educational resource established to engage people of
all ages and backgrounds in exploring and experiencing
technologies affecting their lives, and to inspire the
young to become innovators in the technologies of the
future." (The Tech Museum, Mission..., 1997). The
Museum’s purpose is to provide innovation in the
expansion and application of advanced technologies.
Primary to this progression is connecting math and
science in the schoolroom with applications of
technology in enterprise and everyday living. There is
also such a burgeoning need for heightened public
awareness of those technologies that affect our lives
today and that are shaping our tomorrows.
The Robot Zoo exactly fits those parameters,
inviting in the young and the not-so-young, the
technically-inclined and the novice, the boy AND the
girl -- and sets all minds in motion toward a better
understanding of science and math.
The Robot Zoo is a study of the structure and the
workings of real animals by means of investigating
their bio-mechanical "cousins" – robotic beasts. In
the Zoo, the "animals" are programmable robots
exhibited in the context of their natural habitats.
The visitor will see a bat, chameleon, giraffe,
grasshopper, housefly, platypus, rhino, and giant
squid. The exhibit explores ecology, biology, and the
branches of physics and engineering that make up
"mechanics." (The Tech Museum, Robot Zoo teacher’s
guide, 1997).
The online Zoo offers all of this, but without the
hands-on experience of actually "being there." In many
important ways, especially for the young researcher,
the online environment offers perhaps more in the way
of discovery and application of existing knowledge
bases to the animals being studied. Robot Zoo, again
one of those highly collaborative sites, links to
dozens of pertinent websites outside of The Tech
Museum.
One of the more important links takes the learner
to the site of the book, _The Robot Zoo_, by John
Kelly, Phillip Whitfield, & Obin, published by Turner
Publishing, Inc. This mechanical guide to the way
animals work was the inspirational beginning for the
Zoo, in San Jose and in the virtual everywhere of the
Internet. Interestingly, the book is housed on the
online site of the Science Museum of Minnesota, which
is a part of the Science Learning Network (see Review
2.0, Auroras: Paintings in the Sky, previously in this
paper). (Science Museum of Minnesota, Thinking
Fountain, 1996). The Minnesota pages, by the way,
offer the best list of linked sites to be found within
the Robot Zoo pages.
So, what IS "happenin’ at the Zoo?" When you pair
two of the "greats" in their fields -- Silicon
Graphics, The Tech Museum of Innovation, and Time
Magazine -- you are bound to come up with people who
are "committed to getting kids interested in the
sciences...and ultimately in science and engineering
careers. Innovations in medicine, communications and
information technologies happen when kids who think
science and technology are cool become adults who make
science and technology cool." (SGI, 1997).
Who else would come up with a huge computer-aided
design (CAD) rhino modeled in a Virtual Reality
Modeling Language (VRML) environment? Or, a Sticky
Feet simulator, where visitors wearing special hand
and kneepads can try to stick like flies to a sloping
surface? This writer’s personal favorite is the
Chameleon Computer "Paint" Stations, where, using
real-time color image processing on Silicon Graphics
workstations, guests can "paint" colored patterns that
then appear almost immediately on television monitors
that cover the robotic chameleon. (The Tech Museum,
Welcome to..., 1997).
Let us take a lesson from the learning application
of the Robot Zoo. Since the chameleon has five toes on
each foot -- the back feet have three toes outside and
two inside, and the front feet are the opposite way
around -- this obviously provides the chameleon with
the same number of toes on each side of the twig.
This, of course, allows for a firm and balanced grip.
(The Tech Museum, Chameleon, 1997).
Which is exactly what we need in this break-neck
technical age!
---
REFERENCES - SOFTWARE
The Tech Museum of Innovation, BBH Exhibits, Silicon
Graphics, Inc. (SGI), & Time, Inc. (1997). The Robot Zoo
home page [Computer program, Internet-based]. San Jose, CA,
San Antonio, TX, Mountain View, CA, & New York, NY:
Authors and contributors [see list]. [Online]. Available:
http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/robotzoo/
List of contributors to computer program development:
[Online]. Available: http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/
robotzoo/guide/
_____The Robot Zoo: A Teacher’s Guide, Text by
WordCraft, Monterey, California. Illustrations by
Kerry Ferguson, San Antonio, Texas. Design by Molly
Castor, Silicon Graphics, Inc.
_____The Robot Zoo Book, Conceived, edited and
designed by Marshall Editions, London, England.
_____The Robot Zoo Exhibit, Produced by BBH Exhibits,
Inc., San Antonio, Texas with support from Silicon
Graphics, Inc., & TIME Magazine.
---
REFERENCES - DOCUMENTATION
Science Museum of Minnesota (1996). Thinking fountain:
The Robot Zoo. In: Science Learning Network/Thinking
Fountain/Books. Website modified: September 10, 1997 .
[Online]. Available: http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/tf/
books/robotzoo.html
Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI). (1997). Sponsors.
[Online]. Available: http://www-europe.sgi.com/robotzoo/
sponsors.html
The Tech Museum of Innovation. (1997). The Tech Museum
of Innovation home page. [Online]. Available:
http://www.thetech.org/
_____(1997). Chameleon. [Online]. Available:
http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/robotzoo/animals/
chameleon/chameleon-foot.html
_____(1997). Glossary of terms. [Online]. Available:
http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/robotzoo/guide/
glossary
_____(1997). Mission Statement. [Online].
Available: http://www.thetech.org/tech/mission/
_____(1997). Robot Zoo teacher’s guide. [Online].
Available: http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/robotzoo/
guide/
_____(1997). The Robot Zoo home page. [Online].
Available: http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/robotzoo/
_____(1997). Welcome to The Tech Museum of Innovation!
-– Information page. [Online]. Available: http://
www.thetech.org/exhibits/robotzoo/info.html
<<1187wds___________________________________end list item 9
---
Woodfill, Jerry, & NASA Johnson Space Center. (1997). The
Multimedia Space Educators’ Handbook (MSEH) [Computer
Program, Internet-based]. Houston, TX: Authors, &
Contributors. [Online]. Available: http://
tommy.jsc.nasa.gov/~woodfill/SPACEED/SEHHTML/
It would seem that one is never too old to learn
something. It would also seem that even extravagant
feats can eventually become like part of the woodwork,
and we no longer notice them. In researching for this
review, an online notice on "The Multimedia Space
Educators’ Handbook" stated that today (December 4,
1997), a walk in space had been completed by those
aboard the Space Shuttle. We have become so accustomed
to the fantastic journeys of space travel, that few of
us are aware of spectacular treks going on above our
heads. This writer certainly learned something: I was
so ashamed that no effort was made to click the link
for names of the buggy or the riders.
The Multimedia Space Educators’ Handbook is an
online space adventure. It almost HAS to be, for it
was created and is maintained by the NASA Johnson
Space Center in Houston, Texas. The official
designation of the Space Educators’ Handbook is: OMB /
NASA Report Number S677. (Woodfill & NASA, MSEH, 1997)
This was the first indication in beginning this
review, of the tremendous learning opportunities that
would "be aboard" this Internet- and computer-based
application.
The Handbook is a tutorial. It actually is a
"shell" that houses MANY tutorials. The overall sense
of the website, however, is that it is one GRAND
TUTORIAL with many smaller parts. Each tutorial breaks
down further into formats that are sheer discovery
programs. Because of high use of video or QuickTime
movies and superlative graphics (all supplied by
NASA), many sections begin to resemble a simulation or
a simulation game.
The Handbook is available as a Windows ToolBook 1.5
program for use on PC type computers or as a HyperCard
2.1 program for use on Apple Macintosh computers. The
program includes related files that are interactively
linked for ease of learning about NASA, space
technology, space science, and space history. It is
also now available on CD-ROM for Windows ’95.
Excellent instructions are given for downloading and
installing all files. One very fine aspect to this
learning application is that the learner can study and
explore both online and offline, with the downloadable
programs. The author, Jerry Woodfill, worked in
cooperation with some of NASA’s finest teams, in
creating this website. The NASA Johnson Space Center
Integrated Graphics Operations and Analysis Laboratory
(IGOAL) provided computing and software resources for
development of the Internet version of The Space
Educators’ Handbook. The IGOAL staff authored
animation and modeling software that became most
valuable in the creation of The Space Educators’
Handbook WWW site. The program was developed for
educational, non-profit use. (Woodfill & NASA, MSEH,
1997)
The parade of excellent learning programs is long.
There is something for everyone of every age, gender,
and interest. Space travel encompasses all of the
sciences and mathematics, as well as many areas of
creative endeavor. This writer admits to a deep
interest in the artwork of the space program, and this
online Grand Tutorial has a lot to offer in Space Art.
There is one application called Space Comics that
will appeal to all ages. The four online comic "books"
are jam-packed with terrific information, but read
like a space adventure. Those artists on the NASA
graphics’ teams seem to have grown up in that Marvel
mode of mind, and KNOW what appeals to the audience.
The on-line comic called "Aero & Space" is authored
and drawn by NASA's Langley Research Center’s graphics
group. It is an remarkable creation that has done much
to encourage the pursuit of space education. (NASA,
Aero and Space Comic, 1997).
Imagine if you will, the imposing space vehicle
hovering over firm earth, with balloons that state:
"Orbiting high above the Earth, a NASA satellite
silently monitors the upper atmosphere. Of primary
concern to the engineers who designed the sensor array
is the threatened ozone layer," and, "Decades of
pollution from industries, automobiles, and countless
other sources have slowly eaten away at this precious
thin protective barrier." The setting is very
suspenseful! Further inspection reveals an informative
tutorial with a comic-like setting -- an easy but
informative reader, especially for youngsters.
An excellent comic called "Apollo 13 Rescue" was
even more dramatic. Line-art cartooning is detailed
and truly excellent, and the story of Apollo 13 draws
the reader in, in exquisite anticipation of each
passing screen. Even for those who know the story, it
is exciting. For younger learners, this is an ideal
introduction to the dangers and ecstasies of space
exploration. One very grappling frame depicts "...this
could be the crew's fate." It shows mummified men in
space suits. (Woodfill & NASA, Rescue1, 1997). Yes,
indeed, "Houston, we've had a problem." The NASA re-
telling is ever more poignant, when the learner
considers how close everyone who works there is, to
the actual life-and-death possibilities.
The Space Educators’ Handbook has one of the best
online tutorials this writer has seen, concerning
Space Science Fiction and artwork that has been
associated with the international space race. This was
the "lucky find" in this research on Internet-based
learning applications. From the Moon Ship of Jules
Verne (1865), with its 900 foot cannon containing 200
foot of explosives, to the Wonder Cover (1930s)
showing space-"surfing" astronauts, 50,000 miles out
but with no breathing apparatus! "Perhaps, these are
not astronauts, but robots who, having no lungs, need
no air to breathe," was NASA’s comment. (NASA, Early
Science Fiction Concepts, 1997). This writer thinks
that it was just a media effect on the part of the
illustrator, not wanting to cover that hunky
astronaut’s face!
This extensive list of spacecraft types, shuttles,
stations and other technologies found in early science
fiction is a fascinating review. The tutorial not only
explains the errors in the artwork, but goes on to
explain how NASA has handled the actual problems and
challenges. It teaches about scientific laws, and how
the early depictions misrepresented them. The tutorial
then gives the opportunity for a group- or individual-
based project for setting up scenarios and solving
them. (Woodfill & NASA, Tools for Learning, 1997).
The website for the Space Educators’ Handbook
turned out to be a place often visited over the period
of this review. From the excellent online "Calendar,"
which had listings of all important NASA occurrences,
to the massive list of QuickTime movies, to the Space
Museum Archive, housing online depictions of space
memorabilia -- this was an extremely informative
learning place. Even the section on Mathematics (for
this non-math-inclined learner!) was interesting, as
information was presented in light of space-related
math.
The most pertinent page in this tutorial was
entitled, "Using Science Fiction Space Technology: A
Tool for Learning in the Classroom." The use this
particular learning program via the Internet offers
unique study resources. Photos of science fiction
covers and other artwork are available at web sites
all over the world.
What is so fascinating about this particular
subject? This writer believes that it is because
humanity has the same yearning for the night sky as it
ever did, huddled around a prehistoric campfire. A
statement from Ben Bova, Chairman of the National
Space Society Board explains why the art of science
fiction is so alluring:
"Science fiction is not only the best way to
predict the future, it has also helped to create
the civilian space program. Name any other method
of attempting to forecast the future...including
the work of professional scientists...Read their
predictions five or ten years after they were
written. Pitiful! Science fiction writers, on the
other hand, have predicted virtually every aspect
of our modern world -- often 30 or more years
before the events came to pass."
From an editorial letter to AD ASTRA (leading
space fiction magazine and association),
June, 1990
This writer has called these space artists,
"Prophets of the Future," for many years. For those
who have followed and studied this art form, recent
photographs from the fantastic voyages on Mars and to
Saturn and points beyond, are simply bits of déjà vu.
---
REFERENCES
Woodfill, Jerry, & NASA Johnson Space Center. (1997).
The Multimedia Space Educator’s Handbook (MSEH) [Computer
Program, Internet-based]. Houston, TX: Authors, &
Contributors. [Online]. Available: http://
tommy.jsc.nasa.gov/~woodfill/SPACEED/SEHHTML/
_____(1997). Early Science Fiction Concepts. In:
Science fiction: Space technology. [Online].
Available: http://tommy.jsc.nasa.gov/~woodfill/
SPACEED/SEHHTML/earlysf.html
_____(1997). Rescue1. In: Apollo 13 rescue. [Online].
Available: http://tommy.jsc.nasa.gov/~woodfill/
SPACEED/SEHHTML/Rescue1.html
_____(1997). Tools for learning. In: Science fiction:
Space technology. [Online]. Available: http://
tommy.jsc.nasa.gov/~woodfill/SPACEED/SEHHTML/
scifi.html
_____(1997). Using science fiction space technology: A
tool for learning in the classroom. [Online].
Available: http://tommy.jsc.nasa.gov/~woodfill/
SPACEED/SEHHTML/scifiedu.html
Langley Research Center, NASA. (1997). Aero and Space
comic. [Online]. Available: http://tommy.jsc.nasa.gov/
~woodfill/SPACEED/SEHHTML/ApoCom1.html
<<1355wds__________________________________end list item 10
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