Earth System Science in Three Dimensions

Abstract

NASA-Sponsored Project 3D-VIEW [Virtual Interactive Environmental Worlds] is a lower middle school curriculum aimed at using 3D stereo technologies to enhance students’ understanding of science concepts. In Project 3D-VIEW, ten to twelve-year-old students use 3D stereo technologies, including stereophotographs, 3D-animations, 3D illustrations, and 3D interactive tools, to visualize concepts such as plate tectonics, the composition of the atmosphere, biological succession, and erosion. This mixed methods case study provides an overview of the project’s successful use of 3D technologies, as evidenced by student test scores as well as a qualitative analysis of student focus groups and interviews with teachers and administrators. The findings indicate that using 3D technologies within a context of standards and research-based curriculum design can improve student engagement as well as performance on standardized tests.