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3-D VisualisationMaggie & Peter Williams

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Using Internet-based activities to enhance students’ understanding of 3-dimensional spatial relationships

Developing Excellent Graduates

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The problem

• Much research on the problem of spatial thinking

• Idea of spatial ability (Eliot and Smith, 1983: Linn and Petersen, 1985)

• Types of spatial ability: mental rotation, spatial rotation and spatial visualisation (Linn and Petersen, 1985); the 3 cognitive

factors linked to high performance in science and mathematics (Lord and Rupert, 1995)

• Recognition that spatial skills can be troublesome (Ishikawa and Kastens, 2005; King, 2006)

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The specific problem

• Spatial skills are unevenly distributed among individuals; many students struggle with spatial tasks.

• Ability to visualise 3-D spatial relationships is essential for students to progress in all GEES disciplines; many students find it difficult to acquire this ability.

• Barriers to acquiring 3-D visualisation ability: - lack of confidence in understanding and dealing with 3-D spatial relationships; - few opportunities to practise & develop necessary skills; - teachers’ (often strong spatial thinkers themselves) lack of awareness of the degree to which some students are “spatially challenged”.

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• Two year project from September 2007 to March 2009• Alan Boyle, Maggie Williams, Peter Williams• Year 1 students starting geoscience courses in the

Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences at Liverpool• Aim: To explore how using internet-based activities

could enhance students’ understanding of 3-dimensional spatial relationships

Project outline

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Project details1. Internet- based activities for VITAL.2. Identified a target group of students (module EOSC 111)3. Tested students’ spatial awareness before and after they had used these activities on VITAL.4. Encouraged students to work through activities and record: - when they encountered specific topics requiring them to use spatial-visualisation skills, - any new web-links discovered whilst browsing on the web, - comments on the usefulness (or not!) of the activities. 5. Recorded student portfolio comments.

6. Analysed student performance in spatial awareness tests.

7. Compared spatial awareness test results with results for a control group of students.*

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Project details - note*Students who had completed, apart from module EOSC 111, the same Year 1 modules as those in the project’s target group (and specifically modules EOSC 136 Introduction to Geological Maps and EOSC 139 – Introduction to Field Geology): two modules identified as those in which students were required to use spatial visualisation skills.

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1. We all understand 3D objects differently.

2. Our eye/brain systems are very clever, but sometimes let us down.

A. Key points to remember

5. There are ways to improve - and practise makes perfect.

4. Be aware in your modules when 3-D visualisation is needed.

3. Some things are more difficult to understand than others, but we all have difficulty with 3-D visualisation

Advice to students

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B. General self-help techniques

• Discussion - working with someone.• Practice - the more we look the better we understand.• Transfer - finding that what you understand in one module can be used in another. • Experience - be aware in your modules when 3-D visualisation is needed

Advice to students

C. Communications

• Let us know what helps you – and what does not!• Let us know if you find new resources that could be useful. • Tell us if you find that some resources do not work or you need help.

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Project resources & activities

•40 + activities•Range of resources•Activities allowing students to work through them at their own rate•Not too technical for users•Allow manipulation of 2-D or 3-D objects•Progression of activities (reflecting order of modules undergraduates would follow during year 1)

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Crystal (photograph) Crystal (drawing) Section through a crystal (photomicrograph)

Minerals e.g. Plagioclase feldspar

Project resources & activities

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Gold Garnet SpinelMinerals – using and rotating models to understand mineral structures

http://www.3dchem.com/atoz.asp

http://www.maths.surrey.ac.uk/hosted -sites/R.Knott/Fibonacci/phi3DGeom.html#cube

Project resources & activities

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Cross bedding

Project resources & activitiesAwareness of translation from 2D to 3D

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Sedimentary structures – using animations to understand how structures form

Project resources & activities

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http://www.uky.edu/KGS/education/fossil_trip.htmhttp://www.uky.edu/KGS/education/YoungFossils-11.pdf

Project resources & activities

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8180000/newsid_8187600/8187652.stm

Fossils - using models and slices through fossils

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Using Sketchup

Project resources & activities

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Volcanoes– using models & animations to understand dynamics of eruptions

http://images.google.co.uk/images?sourceid=chrome&q=active+volcanoes&um=1&ie=UTF8&ei=yfJlS8uvK9q5jAe4yd2jBw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CBsQsAQwAw

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/images/pglossary/index.php

Project resources & activities

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http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Eruption_model.html

Volcanoes– using models & animations to understand dynamics of eruptions

Project resources & activities

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Project resources & activitiesSeafloor Spreading in the North Atlantic Ocean

- shown by using animations : http://www.scotese.com/natlanim.htm

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Cretaceous / Tertiary Boundary (65 million years ago)

Earliest Jurassic (Sinemurian, 200 million years ago)

Changing distribution of land and sea during the past - using interactive 3D virtual objects - globes that you and manipulate, rotate, and view

http://www.scotese.com/Default.htm

Project resources & activities

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Structures (as shown in photos, sketches, diagrams – and on maps)

Project resources & activities

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Structures (as shown in photos, sketches, diagrams – and on maps)

Project resources & activities

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Structures (e.g. animations showing fault movements)

http://www.iris.edu/gifs/animations/faults.htm

Project resources & activities

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Understanding maps using diagrams (e.g. Dipping beds and outcrop patterns)

As the beds are dipping they cut

across the contours on the map(shown

as dashed lines)

Beds dip north producing a V-pattern

pointing upstream in the valley

Beds dip south producing a V-pattern

pointing downstream in the valley

Project resources & activities

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Understanding maps e.g. Angular unconformity

Upper, younger layers are horizontal

Lower, older layers tilted/folded

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Limestone covers over or oversteps several of the older

series beds

Plane of unconformity

represents a huge time-gap

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Understanding maps e.g. Recumbent folds

Youngest bed

Sedimentary structures would be inverted or upside down here

Oldest bed

Axial plane is between horizontal and 10°

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And - for those who prefer real things – paper models!

http://www.fault-analysis-group.ucd.ie/

e.g. Synforms and antiforms

Project resources & activities

e.g. faults displacing inclined beds

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http://geology.isu.edu/topo/blocks

Using interactive 3D geologic blocks

GeoBlocks 3D contains interactive movies exploring geologic structures within blocks.

You can rotate the blocks, make them partially transparent to view their internal structure, cut through or erode them, displace faults, and more.

Project resources & activities

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Relating activities to what students may be doing in the future

Project resources & activitiese.g. Pembrokeshire field course

Visit Amroth & log the rocks

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Keep records.

Make observations.

Make interpretations.

Draw conclusions.

Use your experience.

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Use your 3-D visualisation skills - to imagine a landscape 320 million years ago - to reconstruct past environments.

What makes Earth scientists so useful?

• Team working• Adaptability• Problem solving• Planning• Initiative• Communication• Analytical

• Flexibility

• Spatial visualisation

• Inter-disciplinary thinking

• Understanding of Earth systems

• Creativity

• Imagination

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e.g. What may you be doing in your future career?

http://www.geomodeling.com/sbed_c.htm

http://www.dgi.com/earthvision/evmain.html

Using 3D software in industry?

Producing a geological map?

3D model building and visualization using 3D models for accurate well positioning, reservoir characterization and environmental analysis?

Project resources & activities

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Did you know?

•There are tests you can try.http://www.ul.ie/~mearsa/9519211/newpage24.htm

•Many companies, as part of their selection processes, use spatial aptitude tests to measure your cognitive and perceptual abilities with space and shapes. Your scores are compared with results of other candidates, vying for the same spatiality focused job. •Imagination, visualization and critical reasoning play important roles in determining your spatial skills.http://www.personality-and-aptitude-career-tests.com/spatial-aptitude-tests.html

•Spatial deficiencies in females, but training can be used to eliminate the differences between males & females.http://www.ul.ie/~mearsa/9519211/onthe.htm

•You are not alone. Why Some Students Have Trouble with Maps and Other Spatial Representations Toru Ishikawa & Kim A. Kastens Journal of Geoscience Education, v.53, n. 2, March 2005, p. 184-197.

3-D Visualisation - part 2 Did you know?•3-D visualisation isn’t just for Earth scientists!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK2N3PvaFcs&feature=response_watch

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What did evaluation of the feedback provided by students in their portfolios activities show?

Project results

We are grateful to our students for the time taken to provide this feedback and for the useful, thoughtful comments provided.

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•Included step-by-step tutorials

Features of the best web-based resources:

•Interactive

•At the right level for your current level of understanding

•Used animations

•Easy to use •User-friendly

•Included slower animations •Related to actual examples

•Used overlays

•Gave feedback

Ones which you want to use again to - refresh your memory- revise- practise on

•Included rotational tools

•Fun to use

Resources and modules

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Student A 1. Tutorial 2 (Oct). I used a potato to find all possible 2D faces that could be formed by a hexagonal prism. (I found 5 different possible shapes)

2. Minerals practical (Oct). Using a microscope to identify minerals & looking for prismatic and basal sections through minerals.

3. Fossils practical 1. Determining the difference between casts, inner & outer moulds of fossils – and how they would look.

4. EVERY fossil practical – picturing every 2D cross section as a 3D organism.5. Tectonics lectures. Looking at bathymetry maps & topography maps.6. The entire ‘Introduction to maps’ module, but particularly when creating

cross sections and topographical profiles.7. The entire ‘Structural Geology’ module, but particularly when using

stereonets, picturing planes on a rock face & visualizing folds as 3D structures.

8. Igneous & metamorphic practicals when using a microscope to look at thin sections to identify the minerals in the rocks.

Table 6. Example of a student record of the situations where he/she had to translate between 2D & 3D

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3D crystal models

• Some very basic information here, but the rotating solids and animations of the shape net were useful. Printable versions of the nets were available to be made up into models. Useful short interactive test at the end.

• What’s good? Shows 3-D shapes from different angles. Describes the relationships between different 3-D shapes. What’s bad? Lacks interactivity. Doesn’t show all the different cross sectional views through the 3-D shapes.

• I struggled to get the models to run. However the pictures & accompanying writing were useful.

• This is a useful tool as the shapes they were displaying were difficult to present in a 2D form. The rotational tool used by all of the programs gives the user a much better idea of the construction of the shape.

• This was probably the most useful tool for me, at this stage of the course, as I struggle with visualizing crystal shapes in the mineralogy module. It is particularly helpful to rotate them and see the different planes (1, 0, 0 etc); a concept I am still struggling to get to grips with. I have printed and plan to make the paper models to help me with my revision.

Table 7. Examples of student comments on some of the web-based activities used in semester 1 of the project

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Table 8. Examples of student comments on some of the web-based activities used in semester 2 of the project

Volcanic eruptions

Useful animations and appropriate information on the webpage. The link to build your own volcano was good.

The animation is really useful, but goes quite fast. The website contains interesting/useful information.

This site provides both a 2D & 3D version of a Plinean eruption, allowing the reader the chance to gain a perspective from 2 different vantage points & resulting in a more complete understanding of how the volcanic eruption occurs.

I found this very interesting and useful. I have in fact revisited this during my ‘Magmas’ module as it provides a very good animation detailing the processes of an eruption and is a great aid to understanding.

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Conclusions1. Although results of tests of students’ spatial-visualisation

abilities indicate different cohorts of students had different ranges of ability, test results did not show improvement with the ‘training methods’ introduced to students.

2. Our assessment of the effects of the project’s activities suggests that internet-based activities were valued by students, helped in improving students’ confidence and awareness and cognitive understanding of 3-dimensional

spatial relationships.

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3. It is helpful to give students opportunities to manipulate data that will support their learning; allowing students to

work at their own rate on different activities enhances their ownership, engagement and understanding of concepts and increases their confidence in dealing with information in various dimensions.

4. Many of the web-based resources and activities used were chosen to be of relevance to students on Year 1 geoscience courses, but such resources and activities may have wider application.

5. Project resources and internet-based ‘training methods’ could be adapted for use in other GEES disciplines &/or

deposited as an online national learning resource.

Conclusions

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ReferencesEliot, J. and Smith, I.M. (1983) An International Directory of Spatial Tests, Windsor, UK,

NFER-Nelson.

Ishikawa, T. and Kastens, K.A. (2005) Why some students have trouble with maps and other spatial representations. Journal of Geoscience Education,53 (2), March: pp. 184-187.

Kastens, K.A., Manduca, C.A., Cervato, C., Frodeman, R., Goodwin, C., Liben, L.S., Mogk, D.W., Spangler, T.C., Stillings, N.A. and Titus, S. (2009) How Geoscientists think and learn. Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 90 (31): pp. 265-272.

King, H. (2006) Understanding spatial literacy: cognitive and curriculum perspectives. Planet, 17: pp. 26-28.

Linn, M. and Peterson, A.C. (1985) Emergence and characterisation of sex differences in spatial ability: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 56: pp. 1479-1498.

Lord, T.R. and Rupert, J. L. (1995) Visual-spatial aptitude in elementary education majors in science and math tracks. Journal of Geoscience Education, 7: pp. 45-58.

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The following lists show some of the ‘new’ items that students found useful after working through 3-D Visualisation – part1:

Appendix

1. Various items on Youtube e.g.Geologic modelling videos:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr1VYrHpqTk Geophysics modellinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1GeNljM0T8 Geology terrain modellinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cHEs3f21dA The solar systemhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syeqPLB6fYQ

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Appendix

2. Articles e.g.Geoscientist article ‘Journey into the Earth’ by Paul R. Wood looks athow explorationists today use cutting edge technology to visualise the subsurface in 3D.http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/site/GSL/lang/en/page2722.html MATLAB simulation of sedimentary structures.http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1272/of2005-1272.pdf New modelling package bridging the gap between reservoir and seismic.http://www.geoexpro.com/sfiles/4/02/9/file/bridging24_26.pdf

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Appendix

3. AnimationsThe rock cyclehttp://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es0602/es0602page02.cfm Formation of clastic sedimentary rockhttp://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es0605/es0605page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization Metamorphic rocks formationhttp://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es0607/es0607page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization Igneous rock crystallisationhttp://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es0603/es0603page05.cfm?chapter_no=investigation Radioactive decay & absolute age determinationshttp://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/time/visualizations/RadioDec.html