Collaborative Virtual Environments Used for K-12 Distance Learning Project

1. Ronald D. Kriz University Visualization and Animation Group Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics Collaborative Virtual Environments Usedfor K-12 Distance Learning Project Session: Nuts & Bolts of Distance Learning and Electronic Field Trips Virginia Association of Museums Annual Conference. March 25-28, 2006 Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center Roanoke, Virginia U V A G http://www.jwave.vt.edu/~rkriz/Presentations/VAM/

2. K-12 Project Summary • Central Virginia Governors School • “DIGSTATS” , Tom Morgan and Ron Kriz • “Extending the Use of Collaborative Environments for Instruction to K-12 Schools”, • Tom Morgan, Steve Howard, Fernando das-Neves, John Kelso, Todd Ogle, Ron Kriz • Sponsors: 1) Institute for Connecting Science and Research to the Classroom • 2) National Science Foundation PACI • 3) Silicon Graphics Company • Teach the Teachers: VRML and CAVE Collaborative Console • 1)Central Virginia Governors School • 2) Central Shenandoah Valley Regional Governor’s School • 3) Maryland Virtual High School • Roanoke County Schools Externship Program • “Visualization of AutoCAD Model Cell Structures in CAVE Immersive Environments”, • A. Chavali, CAVE Spring H.S., Mentor Ron Kriz • CAVE Collaborative Console - DIVERSE: the future • Institute for the Advancement of Emerging Technology in Education at AEL Inc.

3. K-12 Project Summary Web Links • DIGStats: • http://www.cvgs.k12.va.us/Digstats • Extending the Use of Collaborative Environments • For Instruction to K-12 Schools: • http://www.sv.vt.edu/future/vt-cave/VT/#off-campus • Teach the Teachers: VRML and CCC • http://www.sv.vt.edu/classes/vrml/ • CAVE Collaborative Console: • http://www.sv.vt.edu/future/cave/software/ccc/ • DIVERSE: OpenGL: Windows, MacOS, Linux, Irix • http://thor.sv.vt.edu/diverse/ U V A G

4. DIG Stats: CVGS U V A G

5. What is a CAVE? U V A G

6. Viewer immersed In 3D-structure. Gives viewer unique perspective to study 3D structure / property relationships. U V A G

7. Visualization of AutoCAD Model Cell Structures in CAVE Immersive Environments A. Chavali, CAVE Spring H.S.

8. Desktop Computer: Dell P3 Laptop running Linux (OS-X, Windows) CAVE: IRIX U V A G

9. Past CVEs • CAVERNsoft - Limbo: CAVE Collaborative Console (CCC) • http://www.sv.vt.edu/future/cave/software/ccc/ NCSA-PACI Project 1997 U V A G

10. World-Wide Collaboration Jason Leigh & Andrew Johnson Electronic Visualization Lab, UIC Remote Participants: • Argonne National Lab • IHPC, Singapore • CRCACS, Australian NU • IML, Tokyo Univ. • CCPO, Old Dominion Unv. • NCSA, UIUC • UVAG, Virginia Tech • Northwestern Univ. U V A G

11. Mr. Phuwanai Wanamakok, M.S. (1999) Construction Engineering and Management Department of Civil Engineering College of Engineering ESM4714 Class Project: Use of the CAVE(tm) as a Visualization Tool in Architecture-Engineering-Construction Industry http://www.sv.vt.edu/classes/ESM4714/Student_Proj/class99/wanamakok Created the first working prototype of the CAVE Collaborative Console (CCC) CCC Demonstrated on The Immersa-Desk and CAVE simulator Running on an SGI Octane workstation. U V A G

12. I hear you. You hear me. But where are you and what are you looking at? Collaborative Awareness Tools Kevin Curry Class Project, 1998: Rosson: Computer- Supported Cooperative Work M.S. Thesis, 1999: “Supporting Collaborative Awareness in Tele-Immersion” U V A G

13. CAVE Collaborative Console (CCC) Fernado das Neves, Ron Kriz, John Kelso Participants Awareness U V A G Recorder

15. Project objects Connect K-12 students to two remote locations via the Internet to the Virginia Tech CAVE, Provide K-12 students the opportunity to learn about and experience virtual environments, Allow K-12 students to actively collaborate with professors who are using the CAVE for their research, Create and deliver content specific lessons to K-12 students using a virtual environment that allows the students at remote sites to actively collaborate with each other as they investigate the subject matter. U V A G

16. Lessons Learned The project succeeded in connecting students at two remote locations in Virginia and researchers at the Virginia Tech CAVE via a collaborative virtual environment. The path to success was certainly more challenging than expected! However, information gleaned from the endeavor will be useful in extending collaborative virtual environments in the future to the K-12 education community. An summary of obstacles encountered and progress made, is organized below by project objectives. The team was successful in developing the lessons. However, it was apparent that to develop a more complex CAVE program requires full-time programmers. It was also evident that to utilize the CCC at a remote site, a staff member must have a basic knowledge of Unix administration. U V A G

17. http://diverse.sourceforge.net D evice I ndependent V irtual E nvironment: R econfigurable, S calable, E xtensible U V A G

18. DIVERSE: current and future features LLC: Open Technologies • Current SGI-Performer API: DIVERSE interface to Performer (DPF) • Works out of the box in SGI-Irix and Linux • Elegant Interface • Designed for rapid application development, Examples: • 1. Loading a model and navigating (“fly-thru”) takes only 11 lines of code • 2. A computer science student with no experience in VR development was able • to build a prototype visualization tools for nanostructures in 4 days • Dynamic Shared Objects (DSOs) load or unload during execution • Generic IO support (wands, mice, keyboards, trackers, etc.) • Write once -- run everywhere with no changes • Powerful shared memory architecture • Robust augmentation to performer • Generic collaborative tools • Future release: • Backward compatible • Push or Pull IO interface • XML based configuration • OS 10 support (via X11) • Native MS-Windows support • Cross platform architecture • Windowing API independent • Display independent OpenGL Support • Open Scene Graph augmentation U V A G

19. Andrew Ray U V A G D_Collab_tools running D_Atomview on a desktop computer

20. Future Opportunities The New Art Museum of Southwest Virginia: Press release “…. All exhibition and education spaces will be wired to provide real-time, interactive distance learning experiences via high-speed network to classrooms across the region and the Commonwealth. A three- dimensional, computer animated, immersive virtual environment will provide the public with the rare opportunity to experience this technology.” Susanah Koerber Curator of the Art Museum of Western Virginia U V A G

21. Thesis Statement: • Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR), e.g. CAVEs, IWBs, and HMDs, provides • users insight by viewing their data as 3D objects. • Insight will be enhanced by creation of tools that allow multiple users • (“avatars”) to be networked together where they can manipulate 3D • objects in a common “shared” IVR. • Making same networked tools available on desktop computers will allow • many new users access to IVR technology. • Collaboration will be enhanced, if these collaborative desktop tools • become as ubiquitous as the Web browser. • Open-source licensing, e.g. GPL/MPL, fosters distribution, collaboration, • innovation and domain specific customizations: • managing large construction site projects (e-commerce), • analysis and interpretation of HPC nanostructures (e-research), • 2007 Jamestown project (e-education “distance learning”) U V A G

22. We propose to implement a suite of open-source collaborative tools, and applications based on those tools, which will: • allow multiple users to share the same IVRs, that works across • a wide range of IVR systems, from desktop computers to Head- • Mounted Displays (HMD) to fullyimmersive systems e.g.CAVEs. • create awareness tools, that allow users to glean information • about other users (“avatars”) or 3D objects in a common IVR -- • some tools may be domain specific. • create interaction tools, where users modify IVR and its content • create collaborative navigational tools, that allow users to share • views, be tethered to other users, jump next to another user, etc. • Use HCI methods to create tools that are intuitive and useful • Explore the utility of nontraditional IVR data, such as sound, • voice recognition, and real-time video U V A G

23. Observations & Conclusions: • Virtual and collaborative design environments have been • at best working prototypes that are too difficult to use as • a day-to-day application. • Better API’s are needed so that scientists, engineers, and • educators can build their own applications based on the • content within their discipline. As easy as Microsoft’s • Word, Powerpoint, and Excel. • The best designed collaborative environments will work • only within existing collaborative groups. U V A G