Workshop 4

Title: Promoting Online Inquiry: Instructional Design Strategies Using 3-D Learning Object

Workshop Description:

Many essential in-class learning activities rely on a student’s investigation of authentic material objects such as everyday items, historical artifacts, art objects, and scientific specimens. How can such learning activities be translated to and/or embellished by distance learning environments? One means is to provide online students comparable study items through the use of 3D learning objects, which can have comparable information richness as real objects to support inquiry, experimentation and visualization. Essentially, any real object that can be scanned in three dimensions can be rendered into a 3D learning object for use in K-16 distance education. 3D learning objects (or 3D knowledge objects) are digital representations of the surface morphology of objects (real or inanimate) constructed of a mesh of polygons in various 3D file formats (e.g., VRML, DXF, 3DS). Corresponding 3D browsers afford students the ability to manipulate a 3D object’s size, perspective, and lighting as well as analyze its characteristics quantitatively via linear measurements, basic volume analysis and so on.

Participants in this workshop will be introduced to the concept of 3D learning objects and the Disciplinary Content Object Model (DCOM) for employing them in distance learning environments. The effectual attributes of 3D objects for K-16 instruction will be reviewed and emphasized. Online repositories of 3D objects, virtual museums with 3D specimens, and other sources of 3D objects will be introduced as well as the methods and technologies to generate and scaffold original 3D objects. Participants will assist in the generation of a new 3D learning object for use in online instruction.

Presenter: Kevin Downing

Dr. Downing is an Associate Professor at DePaul University’s college for adult learners, the School for New Learning. His research interests include the investigation of Miocene fossil mammals, the record of stratigraphic and paleogeographic change during the Himalayan Orogeny, and online science learning practices. He is the co-author of the recently published book, Online Science Learning: Best Practices and Technologies.