e-School Interactive Virtual Science Laboratory

January 2011 Wolfgang GentzschJanuary 2011 Wolfgang Gentzsch

-e-School -

A virtual laboratory for

interactive science simulations for K-12


Emerging IT is reshaping education Economic & technological shifts change education dramatically

IT is becoming the foundation of knowledge and skills

Changes in the characteristics and behaviors of learners

“Competitive advantage for a region is now built on the skills of its workforce as opposed to its geography, trade laws, patents, and natural resources.”

“The worker of the 21st century must have science, math, and information technologies skills, creativity, and the ability to solve complex problems.” C.Dede, S.Corte, R.Nelson, G.Valdes, D.Ward, 2005 Transforming Learning for the 21st Century: An Economic Imperative

“States must foster, support, and enhance online learning for all students and develop 21st century citizens with the capacity for lifelong learning and productivity! John Watson et all, 2005 Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning


Today’s Education Challenges

Information & knowledge is growing exponentially

Teaching methods and materials do not keep pace

Learning today is too passive and static: learning by listening and watching

But, Life is highly active, dynamic, multi-tasking

Students become de-motivated and lack creativity

Existing e-Learning environments are scratching the surface

I’ve tried to tell Bill he’s overloadinghimself with

too much information

We need 1000s of new jobs in science and engineering

We have to start with K-12 students and their teachers !


Distance Learning on e-InfrastructuresDistance Learning... Independent of time and space Self-paced learning Teacher-independent learning Deductive science education Mostly single-learner envirnmt. Linear inter-reactivity, at best Mostly static and repetitive

=> Improved (but similar to)

class-room learning

...on e-Infrastructures Independent of time and space Self-paced learning Teacher-independent learning Inquiry-based science education Allows for collaborating groups Fully nonlinear interactivity Highly dynamic and nonlinear Allows for complex simulations,

data processing, and visualization

Brings creativity, motivation and commitment to the students and to the teachers

=> Kinesthetic Learning


e-School Prototype

A Virtual Laboratory based on an e-Infrastructure and a distributed digital repository for science and engineering applications

for K-12 students and educators

Bridging the Chasm of

Science Education

With interactive science & engineering examples from the University of Colorado, Wolfram Mathematica, COMSOL Multi-Physics, and GridwiseTech,

used in 100s of schools around the world


Proposal: e-School Interactive Science Collaboratory

Complementing the common learning experience

Inter-active learning tools for creative students (edutainment)…

…the same tools engineers & scientists are using in the 21st century

Edu portal provides seamless access to virtual reality laboratories

100s of real-world computer simulations are available for all ages

On dynamic, shared, remote resources, at your finger tip

-Learning by doing –

e-School: empowering education


Imagine: Scientific computing on powerful small and affordable end-user devices

Carry-along PCs (CAPS) , Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPC)

CAPC, from Samsung, South Korea

T83 Tablet from Asus, Taiwan, demoed at CeBit 2007

Asus R2H

Fujitsu UMPC

CAPC from HTC

OLPC from MIT


e-School Prototype Websitehttp://eschool.gridwisetech.pl


e-School: Your personal workspace

The following interactive examples* and many more are used in 100s of schools around the world and are provided by:

- COMSOL Multi-Physics: http://www.comsol.com/showroom/product/

- Wolfram Mathematica Demos: http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/

- PhET Project, University Colorado in Boulder: http://phet.colorado.edu/ - GridwiseTech e-School: http://eschool.gridwisetech.pl

*) To use them in interactive mode, please go to these websites.

- in many schools around world, the main parts of e-School are deployed and proven individually but are not integrated

- e-School brings the sum of all these parts under one interactive, didactic pedagogic Web 2.0 platform

- in many schools around world, the main parts of e-School are deployed and proven individually but are not integrated

- e-School brings the sum of all these parts under one interactive, didactic pedagogic Web 2.0 platform


Conceived by Mathematica creator and scientist Stephen Wolfram

to bring computational exploration to the widest possible audience

open-code resource that uses dynamic computation

to illuminate concepts in science, technology, math, art, finance, etc.

interactive illustrations created by Mathematica users world-wide

Wolfram Demonstrations introduces new paradigm for exploring ideas.

the power to easily create interactive visualizations is now in the hands of every Mathematica user.

demonstrations can be created with just a few short lines of readable code, powered by Mathematica.

opens the door for researchers, educators, students, and professionals at any level to create their own mini-applications and publish them online.

Wolfram Demonstrations Project


Traveling Wave Sonar Hydraulic Press

Wolfram Demonstrations ProjectExamples: Physics


e-School: Arithmetic, Elementary School

file:///C:/Programme/PhET/sims/arithmetic/arithmetic_en.html


e-School: Probability, Middle School


e-School: Curve Fitting, High School


e-School: Physics, Waves


e-School: Physics, Density


e-University: Fluid-Structure Interaction

This model exemplifies how fluid-structure interactions can be modeled using COMSOL Multiphysics. Viscous forces and the system’s pressure impose forces to the surface of a structure. The deformation in the soft structure is not small and the fluid regime will therefore dynamically change: change in the structure is coupled back to the fluid dynamics.COMSOL solves this phenomena using the Arbitrary Langrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method. This ensures a true coupling of the physics and the mesh deformation, solved simulataneously.

COMSOL MultiphysicsCOMSOL Multiphysics


e-University: Dynamics of the Bladder

This model simulates a common dynamic test bladder functionality. The purpose of the model is to estimate the displacement and stresses on the bladder walls during this

test. The test consists of subjecting a fluid-filled bladder to a dynamic pulse, more specifically, two short

coughs. The pressure in the urethra is monitored during the test. The aim of the test is to draw conclusions about the cause of incontinence and to determine treatment. One of the main difficulties of the model is the generation of the geometry from the CAT (Computed

Axial Tomography) scan images; here COMSOL Multiphysics interface with COMSOL Script becomes very handy.



e-University: Rising Bubble

Model showing how the interface between a rising bubble and a surrounding fluid changes during time.

The level set approach is used to model the interface between the two fluids.



e-University: Magnetic Drug Targeting in Cancer Therapy

Current research on methods to target chemotherapy drugs in the human body includes the investigation of bio compatible magnetic nano-carrier systems, e.g., magnetic liquids such as ferro-fluids.This model example investigates an external magnetic field and its interaction with blood flow containing a magnetic carrier substance. The model is based on the Maxwell and Navier-Stokes equations, where a static magnetic field is coupled to fluid flow. This is achieved by adding a magnetic volume force to the Navier Stokes equations, which stems from the solution of magnetic field problem. Model provided by Daniel Strauss, the Institute for new Materials, Germany.



e-University: Sloshing Tank

Transport of large quantities of fluid can happen in unstable environments. A perfect example is an oil tanker on the high seas. This model uses ALE for an incompressible Navier-Stokes problem with a free surface. This models the fluid with its original mesh, but allows the mesh to deform according to the fluid’s

‘deformation’. This requires that the position of the mesh and its nodes be directly coupled to the position of the fluid. The fluid is sloshing in a 2D container. The fluid movement is driven by the fact that the gravitational vector direction is varying periodically.



e-University: interactive real-time fluid flow

e-School Collaboratorium

http://eschool.gridwisetech.plhttp://eschool.gridwisetech.pl


Workpackages for Prototype PhaseCoordination, Services, Development

WP1: Project management, Proof of Concept with 2 – 3 schools

WP2: Analysis: requirements, partners, communities, technology, products, architecture, culture, Islam

WP3: Community building, on top of e-School infrastructure: students, teachers, policy makers, partners, industry, content providers, advisors

WP4: Dissemination and exploitation, incl. marcom and collateral

WP5: Implementation of Access Layer: single point of access through secure Web portal technology

WP6: Middleware services, execution environment, application hosting

WP7: Integration, testbed and evaluation services

WP8: Development of a scientific data infrastructure (object repository)

WP9: Development and integration of scientific learning content

WP10: Development of advanced services (for advanced users)


Thank You !

Wolfgang [email protected]

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