NSF Org:	DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL)
Recipient:	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
Initial Amendment Date:	August 19, 2011
Latest Amendment Date:	August 6, 2013
Award Number:	1114663
Award Instrument:	Continuing Grant
Program Manager:	Chia Shen DRL  Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) EDU  Directorate for STEM Education
Start Date:	August 15, 2011
End Date:	July 31, 2016 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$2,359,157.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$2,403,503.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2011 = $1,634,243.00 FY 2013 = $769,260.00
History of Investigator:	S. Geoffrey Schladow (Principal Investigator) gschladow@ucdavis.edu Phelan Fretz (Co-Principal Investigator) Louise Kellogg (Co-Principal Investigator) Steven Yalowitz (Co-Principal Investigator) Sherry Hsi (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	University of California-Davis 1850 RESEARCH PARK DR STE 300 DAVIS CA  US  95618-6153 (530)754-7700
Sponsor Congressional District:	04
Primary Place of Performance:	University of California-Davis 1850 RESEARCH PARK DR STE 300 DAVIS CA  US  95618-6153
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	04
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	TX2DAGQPENZ5
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s):	AISL
Primary Program Source:	04001112DB NSF Education & Human Resource 04001314DB NSF Education & Human Resource
Program Reference Code(s):	SMET, 9177, 9251
Program Element Code(s):	725900
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.076

ABSTRACT

The University of California, Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC), UC Davis W.M. Keck Center for Active Visualization in the Earth Sciences (KeckCAVES), ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center (ECHO), UC Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS), and the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI) will study how 3-D visualizations can most effectively be used to improve general public understanding of freshwater lake ecosystems and Earth science processes through the use of immersive three-dimensional (3-D) visualizations of lake and watershed processes, supplemented by tabletop science activity stations. Two iconic lakes will be the focus of this study: Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada, and Lake Champlain in Vermont and New York, with products readily transferable to other freshwater systems and education venues.

The PI will aggregate and share knowledge about how to effectively utilize 3-D technologies and scientific data to support learning from immersive 3-D visualizations, and how other hands-on materials can be combined to most effectively support visitor learning about physical, biological and geochemical processes and systems. The project will be structured to iteratively test, design, and implement 3-D visualizations in both concurrent and staggered development. The public will be engaged in the science behind water quality and ecosystem health; lake formation; lake foodwebs; weather and climate; and the role and impact of people on the ecosystem. A suite of publicly available learning resources will be designed and developed on freshwater ecosystems, including immersive 3-D visualizations; portable science stations with multimedia; a facilitator's guide for docent training; and a Developer's Manual to allow future informal science education venues.

Project partners are organized into five teams: 1) Content Preparation and Review: prepare and author content including writing of storyboards, narratives, and activities; 2) 3-D Scientific Visualizations: create visualization products using spatial data; 3) Science Station: plan, design, and produce hands-on materials; 4) Website and Multimedia: produce a dissemination strategy for professional and public audiences; 4) Evaluation: conduct front-end, formative, and summative evaluation of both the 3-D visualizations and science activity stations. The summative evaluation will utilize a mixed methods approach, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, and will include focus groups, semi-structured interviews, web surveys, and in-depth interviews. Leveraging 3-D tools, high-quality visual displays, hands-on activities, and multimedia resources, university-based scientists will work collaboratively with informal science education professionals to extend the project's reach and impact to an audience of 400,000 visitors, including families, youth, school field trip groups, and tourists.

The project will implement, evaluate, and disseminate knowledge of how 3-D visualizations and technologies can be designed and configured to effectively support visitor engagement and learning about physical, biological and geochemical processes and systems, and will evaluate how these technologies can be transferred more broadly to other informal science venues and schools for future career and workforce development in these critical STEM areas.

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