Manipulating Environments on Networks
Model-It at the University of Michigan presents students with digitized photos, such as a stream...
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soloway@eecs.umich.edu
Model-It at the University of Michigan presents students with digitized photos, such as a stream. Their task, along with their online partners, is to alter variables, such as the amount of phosphates, for instance, and observe changes in the context. Since one would not dump such chemicals into a real stream, telecommunications allows students to alter a simulated model of an environment and chart the outcome systematically.
NASA has created BioBlast at the Classroom of the Future (also sponsored by Wheeling Jesuit University). Through adventures, simulation and telecommunications activities students construct a Lunar Base. Anything goes with student imagination but the environment must sustain life on the moon. Pretty cool.
Avalanche, from ThinkQuest, encourages students to tackle the impact of changes in the Earth's environment. The contents of this site respond to user input -- an interesting twist.
An early example of juggling multiple priorities is Hammurabi, a classic game of strategy and resource allocation. You can find examples of this and other simulations on the web.
See Also
Annotation
In most construction projects or on CD simulation software the relationship between physical objects is explored. Games like Hammurabi teach that there are also issues like quality-of-life that need to be accounted for.
