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Project team members working on the 3D images.

Project Details

Client

  • Karl Wegmann, Professor, Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, College of Sciences
  • Ethan Hyland, Associate Professor, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, College of Sciences

    Team

    • David Tredwell, Team Lead, Multimedia Development, Digital Learning
    • Arthur Earnest, Instructional Media Producer, Instructional Media Production
    • Stephen Waddell, Multimedia Specialist, Digital Learning
    • Bethanne Winzeler, Associate Director of Course Quality, Digital Learning

      Technologies

      • TouchDesigner
      • Blender
      • Esri’s ArcGIS
      • GoPro
      • YouTube

        Timeline

        • Fall 2021 - Spring 2022

MEA 450: Enhancing Student Learning with the MEAS Em4 Geosystem Stream Table

MEA 450: Introductory Sedimentology and Stratigraphy is an upper-division course in the Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (MEAS) focusing on properties and classification of sediments and sedimentary rocks and geologic processes. The course has required field trips to augment in-class learning. In addition, the MEAS department uses an analog geosystem stream table (the Em4 Stream Table) for students to gather data about landscape evolution and depositional environments. The instructors wanted to integrate auxiliary instructional technologies to the stream table to create additional and accessible opportunities for field or experimental observation and experiential learning. They also wanted to improve student expertise in quantitative observation and measurement methods. To accomplish these goals, the instructors turned to DELTA and support from a DELTA Exploratory Grant. 

Instructional Challenges

  • Leverage Em4 Stream Table technology in MEA 450 course design to implement new technologies for efficient, high-resolution 3D surface mapping of steam table topography, and extend these technologies to other MEAS courses incorporating the Em4 Stream Table.
  • Explore possible avenues for creating a fully immersive VR Em4 Stream Table experience based on 3D surface imaging.
  • Develop online user tutorials for the course, including an orientation video for how to use and understand the Em4 stream table. 

Highlights/Solutions

  • Developed online user tutorials hosted on the NCSU-MEAS Stream Table YouTube channel for students and graduate teaching assistants to learn operation, maintenance, and experimental setup procedures and skills for using the Em4 stream table. 
  • Produced an orientation video that demonstrates the basics for the Em4 Stream Table operation. QR codes are affixed around the stream table for easy access to the tutorial. 
  • Created a simple web interface to work with all the behind-the-scenes devices and software developed to support the Stream Table, allowing users to capture images, recordings and time lapses of the stream table on the fly.

Related Links

For more information about DELTA services, please contact LearnTech.