Preparation of Interactive Digital TV & CD Earth Science Curricular Programs from Existing VHS Analog Vocanological and Geothermal TV Footage

Temple University, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

0003002 Ulmer Very likely some of the world's most outstanding TV footage of Hawaiian volcanology resides in an archive closet at the United State Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcanological Observatory (USGS-HVO). This project will transfer-edit the highlights of this excellent analogue TV footage, as well as many hundreds of hours of geothermal field footage into digital form with as many as ten programmatic editing foci suitable for interactive recitation teaching modules for geoscience curricular use. These produced programs will involve Question/Answer segments where the program can be stopped, reviewed, replayed and even used by the audience to make visual-and time measurements necessary to answer the narrative-asked, laboratory-style questions. Thus the digitization makes possible some very exciting interactive teaching and lab modules and digital TV format makes these kinds of interaction possible with far greater ease than older AV/TV technologies. The planned interactive modules will use the intrinsic visual excitement of volcanology, not just to teach geology, environmental science and petrology, but also to teach the inter-related basic math, physics and chemistry concepts. This proposal promises the following six major tasks: (1) the digital editing of ten, 30-50 minute long volcanological/geothermal programs with interactive audience exercises in each program (2) in-school audience testing of the digitally edited programs with special attention to the interactive segments; field testing with 4th, 10th, and college level audiences will be performed; (3) these field trials will lead to three audience-appropriate levels of interactive segment for each program; (4) these digitally prepared materials (both digital TV and CD) will be presented at NAGT workshops at national GSA meetings; (5) arrangement to guarantee the widest possible royalty-free distribution of finished curricular products will be performed by a website technology, and (6) the technological transfer to a digital data base of hundreds of hours of volcanological and geothermal TV images.