GeoWall: Stereo Projection Systems Designed for Earth Science Classrooms

Within the past year, advances in projection technology and consumer-grade computer game technology have reduced the cost of stereo projection systems to a level that allows this technology to be used in the classroom. Stereo projection systems have remarkable potential for any educational discipline that deals with complex spatial relationships (engineering, physics, astronomy, etc.), but the implications for earth science education are particularly rich. The ability to visualize and interpret spatial relationships is a critical skill that many earth science students find difficult to master. Stereo projection can serve as a bridge to increase students' perception of maps, images and aerial views, or allow students to interactively manipulate three-dimensional, time-dependent visualizations of research data sets and mathematical models that move well beyond traditional education materials. The GeoWall Project is an initiative to build low-cost, high-quality stereo projection systems at a number of research and education institutions. By standardizing the technical design of these systems, materials developed by one institution can be used by any of the other member institutions. This allows institutions to easily adopt materials that they could not produce in-house and fosters a community capable of generating curriculum materials that take advantage of stereo projection technology. Although not universally applicable across earth science education, stereo projection systems have the potential to transform the way that we teach many earth science concepts.