| Project | VisualizationTools for Inquiry-Based Classrooms |
| Contact | Harold McWilliams |
| Harold_McWilliams@terc.edu | |
| URL | http://www.wri.org/enved/datascap.html |
| Project description | VisualizationTools for Inquiry-Based Classrooms Since 1994, TERC has been involved with GIS and other visualization technologies. Research indicates that four factors condition the implementation of these technologies in K-12 education: appropriate hardware and software, accessible and appropriate data, curriculum integration, and teacher professional development. TERC has been involved with the creation of two recent visualization products, Visual Earth (from TERC) and DataScape (from World Resources Institute and ESRI). Visual Earth is a multimedia application designed around the Map Objects LT library of GIS functionality. DataScape is based on ArcView 3.0/3.1. This demo/presentation will present the technical and interface design innovations of these two products, compare the two approaches taken, discuss the technical and philosophical differences reflected in the products, and outline a research strategy to study the actual use of such visualization products in K-12 classrooms. |