Kickstarter Proposal Accepted!
by Maria C R Harrington · 01/11/2012 (8:22 am) · 5 comments
Great News!!! Kickstarter has accepted my proposal for The Virtual Trillium Trail. I will need some help. Please critique the video and I will also need some help in migrating it to the newest release, cleaning up the models, and adding some features to the user interface.
Virtual Field Trips are for anyone interested in virtually visiting and learning about places of interest.
The Virtual Trillium Trail (TM) is an immersive learning simulation and high fidelity 3D virtual environment built on computer game technologies. A realistic virtual world infused with educational content, the learner can explore anywhere, inquire on anything of interest to the breadth and depth of their desire. It is based on the 4th grade science and ecology curriculum from the Audubon and aligned with the PA department of education standards for science, ecology and IT. It can be used by children in classroom settings from second grade up to seventh grade. There are about 20 concepts, 20 plants and 1,000s of facts. Empirical tests show learning gains of 40% in the independent, free and open exploration mode in only one hour.
Teachers can deploy and use the software in many ways. They can act as a guide and project it on to a screen for the entire class, or install in a PC computer lab where the students can explore at their own pace. Teachers can give students a map and a treasure hunt to find facts and concepts. Moreover, it can be used before and or after a real field trip, to more than double learning in the real field trip, thus providing a higher economic value from real field trip.
Virtual Field Trips are for anyone interested in virtually visiting and learning about places of interest.
The Virtual Trillium Trail (TM) is an immersive learning simulation and high fidelity 3D virtual environment built on computer game technologies. A realistic virtual world infused with educational content, the learner can explore anywhere, inquire on anything of interest to the breadth and depth of their desire. It is based on the 4th grade science and ecology curriculum from the Audubon and aligned with the PA department of education standards for science, ecology and IT. It can be used by children in classroom settings from second grade up to seventh grade. There are about 20 concepts, 20 plants and 1,000s of facts. Empirical tests show learning gains of 40% in the independent, free and open exploration mode in only one hour.
Teachers can deploy and use the software in many ways. They can act as a guide and project it on to a screen for the entire class, or install in a PC computer lab where the students can explore at their own pace. Teachers can give students a map and a treasure hunt to find facts and concepts. Moreover, it can be used before and or after a real field trip, to more than double learning in the real field trip, thus providing a higher economic value from real field trip.
About the author
Virtual Field Trips,LLC specializes in the design, production and publication of simulations and virtual environments for learning and entertainment. Simulations for Exploration, Discovery, and Intrinsic Learning Designed for the Young Child in All of Us.
#2
01/11/2012 (10:13 am)
Steve, that must be a British point of view... ;) Yes, good suggestion and added to my list of improvements. The PC version was released last year, exactly, one year to this day. The Kickstarter campaign is to help with some minor improvements and deployment online and cross-platform on Gaikai. 
#3
01/12/2012 (1:16 pm)
Cool! 
#4
01/13/2012 (3:00 pm)
Maria@ Will these simulations be based on specific national parks ? I've been playing with different ways to make such a simulation for Mt Rainier National Forest in WA state ... curious if you are re-creating actual locations or making fictional ones. Where can I find more details about your project and so on ?
#5
The Virtual Trillium Trail web site is here: www.virtualtrilliumtrail.com/index.html
I am working on a new one with a blog and more information, and will post soon. If you are interested in working together on producing a virtual field trip to Mt.Rainier, I would like to help you to publish and distribute it to schools and others interested in educational computer games and immersive learning simulations.
01/19/2012 (10:22 am)
@ Jeff, yes they are actual places generated from terrain data and plant population data. My old web sites are here: www.sis.pitt.edu/~mariah/phd/research.html and also here: www.myvirtualfieldtrips.com/ The Virtual Trillium Trail web site is here: www.virtualtrilliumtrail.com/index.html
I am working on a new one with a blog and more information, and will post soon. If you are interested in working together on producing a virtual field trip to Mt.Rainier, I would like to help you to publish and distribute it to schools and others interested in educational computer games and immersive learning simulations.
Associate Steve Acaster
[YorkshireRifles.com]
Voiceover could do with some volume, I've just been blowing things up loudly ... virtually of course ;) ... but still had to crank my volume up considerably to hear the video.
Also ... can't help noticing ... I do seem to be staring at Bambi's arse quite a bit ... the inner child in me finds this incredibly amusing. If you had a different camera angle, closer, a little higher, more on-the-back-of-cam rather than chase-cam, kids pointing out Bambi's backside would be avoided.