Virtual World
knowledge and skills, without requiring them to leave the classroom.
Some of the RWNC problem
scenarios that students have participated in include a natural disaster that led to the relocation of the
entire population of Philadelphia
and issues associated with the
hydraulic fracturing (known as
fracking) process used to extract
natural gas from shale. Middle
and high school teachers in STEM
subjects throughout southeastern
Pennsylvania were eager to try
their own scenario, and they got
to be involved from day one.
Welcome to Boot Camp
Like new recruits to the Navy, the
21 educators who participated in the
RWNC kicked off their experience
with a boot camp. They gathered at
the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where
they took part in three days of rigorous training designed to change the
way they teach and learn.
During the boot camp, the teachers
toured the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare
Center’s Ship Systems Engineering Station so they could see how the Navy
employs full-scale simulations in its
training programs and get a glimpse
into science and engineering research
that will have significant implications
far beyond the scope of the military.
But like any boot camp, this was
not a spectator event. Teams solved
complex logistical problems with
limited tools and resources and
came up with solutions requir-
ing their collaboration,
clear communication,
and creativity.
There was class
work and homework as
well. Bootcamp participants learned
the foundations of PBL from experts
in the field. They studied new tools,
such as a custom-designed team col-
laboration portal featuring a white-
board, voice, and text chat; wikis; and
journals. And they gained hands-on
experience in an immersive virtual
environment called New Worlds
( newworlds.paiunet.org), where much
of their and their students’ experience
in the RWNC would take place.
Building the Virtual Environment
Once the teachers identified the
problem scenario, the New Worlds
Development Team began designing
and building the virtual environment,
dubbed the Scarboro South Nuclear
Power Plant. The development team,
which included a programmer and
several graphics and instructional
designers from the Chester County
Intermediate Unit, built the site over
approximately six months using the
Open SIM platform.
It was essential that the virtual power plant accurately re-create the structure and operation of the local nuclear
power plant. Although students under
18 were not allowed onsite, the design
team was able to tour the nuclear
power plant, interview engineers, and
procure detailed drawings to ensure
the virtual environment’s authenticity.
The team took painstaking care to
faithfully depict a fully functioning
nuclear power plant, including all
safety and security features, such as ID
scanners, an explosives detector, metal
detectors, twin pressure-lock doors,
personal contamination monitors,
radiation scrubs, and other protective
gear. They even designed the virtual
nuclear reactor and core to allow students to “peel away” outer layers to reveal the fuel rods and turbines within.
The team used Google Earth to
assist in the design of the plant’s exterior, including the cooling towers,
the spray pool, the switch yard, and
the cask storage area. Google Earth
provided excellent aerial views of the
plant that allowed the designers to
accurately depict the number, size,
and proximity of buildings in relation
to the Schuylkill River, which is the
water supply for the plant.
