Teaching computational science using VPython and virtual reality

Stephen Roberts*, Henry Gardner, Shaun Press, Linda Stals

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    3 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The Australian National University has two new complementary computational science programs, the Bachelor of Computational Science and the eScience graduate program. Students from the eScience program have developed sophisticated visualisation projects which have then been used to educate current and prospective undergraduate students in the Bachelor program. In this paper we will discuss the use of VPython combined with a 3D visualisation theatre, the Wedge, to produce hands-on computational science tutorials which we use to motivate computational science. We will briefly describe the use of VPython in our outreach tutorials, in particular a bouncing ball and gas simulation tutorial. The wedge virtual reality environment is also described as is the porting of VPython to the Wedge. Overall we provide a glimpse into our coordinated approach to using high level visualisation and virtual reality in the promotion of computational science.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
    EditorsMarian Bubak, Geert Dick van Albada, Peter M. A. Sloot, Jack J. Dongarra
    PublisherSpringer Verlag
    Pages1218-1225
    Number of pages8
    ISBN (Print)3540221298
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2004

    Publication series

    NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
    Volume3039
    ISSN (Print)0302-9743
    ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

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