SHAPING EDUCATION WITH TECHNOLOGY: EARTHSCOPE ACTIVE EARTH KIOSK CREATES AN INTERACTIVE MEDIUM FOR EXPLORING DYNAMIC GEOLOGICAL SETTINGS

The use of traditional educational materials with the latest advancements in technology is the bridge for educating the next generation of students with the knowledge and experience of professional scientists. IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) offers a free, customizable, interactive, real-time web-based Earth science display, called Active Earth, for science and museum centers. Using pre-existing web modules from IRIS’s Active Earth, we have developed a custom EarthScope kiosk display setup using an Apple computer and touch screen monitor to display interactive web content.

Our custom display consists of a kiosk stand built by Comark Corp., which houses a Elo 24” touch screen monitor and an Apple Mac mini G5 computer mounted on the back of the display. The touch screen monitor uses surface wave technology, which permits robust, touch sensitive responses on a scratch-resistant glass surface. The kiosk display is operated by an Apple based security software called wKiosk. This software allows for a virtual lock-down of the computer from local and remote threats and permits the users to only access websites allowed for the kiosk setup, preventing any access to the operating system. The software does not require advance coding or setup other than a standard, simple installation. The total cost of our custom kiosk equipment was $3500, however the use of IRIS’s Active Earth display pages are completely free and can be displayed on any existing computer at no cost.

Users of our EarthScope Active Earth kiosk are introduced to key geology and physics concepts embedded in interactive games, virtual tours, and animations. We are currently designing custom module content that will span two separate and dynamic geological environments of North America, including the Rio Grande rift and the San Andres fault. We also plan to develop bilingual educational modules, available in both English and Spanish. Our EarthScope Active Earth kiosk is currently being installed at the University of Texas at El Paso’s Centennial Museum and we are planning to install a second kiosk within the lobby of our university’s Geological Sciences Building. We are also considering future plans for a third mobile kiosk, which will be used to visit local K-12 schools, science fairs, and other public venues within the community.