DESKTOP VIRTUAL REALITY IN E-LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS 
C. Katterfeld*, M. Sester 
Institute of Cartography and Geoinformatics, University of Hannover, Germany 
(christiane.katterfeld, monika.sester)@ikg.uni-hannover.de 
Session PS WG VU/2-4-1 
KEY WORDS: Visualization, Virtual Reality, Internet/Web, Web based, Learning, Education, Teaching 
ABSTRACT: 
In recent years distributing knowledge via Internet and World Wide Web has become standard for universities, institutes and 
companies. Many of them offer E-Learning-Environments. The advantages seem to be obvious: easier distribution, independence of 
space and time, potentialities of hypertext and multimedia etc. 
In the field of Geoinformation and Earth Sciences a lot of projects have been carried out to use the potentials of the World Wide 
Web. This paper describes the current situation of E-Learning-tools in the field of Geoinformatics and Earth Sciences with some 
emphasis on German examples. One of them is the project “Virtual Landscape” of the “E-Learning-Academic Network” (ELAN) in 
Lower Saxony, Germany. The project aims to develop an E-Learning-Environment for students in Earth Sciences, such as Geodesy, 
Geoinformatics, Geography, Environmental Studies, Landscape Planning as well as students in Applied Computer Science. By 
supporting the action-oriented teaching concept the development of a “Virtual Landscape” will provide an interactive tool to explore 
and work with geodata. Special modules will guide students through the work with the data and give problems to solve. The main 
characteristics of this project is therefore — as opposed to projects providing only E-Learning material in terms of courseware — the 
explorative learning approach. Furthermore, the multidisciplinary focus is also unique. 
The article gives an overview on the concepts of that E-Learning-Environment as well as to the technical structure of web-based 
geodata visualization and interaction. 
1. INTRODUCTION architecture presenting 2D and 3D vector data. A summary and 
an outlook conclude the paper. 
1.1 Motivation and overview over paper 
; 1.2 Related Work 
Using the World Wide Web for distributing information and 
knowledge has become standard years ago. Meanwhile also During the last years several projects have been devoted to 
spreading and sharing of learning materials is usual via WWW. providing a broad base of E-Learning content for the World 
However, as “web-based learning materials” not only texts and Wide Web. Notably, at the MIT the OpenCourseWare initiative 
slides should be considered. has acted as stimulator to similar projects all over the world 
This project is motivated by the idea to provide a learning (http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html). 
environment which utilizes the potentials of the World Wide In Germany there may be noticed different initiatives providing 
Web, such as interactivity, dynamic and multimedia. By doing ^ content for the field of GIS: ‘geoinformation.net’ and ‘gimolus’ 
so learning may become a more interactive process, possibly have been stimulated by a governmental program (“Neue 
even playful and experimental — like the action-oriented Medien in der Bildung”) and have recently come to an end. 
approach of learning concepts provides for. 
The project is carried out as a cooperation of the “Competence ‘geoinformation.net’ covers a complete curriculum for a course 
Centre for GIS” at the University of Hannover. (“GIS-Zentrum” ~~ of study in Geoinformatics. Slides and self-studying-units, 
der Universität Hannover“, — http///www.gis-zentrum.uni- enriched by pictures and animations form the knowledge-base. 
hannover.de/). Herein scientists from different disciplines are For practical exercise, the so-called *Geo-Café" has been 
organised to share their knowledge, experience and ideas, as developed. This constitutes a learning- (and discussing-) 
well as conduct joint research initiatives. environment for spatial analysing techniques and methods. In 
Hence the “Competence Centre for GIS” forms a representation addition an infrastructure for web-based geodata-delivery has 
of the variety of Earth- and Geoinformation-Sciences. The been developed as the so-called “Web Portal”. The 
Virtual Landscape will on the one hand use this competences to infrastructure is based on OGC-conform services, known as 
highlight the landscape as diverse as possible. On the other Web Feature Service, Web Map Service or Web Catalog 
hand the Virtual Landscape may consolidate the relations Service (Bode, T. et. al., 2004; Simonis, |. & S. Merten, 2004). 
within the Competence Centre by providing a common Establishing such an infrastructure has a lot of links and 
infrastructure for provision of teaching materials and data to inspiration to the project introduced in this paper. Technically 
work within the interdisciplinary scope. 'geoinformation.net' provides high quality by its Web Portal, 
only it lacks of examples for integrating this technology into E- 
In the presentation, after a review of related work, the concept Learning-scenarios. 
of the *Virtual Landscape" is described firstly from a didactic 
point of view. Then, implementation issues are described, with ‘gimolus’ (“GIS- und Modellgestiitze Lernmodule für 
a special focus on the infrastructure to set up the "Virtual umweltorientierte Studiengünge"/ engl: *GIS- and Model- 
Landscape". The main component being a  web-service Based Learning Modules for Environmental Sciences") lays its 
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