1. The Virtual Cell Project
Phillip McClean
Alan White
Brian Slator
North Dakota State University

2. Educational Role-playing Games “Learning-by-doing” Experiences
MultiUser
Exploration
Spatially-oriented virtual worlds
Practical planning and decision making

3. Educational Role-playing Games “Learning-by-doing” Experiences
Problem solving
Scientific method
Real-world content
Mature thinking

4. Advantages of Virtual Worlds
Collapse virtual time and distance
Allow physical or practical impossibilities
Participate from anywhere
Interact with other users, virtual artifacts, and software agents
Multi-user collaborations and competitive play

5. Technical Approaches Networked, internet-based, client-server
MultiPlayer
Simulation-based
Implemented in Java applets

6. The VCell VRML Worlds
The Cell
The Laboratory

7. The Virtual Cell

8. The Laboratory

9. Details of the VCell
Interface
Game Play

10. VCell Login Use VCell login box to connect to the cell
The VCell VRML file will load in the Client Window.

11. Instructions from Lab Guy
VCell Instructions
Reference
information about organelles, etc. is available here.
Goals for each level are listed here
Instructions from Lab Guy

12. Transporting from One Place to Another
Click on the Lab Guy icon to move between
the Laboratory and the VCell.
The Do It Box gives you choices for destinations.
For example, this selection will send you to the VCell for your next set of experiments.

13. Performing Experiments
Fly around organelles and perform experiments
Choose actions here
Choose assays here
Experimental Results

14. Deduction of Organelle Identity
Choose Identify action here
Choose organelle to identify here
Successful identification based
on experimental results

15. Achieving Another Goal
Information for new goal
New Action and Assay
Experimental Results

16. Completing Another Goal
Updated Goals
Success again!

17. Guessing Not Allowed
Appropriate experiments required for identification.

18. All Goals Completed
Directions for proceeding to the next level given.

19. ETC Exercise Instruction Window
You arrive in the Lab. Click on the Lab Guy to receive your next instructions.
Lab Guy welcomes you back
and gives you your next assignment

20. Mitochondrial Function:
Electron Transport Chain Animation
ETC Membrane Complexes
Molecules in motion
Molecule Key

21. Chloroplast Function:
Work in Progress
User in Sub shoots photons to activate photosynthesis
Photosystem Complexes

22. Assessment Not “multiple choice” recall Content specific:
Problem solving, hypothesis formation, deductive reasoning

23. Assessment by Scenarios
Assess computer literacy
PreTest: Present scenario, students propose course of action or solution
Engage in learning experience Control vs Virtual
PostTest: Present similar scenario, student response
Analysis of assessment data

24. Current Implementation
NDSU General Biology Class
600 students total
300 control students
150 alternative (WWW based, but not VCell)
students
150 VCell students