A COMPUTER BASED INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR JPL IMAGE DATA IN EDUCATION

USING THE DATA FROM PLANETARY EXPLORATION NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH NASA AND JPL, THIS EFFORT TARGETS ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, MEETING THE NEEDS OF YOUNG PEOPLEOF ALL LEARNING ABILITIES. AT ITS HEART IS A COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT WILL ACCESS, SEARCH, AND MANIPULATE DATA FROM SUCH SOURCES AS THE JPL PLANETARY IMAGES ON CD-ROM. THE CD-ROMS WILL BE TREATED AS VERY LARGE DATABASES, WHICH PC-BASED PROGRAM DISKS WILL MANIPULATE ACCORDING TO FOUR MAJOR EDUCATIONAL EMPHASES. FIRST, TEACHING DISKS PREPARED BY EXPERIENCED EDUCATORS WILL GUIDE STUDENTS (AND TEACHERS) THROUGH THE DATA TO GIVE A BASIC EDUCATION ABOUT THE MATERIALS. SECOND, BROWSING DISKS WILL FACILITATE NAVIGATION OF THE DATABASES USING KEYWORD, SUBJECT, OR MAIN IDEA INDEXING; STUDENTS CAN RECORD THEIR "KNOWLEDGE TRAIL" THROUGH THE DATA. THIRD, EDIT/TEST DISKS CAN BE USED BY TEACHERS. FOURTH, CREATIVITY/EDIT DISKS WILL PERMIT STUDENTS TO USE THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION ON THE CD-ROMS IN CREATIVE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES. A COMPLETEDSTUDENT "REPORT", COMPOSED OF HYPERMEDIA-LIKE IMAGES, ANIMATION, TEXT, AND NOTES, COULD BE SAVED AS A REAL-TIME RUN PROGRAM DISK RECORDED ON VIDEOTAPE; THE DATA, IMAGES, AND KNOWLEDGE WOULD BECOME THE TANGIBLE PROPERTY OF THE STUDENT. USING THE DATA FROM PLANETARY EXPLORATION NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH NASA AND JPL, THIS EFFORT TARGETS ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, MEETING THE NEEDS OF YOUNG PEOPLEOF ALL LEARNING ABILITIES. AT ITS HEART IS A COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT WILL ACCESS, SEARCH, AND MANIPULATE DATA FROM SUCH SOURCES AS THE JPL PLANETARY IMAGES ON CD-ROM. THE CD-ROMS WILL BE TREATED AS VERY LARGE DATABASES, WHICH PC-BASED PROGRAM DISKS WILL MANIPULATE ACCORDING TO FOUR MAJOR EDUCATIONAL EMPHASES. FIRST, TEACHING DISKS PREPARED BY EXPERIENCED EDUCATORS WILL GUIDE STUDENTS (AND TEACHERS) THROUGH THE DATA TO GIVE A BASIC EDUCATION ABOUT THE MATERIALS. SECOND, BROWSING DISKS WILL FACILITATE NAVIGATION OF THE DATABASES USING KEYWORD, SUBJECT, OR MAIN IDEA INDEXING; STUDENTS CAN RECORD THEIR "KNOWLEDGE TRAIL" THROUGH THE DATA. THIRD, EDIT/TEST DISKS CAN BE USED BY TEACHERS. FOURTH, CREATIVITY/EDIT DISKS WILL PERMIT STUDENTS TO USE THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION ON THE CD-ROMS IN CREATIVE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES. A COMPLETEDSTUDENT "REPORT", COMPOSED OF HYPERMEDIA-LIKE IMAGES, ANIMATION, TEXT, AND NOTES, COULD BE SAVED AS A REAL-TIME RUN PROGRAM DISK RECORDED ON VIDEOTAPE; THE DATA, IMAGES, AND KNOWLEDGE WOULD BECOME THE TANGIBLE PROPERTY OF THE STUDENT.