1. What is the NAU Solar System Simulation (SolSys) ?

   The Solar System Simulation is an on-line 'virtual' laboratory for undergraduate level courses in the social and communications sciences. In this laboratory, students in each class collaborate in building a 'working model' of a community in a shared future Solar System.

   The communities that the students build are expected be:

   • historically and scientifically plausible,
   • ethically and aesthetically desirable, and
   • sustainable on a long-term basis.
   The primary objective is to challenge students to develop sustained and mutually beneficial communication and exchange within and among their teams.

2. Students work in teams which are consituted from one or more undergraduate-level classes . Students work collaboratively in their classrooms and through the Internet.

3. The primary Internet medium is a multiple-user domain, MUD/MU*-type program (see Connectivity). Students and faculty also use e-mail, listservers, news groups and web pages to communicate within and among the teams.

4. What do students actually DO in the Solar System Simulation?

   In their classes, each team of students has to:
   • determine the specific location and nature of their settlement site,
   • determine the needs, both individual and collective, that must be met at their own site,
   • divide labor and responsibility for devising how these needs will be best met,
   • develop their local scenario, then negotiate that 'proposal' with other sites into the general Solar System Scenario,
   • determine the resources available at this site for meeting community needs,
   • develop sustained and mutually beneficial communication and exchange with other sites in the Solar System,
   • build a working model their community through research, presentations, and negotiations, in the classroom and in SolSyS, and
   • document their product.

    

5. What do students learn from their participation in the Solar System Simulation?

   Through their active participation in building a working model of a sociocultural system of a future community, and participating in an evolving system of such communities, students learn about the dynamics of human communities:

   * they learn to do applied research and problem solving using conventional resources and the Internet-mediated technologies,

   * in this process students develop their skills of:

   • Interdisciplinary team work: each student works to some extent outside hir area of academic specialization, cooperating with other students from diverse backgrounds on the formulation of the simulation and on the solution of bproblems that arise during the course;

   • Communications skills: the students must propose and defend ideas orally within their sub-groups and within the whole class; there are reports to be presented to the whole class, written and oral; and students constantly propose and defend ideas over the Internet with fellow students, students on other campuses, and with practicing professionals, the members of the Adjunct Faculty;

   • Debate, negotiation,and crisis resolution skills: the students identify intra- and inter-community which they research, propose alternatives for solution, weigh the merits of their proposals, decide among themselves, then formulate and execute plans of action - for which they are held, individually and collectively resopnsible;

   • Data acquisition skills: in addition to computer database resources, students also make use of information resources such as local and university and community resources, in Flagstaff, for example, the USGS Planetary Geology division and Lowell Observatory;

   • Analytical skills: the students learn to make both quick-and-dirty and more substantiative qualitative judgements about the feasibility of proposals, e.g how much material could be brought early to Mars, whether a given structure has enough living space, or whether a proposed power source is adequate, etc.;

   • Creating and maintaining a simulation: the putting together of the simulation and adjusting it while running it involves creativity, teamwork, and critical faculties; and

   • Computer use skills: the students engage in extensive communication and research via the Internet.

    
   * Each instructor develops specific learning objectives and assignments for hir own class.

6. What is a pedagological environment?

       There are several MU*-type programs operating in the Internet that are dedicated to educational objectives. MicroMUSE, Diversity University, ATHEMOO, College Town and EON are examples. Each of these sites models a campus environment and provides numerous opportunities for deliberate instruction.
   
       The Solar System Simulation is different: it provides a social laboratory environment and relies on the the instructor and classroom interaction to distill knowledge through reflection and analysis of the laboratory experience. To distinguish the SolSyS from environments that emphasize deliberate instruction, we have coined the term 'pedagogical environment' for an environment in which learning happens.

7. Why is SolSyS closed to the public?

       The Solar System Simulation has controlled admission for the same reason that the participating schools do; classes of students are busy working for academic credit and should not be distracted.

8. How can we participate in SolSyS?

       Communicate your interest to Dr. Reed D. Riner, Professor, Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University.

9. What kind of VR program does SolSyS use?

       The Solar System Simulation is running in a ____. The direct telnet address is dragonmud.org 4567; see Connectivity for more information.

READ MORE ABOUT IT:

Riner, Reed D.
"Virtual Ethics <- Virtual Reality." Futures Research Quarterly, 12(1):57-70, Spring 1996.

Riner, Reed D. and Jennifer A. Clodius
"Simulating Future Histories: The NAU Solar System Simulation & Mars Settlement." Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 21(2):121-127, 1995.

Neville, Melvin K. and Reed D. Riner
"The Mars Course: A Technological and Societal Simulation." in David Hartman editor, Proceedings of the American Society of Engineering Education Pacific Southwest Section 1993 Annual Meeting and Conference, 1993.