At NASA Ames Research Center, my project was to design a virtual component for the Spaceward Bound program to extend participatory learning in field science.  Spaceward bound is an educational program where students and teachers participate in the exploration of scientifically interesting but remote and extreme environments on Earth as analogs for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. But the problem is that only a very limited number of teachers and students get to go to the field trips every year. The goal of the virtual component is to allow more people to participate in this experience and also to enable teachers who do get to go on the field trips to be able to bring the experience back to their classrooms.

In order to explore different ideas about the creation of a virtual environment, I talked to different groups around NASA, scientists, technology specialists, teachers and educators, made research on existing technologies and came up with design ideas and prototypes.

It was great to have the opportunity to talk to different scientists at NASA, see different points of view on learning sciences and current technologies, and brainstorm with them on innovative ideas.