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Shared extensible learning spaces

This paper presents a rationale for including the construction of interactive simulations in an Information Technology (IT) curriculum, describes ongoing work in the Shared Extensible Learning Spaces (SHELS) project, and describes how we integrate that work into our curriculum. As computing technologies advance, the complexity of the data generated increases, as does the need for tools to help make sense of the data. There are many domains - science, education, and business, to name a few - that have the need for tools to visualize and analyze complex and dynamic information sets, with information presented in a manner that allows patterns and insight to emerge. We believe that the development of tools for interactive simulation and visualization is an appropriate area of focus in Information Technology, and are currently developing such tools in our Computer Mediated Experience (CME) curriculum.
 Shared Extensible Learning Spaces-the SHELS project-is an evolving set of strategies for the representation of complex concepts in interactive media spaces. In current projects, faculty and students are creating 3-D spaces populated by smart actors to explore emergent behavior in self-organizing systems, and to document the cognitive experience of users in virtual worlds. We are developing software tools at three levels. At the top level are complete products: interactive simulations for learners and researchers. The bottom level is an extensible set of modules and components for the programming environment in which our tools are built. Our middle level tools allow user/authors to participate in the SHELS project at the level most appropriate to their skills and objectives. These components scaffold the experience of simulation building for content experts and learners whose purposes are best served by working at a higher level. We design our environments to facilitate active learning and encourage inquiry and scholarship at every level.