Modelling4All: Enabling everyone to build computer models

It seems as though Google Gadgets could save some development time. The idea is to restrict the GWT/ AJAX development to creating just the core functionality outlined in the modelling4all design document:

http://modelling4all.wikidot.com/technical-design-document

namely the Explore, Construct and Experiment page tabs.

By creating gadgets that both pull and push data between the modelling4all and Google servers.

With respect to push we should be able to create gadgets that display models running in an iGoogle page (java applets at this stage although we’re aware of the limitations here e.g. speed to load and browser compatibility) for instance. The gadget would point to the modelling4all server and select a model that is open access and perhaps recent.

With respect to pull then it might be possible to use for instance a google groups (web forum tool) to provide forum functionality within the pages served by the modelling4all server. The idea being that we can capture a user’s post and send it to a google forum, then read the forum posts back from google servers and display them back on the modelling4all site. This same principle might also be true for tagging and rating services.

So first thing to build is to get a Netlogo model displaying in a Google gadget.

To investigate is whether we can pull data from existing google applications e.g. blogger/ groups to display within our AJAX pages (seems like there’s authenticated Atom feeds).

Million dollar question: how can we do account management most easily.

The Modelling4All web application needs to allow the modeller to run graphical simulations within the browser. The problem here is that Netlogo can already be used to create java applets but flash has a much higher penetration across browsers. This blog page sets out the stall very clearly:

http://www.realchat.com/blog/java-vs-flash/

Flash can also be used to create nicer looking UIs but Java is improving all the time. A design decision needs to be made…

From Sherry Turkle’s influential paper titled Seeing Through Computers I like this section:

In the physics department, the debate about simulation was even sharper. Only a small subset of real-world physics problems can be solved by purely mathematical, analytical techniques. Most require experimentation in which one conducts trials, evaluates results, and fits a curve through the resulting data. Not only does the computer make such inductive solutions easier, but as a practical matter, it also makes many of them possible for the first time. As one faculty member put it:

A student can take thousands of curves and develop a feeling for the data. Before the computer, nobody did that because it was too much work. Now, you can ask a question and say, “Let’s try it.” The machine does not distance students from the real, it brings them closer to it.

Because it pitches computers as tools for visualising and experimenting with systems that need to be understood mathematically. Not just at the advanced theoretical level but all through education - the learning of mathematics through using a wide range of systems of representation.

What I think is missing from this article is reference to simulations as being tools for cognitive offloading and the system of representation having an optimal relationship with the problem space and the individual or group researching the problem. Graphical simulations are powerful where emergent dynamics, iterations through generations and parallel processes are important, and where morphology is preserved in the simulation this can help too.

I was struck by the elegance of the world without oil game. This is an exercise in envisioning the future where oil runs out over a period of time (currently up to week 32). The ‘game’ is defined as:

How do I participate?

(1) Imagine your life in this oil shock. (2) Create something on the Web to express your reality: a blog post, an image, a video, an audio file. (3) Tag it “worldwithoutoil” so others can find it. (4) Tell us about your creation by emailing it to us. Be sure to include a link to your story! Also: you can help guide others. Create a “thread” - a chain of links to WWO material that helps readers understand WWO - and email it to us.

Can anyone participate?

Yes. People go to the World Without Oil webpages, where they see the price of fuel and the effects of shortages week by week. They then create something on the web to express how their lives would look if this “alternate reality” were truly happening. They write blog entries, shoot photos and videos, then post them on the Internet with the tag “worldwithoutoil.” The result: we now have thousands of pieces of “evidence” of what an oil shock would look and feel like, from a very wide range of viewpoints. And we want that number to keep growing. We want to play it, so we don’t live it.

How do I experience World Without Oil?

There are two ways to live the WWO experience. One: enter the WWO Live Event Archive, using a link to one of the weeks. To go chronologically through the archive, enter at Week 1; to see the archive at the end, with all material available to you, enter at Week 32. NOTE: we’ve previewed material in the archive, to make it as kid-friendly as possible. Two: search the Internet for the tag “worldwithoutoil” or phrase “world without oil”, using your favorite search method.Thoughts:

1. This narrative structure could be used to motivate modelling with simulation software
2. The key here is that the game could be generative - as used by Zittrain (see also: Nicholas Carr and Ethan Zuckerman)
   1. Technologies are generative when they are:
      - Leveragable (they allow you to accomplish tasks that couldn’t otherwise be accomplished)
      - Adaptable (useful for multiple purposes)
      - Easy to master
      - Accessible to a broad audience.
3. Seems important that there is an existing community of authors that the game can organise into a collective action

JISC funded a prototype implementation of the proposed modelling4all software under the project name Constructing2Learn.

We will be demonstrating the software at the ALT-C conference Sep. 2007, the abstract describes the session in more detail.

The project will draw on the plethora of resources publicly available. Today Chris Bateman’s blog was recommended by a colleague.

Using tools like the proposed behaviour compose seem to be supported by digital literacy strategies e.g.:

Martin, A. (2006) The landscape of digital literacy. Available at: http://www.digeulit.ec/docs/public.asp (Accessed June 2006).

I have joined a group in facebook to discuss this further:

http://oxford.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2469564993&topic=2865

If the reader is interested in commenting on the role of programming environments/ graphical modelling tools and digital literacy they might want to join this forum, rather than comment on this blog.

Amy Jo Kim has written a useful booked titled Community-Building for the web, to pull out information relevavent to the modelling4all project. The book is based on a checklist designed to help step a designer through the process of building online communities. The book companion website gives a useful set of checklists and guidance on some general heuristics for builidng a community. The key seems to be to let users drive feature development, and use improvements as motivation for getting people involved. The question at this stage is to pin point our community, is it undergraduates, learners in general or teachers?

When I watched

Google Developer Day US - Better AJAX Apps:Gears, GWT, Dojo

I saw how AJAX applications developed with the Google Web ToolKit could be interfaced into the Google Gears browser plug-in so that it can run off-line. The service can run even when one is disconnected and then when (re) connected the local state and the server state are synchronised. As presented in

http://code.google.com/events/developerday/mv-sessions.html#building_better_ajax_apps

there are several situations where people want to run web applications even when not connected. And one can run off-line the same way (even using the same URLs) as one does when connected.

The combination of GWT and Gears may provide us tools for doing this.

So, this is the kick-off blog for the modelling4all project and start thinking about the design of the project, especially the social software. i’ll just list some topics that appear important to me at the moment:

1. the modelling process, allowing people to use the tool starting from many perspectives e.g. this is an interesting topic and describing it with natural language (words and sentences) OR this is some interesting code e.g. sharing logo, c, java etc
2. what is the sugar for this community e.g. the major motivational hooks for getting involved: interesting questions, link to controversial topics, aesthetic models, interesting code, link to movies, news, images, stories, courses, homework, lessons etc
3. what would be some interesting APIs to expose and consume (the mash-ups)?
4. obviously the bread and butter: tagging, collections, discussion threads, group/ authorisation control
5. the constitution e.g. rules of culture, so reporting inappropriate use, legal age, open source
6. assigning licenses
7. tracking and crediting all contributions to a model e.g. like a wiki

Regarding design we also need to learn from tools that support similar activities e.g:

1. programming communities use of wikis, mailing lists/ forums
2. IDEs e.g. Eclipse and any visual programming tools VisualBasic/ LabView?
3. UML especially class diagrams
4. Books!

By doing this we will focus e.g. this is a community focused on Agent-Based modelling

Also need to look and work in partnership with all those using netlogo and people with sites like this:

http://www.turtlezero.com/models/models.php

Finally (for today) there is the modelling process behind a single model but there is also the modelling process that links experts with learners. We need to investigate the processes suitable for novice and expert users and how they might engage.