The Development of a Virtual Marine Museum for Educational Applications

Abstract

The objective of this article is to investigate the computer animation and virtual reality technologies for developing a virtual marine museum. The museum consists of three exhibition areas. The first area displays fishes in freshwater, including creeks, rivers, and dams in Taiwan. The second area exhibits marine ecology and creatures of different species in the ocean. The third area is an undersea transparent tunnel where one can see sharks, tuna, and lovely butterfly fish swimming around beautiful coral reefs. Since the museum is developed by computer animation and virtual reality technology, it provides 3D visual effects and interactive user interface. People can breed their favorite fish in the virtual aquarium, and make observations through networks for educational and recreational purposes. A qualitative study was conducted and the results showed that the virtual marine museum could raise students' interest and learning motivation. Therefore, it can be used as an assistant tool in science education for learning marine ecology and promoting ecological protection of oceanic environments as well.