Learning abstract concepts through interactive playing

In this paper, we present strategies and approaches used to implement a synthetic learning environment which includes distributed interactive simulation, computational steering, interactive visualization, and artificial intelligence for learning abstract scientific concepts and entertainment. We use Navier–Stokes equations as a case study to show our ideas and methods. Students are allowed to interact with one another and engage in realistic collaborative exercises. The resulting technology is a testbed that reflects the benefits of a schoolhouse for training and education, especially for scientific abstract concepts, yet does not have the physical limitation that instructors, students and resources be collocated both spatially and temporally. Our innovative use of computational steering and interactive visualization allows students to visualize and manipulate the physical process, and understand the abstract concept through entertainment.