Welcome! Today, we’re diving into the exciting world of StarLogo Nova, an innovative agent-based modeling platform developed by the Scheller Teacher Education Program (STEP) at MIT. This tool is perfect for exploring concepts in earth, life, and physical sciences through interactive computer models. Let’s embark on this journey to learn how to use StarLogo Nova effectively!
To begin your adventure with StarLogo Nova, open your internet browser and head over to www.slnova.org. Setting up an account is straightforward, and I’ll guide you through the process.
Click on the “Register for an Account” link. Choose a unique username and a secure password, and provide an email address for password recovery. Once your account is ready, navigate to “My Profile” and click “Create a New Project” to start a new project. Select the option to begin with a blank project and hit “Submit.”
Welcome to the StarLogo Nova programming environment! At the top of the page, you’ll find project details such as the title, description, and author (that’s you!). Feel free to customize these fields to reflect your project’s purpose.
Below the project information is the 3D world, known as “Space Land,” where your model will come to life. You can control the view by dragging and scrolling with your mouse—give it a try!
Underneath Space Land is the programming workspace, where you’ll bring your agents to life using blocks. On the left, you’ll see drawers filled with command blocks. You can create your program by dragging these blocks into the workspace and connecting them.
On the right, you’ll find pages dedicated to different agents: the world, individual agents, and breeds. These pages help you organize blocks to program various agents. The user interface buttons in Space Land are linked to the command blocks on these pages.
For instance, if you place a “When Setup” block on the world page, pressing the setup button in Space Land will execute the commands within that block. This means whatever instructions you give your agents will be carried out when you click “Setup.”
Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the StarLogo Nova interface, you’re all set to dive into the tutorial and start creating your own simulations. Enjoy the process of learning and experimenting with this powerful tool!
Start by designing a basic ecosystem model using StarLogo Nova. Choose two types of agents, such as predators and prey, and program their interactions. Observe how changes in one population affect the other. This activity will help you understand the dynamics of ecosystems and the impact of different variables.
Develop a simulation that models the spread of a disease within a population. Use agents to represent healthy, infected, and recovered individuals. Experiment with different transmission rates and recovery times to see how they influence the spread of the disease. This will give you insights into epidemiology and public health strategies.
Create a model to simulate traffic flow on a highway. Use agents to represent cars and program their movement based on speed limits and traffic signals. Analyze how traffic congestion forms and explore solutions to improve flow. This activity will enhance your understanding of transportation systems and urban planning.
Build a simulation to model the spread of a forest fire. Use agents to represent trees and fire, and program the conditions under which the fire spreads. Experiment with different environmental factors like wind speed and humidity. This will help you learn about fire management and ecological impacts.
Create a simulation that explores social behaviors, such as cooperation or competition, among agents. Program scenarios where agents must work together to achieve a goal or compete for resources. Analyze the outcomes and discuss the implications for understanding human and animal social structures.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Hi and welcome! Please join me on a guided tour of a new agent-based modeling environment called StarLogo Nova. StarLogo Nova was produced by the Scheller Teacher Education Program (STEP) at MIT. We are excited that you will be learning to use StarLogo Nova to teach about topics in earth, life, and physical sciences.
In the StarLogo Nova environment, you will be able to create, share, collaborate, and store your very own computer models on the web. So, are you ready? Let’s start having some fun with StarLogo Nova!
First, you need to open your internet browser and navigate to www.slnova.org. I will walk you through the steps on how to set up an account. It’s easy, and you’ll be up and running in no time.
To create an account, click on the “Register for an Account” link. Choose a username and password, and enter an email address so that we can send you your password if you forget it. Once you have created your account, click on the “My Profile” link, then click the “Create a New Project” button to create a new project. We will be starting from a blank project, so choose that and then click “Submit.”
This is the StarLogo Nova programming environment. At the top of the page is some information about the project, such as title, description, and author, which is you! Pretty cool! Change the title and description to something useful.
Below the project information is the 3D world where the model will run; we call this area “Space Land.” The buttons in this area are used to control the model. You can move the view by dragging and scrolling your mouse—go ahead and try it!
Below Space Land is the programming workspace, or blocks, where you will program the behaviors of your agents. Basically, here is what you’re going to program: put your blocks and tell them what to do. On the left are the drawers where you will find commands for creating your program. Notice the drawers are full of command blocks. You create your program by dragging blocks from these drawers and connecting them together.
On the pages for the agents on the right, there are three different pages: one for the world, one for the agents other than the world, and one for the breeds. These pages are areas where you organize blocks to program the different agents. The user interface buttons in Space Land that control the simulation are linked to the command blocks on these pages.
For example, if I put a “When Setup” push block on the world page, whenever the user pushes the setup block in Space Land, the commands I placed within that block will run or execute. So basically, whatever I tell my agents to do when I click “Setup,” they will follow those directions and run through the program.
Now that you have taken a tour of the user interface, you can get started on the tutorial!
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This version maintains the essential information while ensuring clarity and professionalism.
StarLogo – A programming language and environment designed for creating simulations and models of complex systems using agents. – The university’s computer science department uses StarLogo to teach students how to model ecological systems.
Nova – A version of the StarLogo programming environment that offers enhanced features for creating and sharing simulations. – Students were excited to explore the new capabilities of Nova for their final project in the simulation course.
Programming – The process of designing and building an executable computer program to accomplish a specific computing task. – In their first semester, students learn the fundamentals of programming using Python.
Agents – Autonomous entities in a simulation that can interact with each other and their environment according to defined rules. – In the simulation, each agent represents an animal in the ecosystem, interacting with others to mimic real-world behaviors.
Models – Abstract representations of systems or processes used in simulations to study their behavior under various conditions. – The students created models of traffic flow to analyze the impact of different traffic light algorithms.
Simulations – Computer-based experiments that mimic real-world processes or systems to study their behavior and outcomes. – The engineering department uses simulations to test the structural integrity of new bridge designs.
Environment – The setting or context within which a computer program or simulation operates, including the hardware and software resources available. – The development environment for the project was set up with the latest version of the Java SDK.
Workspace – A digital area within a programming environment where developers can organize and manage their code and resources. – Each student was assigned a workspace on the server to store their project files and collaborate with peers.
Blocks – Visual programming elements that represent code structures and can be snapped together to create programs, often used in educational programming environments. – The introductory course used a block-based language to help students understand programming logic without worrying about syntax.
Tutorial – An instructional guide or lesson designed to teach users how to use software or perform specific tasks within a programming environment. – The online tutorial provided a step-by-step guide to building a simple game using Unity.
