Virtual reality recently came to life inside a Lakeview Middle School computer lab.
"All systems go?"
The voice belongs to UTC Challenger STEM Learning Center Mission Cmdr. Bruce Howard who appeared on-screen to give commands. Then, LMS seventh-grade math and science students moved into position in their respective teams - engineering, geology, hydrology and rapid response - to begin solving problems using computers, charts and maps.
"There was an [mock] earthquake along the Tennessee River. Students have to respond to it," explained LMS teacher Emily Harrison. "It teaches them how to problem solve and think through it."
The teams transmitted real-time data from the Chickamauga, Watts Bar and Fort Loudoun dams and looked at the flow of water and erosion.
LMS student Deandre Rowe, who served as the geology team safety manager, said his team determined a hazard zone that could potentially mess up a dam. His team plotted coordinates to try to figure out how to solve any potential problems.
"We have scenarios with landslides and earthquakes," said UTC Challenger STEM Learning Center Director Perry Storey. "They [students] have to make decisions. One team's data helps another team. We are trying to simulate real world problems."
Lakeview Middle is running the pilot test of the program, which in the future will be available to more schools.
"This is a way to take a problem and determine how to fix it," said Harrison. "Our students can apply it to everyday life."