December 19, 2007. NITLE Eastern Advisory Council awarded Barnard College $28,000 to organize and implement the Brownfield Action Seminar. The seminar, scheduled for spring 2008, will allow Professor Peter Bower and his partners at the Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning to educate faculty from other colleges and universities on the award-winning environmental simulation Brownfield Action 3.0.

Brownfield Action, created in 1999 by Peter Bower and CCNMTL, is currently in use at Connecticut College, Georgia College and State University, and Lafayette College. The simulation exposes students to the real-world practice of environmental forensics through a virtual ground water contamination narrative. The narrative includes access to fictional town residents and a suite of scientific tests and data leading students to a final report on the feasibility of the contaminated site's commercial use.

The newly web-based simulation is currently supported by a $450,000 three-year grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant is focused on improving the simulation's technical infrastructure, thereby making the broad dissemination of this project technologically possible.

Related links:
Download the press release (PDF)
Read more about Brownfield Action 3.0