Custom and interactive environments in StarLogo Nova for computational modeling

Abstract

StarLogo Nova is an agent-based simulation and game programming application geared towards classroom learning. In many cases, StarLogo Nova can be an effective computational modeling tool, allowing students to apply their knowledge and gain a greater understanding of scientific concepts. However, there are many computational models that are difficult to implement in StarLogo Nova or cannot be implemented. This can be partly attributed to the fact that agents are the only programmable and customizable entity in StarLogo Nova and are limited to interactions with other agents. We expand the set of computational models possible within StarLogo Nova by adding new features and capabilities; namely an editable and programmable 3D environment for agents to interact with. We add the capability for users to program real-time interactions between agents and their environment. A dynamic and custom environment opens up the possibility for new computational models and simplifies the implementation of others.