History of Biology (video game)
History of Biology is a browser-based scavenger hunt–style educational game that was created by Spongelab Interactive. It is designed to teach high school students and general interest groups about the history of biology.
| History of Biology - educational science game | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Spongelab Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Spongelab Interactive |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Mac OS X |
| Release | 2010 |
| Genre(s) | Educational |
| Mode(s) | Single player Online |
Details
The game's purpose is to teach about the discoveries and research of over 20 scientists as missions are completed. For instance, in the first mission, "The Art of Imitation", players are taught about the scientist Zacharias Janssen, who is credited with inventing the compound microscope. All the scientists highlighted in this game are; Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, Robert Hooke, Matthias Schleiden, Theodor Schwann, Rudolf Virchow, Carl Linnaeus, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, Gregor Mendel, Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, Johannes Friedrich Miescher, Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod, Maclyn McCarty, Alfred Hershey, Martha Chase, James D. Watson, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Frederick Sanger, and Kary Mullis.
Various scientific discoveries from the 15th century to all the way to the 21st century are featured within this game. For example, cell theory is explored by analyzing letters and stamps. Completing this level requires researching terms such as metabolism, nerve cells, and pepsin in the game. Additionally, to introduce the mechanisms of diversity and the work of Charles Darwin, players explore maps, find GPS coordinates and read about Darwin's research on the evolution of finches. This allows players to use various methods to complete the same mission and move on to the next level. As players complete each mission, they are sent a victory email from one of the game characters. This email usually contains a teaser about what the next mission will entail.
The notepad feature in History of Biology, which is visible to teachers, allows them to answer questions or deal with specific content students may be interested in or struggling with, in class. As for the teacher, there is a detailed teacher's guide with a walk-through of each mission. A back-end administration area allows teachers to control which missions are available to students.
In the news
- Caron, Nathalie (2010-11-30). "Decoding Biology with Spongelab Interactive". gamefwd. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
- Buckler, Grant (2010-11-30). "Canadian startups find opportunity in educational games". itbusiness.ca. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
- "Go On A Scavenger Hunt in History of Biology from Spongelab". Village Gamer. 2010-08-23. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
- Wilson, Joseph (2010-07-28). ""No ma, this game is helping me learn" - Toronto's serious gaming companies have kids thinking". Yonge Street. Retrieved 2010-07-28.