Software Review/Emerging

Technology/Innovative Uses

Courtney Zedaker
EDU 214-1006
 SOFTWARE REVIEW
Name of reviewer: Courtney Zedaker

Software title: Wildlife Tycoon: Venture Africa

Publisher: Pocketwatch Games

Cost per single license/lab pack/site license? $14.39

Computer compatibility/system requirements:

PC: Operating System Windows 98SE/2000/Me/XP, CPU 600 MHz or faster cpu, Hard Drive Space 40 MB hard drive space, Memory
(RAM) 256 MB RAM, Graphics DirectX 7 or later, Direct 3D compatible display with 32MB VRAM, CD ROM Speed CD-ROM, Audio
DirectSound compatible sound card Other .

Mac: Operating System MacOS 10.2.8 thru 10.4.4, CPU powerMac G4 600 MHz or faster cpu, Hard Drive Space 40 MB hard drive
space, Memory (RAM) 256 MB RAM, Graphics nVidia geForce or ATI Radeon compatible 3D display with 32MB VRAM, CD ROM
Speed CD-ROM, Audio OpenAL compatible audio device Other .

Appropriate grade levels: 1-5

Brief description of the software: Set in Africa, the player must maintain many diverse habitats including grasslands,
waterholes, and desert plains. To accomplish this, the player must learn to balance food, water, and animal population size. Use
of the arrow keys and mouse allows user to travel across Africa to view different settings. Player must keep the ecosystem
thriving and is given tasks to complete throughout the game. For example: must raise the level of the watering hole to be able
to plant more bushes for the zebras to eat. Subtle hints are giving throughout the game but decrease as the level difficulty goes
up. This is an ongoing game that gets saved per user and can be revisited at any time.
 Curriculum areas the software meets or addresses: Problem solving, lessons from the classroom applied to
real life situations.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the software? This program teaches students facts about the
African ecosystem and what elements are required to allow it to continue to thrive. Students gain a sense of
responsibility for the animals and their well being as well as the population numbers to remain balanced.
Students are given goals to meet and depending on the level of the game, they must use order of operation
to solve problems. (i.e.. Cant grow crops without water, no food and the animals will starve). Weaknesses are
the graphics could use some updating to meet current video game standards, but I think they are suitable
for the educational value. I would also like to see a lesson page randomly throughout the program that
teaches the students different facts about what they are doing. But I think this program would go perfectly
hand in hand with a teacher that could properly teach this material in depth and then allow the game to
bring that material to life.

How long did it take you to become familiar with the program? It took me about 10 minutes to become
familiar with the free version. I do believe the paid version is more inclusive, from reviews, it is still fairly easy to
teach to multiple grade levels. Even well out of the age I found it interesting and interactive.

How long might it take students? Why? This is an ongoing game that allows users to come back and
continue to help their ecosystem thrive. There is no end of the game as the lands you manage are
assessable. However, the games goals messages will go away once you have successfully reached all the
goals.

Rate the program according to the following Characteristics/Criteria:

 SA = Strongly Agree A= Agree D=Disagree NA=Not Applicable

__A__ Program has educational value:

__A___ Program is free from stereotypes:

__SA___ Content is of interest to students:

__A___ Information is presented clearly and logically:

__A__ Graphics, & audio contribute to the educational value:

__A___ Students would enjoy using this program:

__A___ Program gives appropriate feedback:

__A___ Students control the program's rate:

__A___ Documentation is clearly written:

__A___ Teacher's guide is useful:

__A___ Program in progress can be easily saved or exited:

__A___ Program is user friendly:

__A__ Skill levels can be adjusted by the user/instructor:

Additional Reviewer Comments: I think with the right curriculum to accompany this game, it has the potential
to be extremely educational. I would pair this with a section about wildlife teaching, about the animals and
their habitat with supplemental materials such as reading materials and worksheets. Students would then go to
the computer and play the game and be able to visually see the animals that we are covering in the class.
The time spent playing the game could also serve as time to reflect on lectures and even grow closer to the
subject matter.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
Virtual Reality Device
Several schools across the country are already using Virtual Reality Devices in the
classroom. Google Expeditions and Samsung both are creating virtual reality content to
continue to grow the materials already available. Although some headsets can have a
heavty price tag, I think it is something for educators to consider working into the budget
for years to come. The experiences and lessons students can gain from these headsets
are virtually (no pun intended) priceless.

Students can take virtual field trips around the country and the world

Explore otherwise inaccessible locations like outer space or the bottom of the ocean

Travel to distant landmarks like the Eiffel Tower

Simulate experiences such as flying as the Wright Brothers did in 1903

Google Expeditions enable teachers to bring students on virtual trips to
places like museums, underwater, and outer space. Expeditions are
collections of linked virtual reality (VR) content and supporting materials
that can be used alongside existing curriculum. These trips are
collections of virtual reality panoramas 360 panoramas and 3D
images annotated with details, points of interest, and questions that
make them easy to integrate into curriculum already used in schools.
Google is working with a number of partners, including: WNET, PBS,
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the American Museum of Natural History, the
Planetary Society, David Attenborough with production company
Alchemy VR and many of theGoogle Cultural Institute museum
partners
 INNOVATIVE USES
Twitter
Kids these days are introduced and regularly using social media platforms at
home and in their social life. Finding ways to integrate these technology
practices into a constructive way in the classroom could make learning more
interesting and relatable. Twitter is a running message board that allows you
to tweet messages. You
I am going to be teaching in a High School setting, so I can use twitter
for several of the reasons listed on the previous slide. But, I have an
idea that I think would also work. Setting up a computer/ipad in the
classroom hooked up to a projector. Students could go to the
computer throughout the class and tweet. Here are some suggestions:

Summarizing the lesson in their own words

Asking questions

Memes

At the end of the class go through the tweets and answer the
questions, talk about the points, or laugh at the memes.
 REFERENCES

Bell, K. (2017, February 28). How to Use Virtual Reality and Google Expeditions in the
Classroom. Retrieved April 21, 2017, from http://www.shakeuplearning.com/blog/use-
virtual-reality-google-expeditions-classroom/

Maisel, A. (Ed.). (n.d.). SuperKids Software Review of Wildlife Tycoon: Venture Africa.
Retrieved April 20, 2017, from
http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/science/07/WildlifeTycoon/merge.s
html

Spencer, D. (n.d.). Twitter. Retrieved April 22, 2017, from

http://education.davidspencer.ca/wiki/Twitter