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SimEarth
review #2

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The Software
Title: SimEarth Copyright date: 1993
Publisher: Maxis Cost $59.95
Computer: DOS, Windows, Macintosh Requirements: DOS:IBM 286 & above; 12 MHz, VGA 640K RAM and hard disk required; MS-Dos 3.1 or above; Mouse recommended

Windows:IBM 386 and above; VGA 2 MB RAM and hard disk required; Windows 3.0 & 3.1; Mouse required.

Mac:Macintosh Plus, SE, Classic, LC, Color Classic, II series, Centris, Performa, or Quadra; 2.5 MB RAM System 6.0.2 or above
Distribution: Floppy Disks (2)
The Reviewer
Name: Barbara Jaquay college: Glendale Community College
Date: March 31, 1995 Discipline(s) taught: Geography

Evaluating the Computer Game
STATEMENT RATING
Excellent Good Fair Poor N/A
1. The directions for the program are:
2. The program's screen design was: X
3. The ease of use of this program was: X
4. Help provided within this program was: X
5. The degree to which the content was up to date was: X
6. The degree to which the program represented the diversity of our student population was: X
7. On the whole, the program was: X

COMMENTS
The directions were good for most of it but there is some confusion. The ease of the program, I think is based on the willingness to experiment. The program, as far as I could tell did not have a help window.

Evaluating the Instructor Materials
STATEMENT RATING
Excellent Good Fair Poor N/A
1. The directions in the instructor guide was: X
2. Learning objectives of the lessons were: X
3. The organization of the lesson was: X
4. The appropriateness of lessons for college level student was: X
5. The assessment/discussion questions at the end of the lessons were: X
6. The completeness of the teaching materials was: X
7. On the whole, the instructor guide was: X

COMMENTS
I think some of the objectives may not be fully learned by utilizing only this program. The lessons begin simply and then build to more difficult questions. The assessment/discussion questions were great. The directions for the teaching materials were hard to follow, there were some errors.

Evaluating the Program as a Tool for Teaching and Learning

  1. How would you use this program in your class? Identify a specific application for part of your curriculum (if possible).
    The program would be used very extensively in Physical Geography classes. I would teach the basic concepts about the interior, its components, etc. of the earth and then could have the program reinforce those concepts. All of the simulations I did today could be used to help students more fully understand the dynamics of the earth and how its systems are interrelated and connected.
  2. How could this program be used for teaching and learning in other disciplines?
    Basic science classes could use this program.
  3. How effective was the simulation environment in providing an enhanced learning experience?
    I thought it was very effective, especially when I could view different activities at different scales - an important component for geographic studies.
  4. What factors might limit the use of this program by instructors?
    1) Number of students in class (see reason 2 & 3); 2) Students with varying levels of computer experience; 3) Students intimidated by computers.
  5. Would your recommend this program for teaching and learning? If yes, why would you recommend this program?
    Yes, as stated earlier, the program brings visualization to the student of past events, allowing them to see the processes at work, what could happen in different scenarios.
  6. If no, why would you not recommend this program?
    Overall, the worksheet questions and thinking it over questions were thought provoking and had a nice mixture of different levels of difficulty. The simulation directions, for a novice of different levels or even someone more advanced, were not detailed enough. There is at least one error. To answer some questions students would need at least one classroom lecture or some kind of hand-out to accompany the worksheets.
Additional Comments