Simple Game with Limited Educational Value
Community Review for Bridge Constructor
My Take
Bridge Constructor is a simple way for students to engineer a bridge and learn some budget skills in order to open levels in the game. The downloaded version for Windows can be easily installed allowing students to practice some basic skills. However, as previously stated, students become disengaged and the program has limited learning opportunities. It would be nice if the program explains the components of bridges and why certain designs work better than others.
How I Use It
Bridge Constructor allows students to practice engineering a bridge and test their project in a virtual world. The game allows students to choose between a range of materials for each individual bridge, such as wood, steel, cables, or concrete pillars. Students select the appropriate materials and attempt to stay within budget to build the perfect bridge. The choice of materials enables you to build each bridge in almost infinite variety - your budget is the only limit. However, students quickly became disengaged in the activity. The activity was introduced as an extension to an engineering unit on building bridges. Students approached the downloaded version with enthusiasm, but abandoned the program wanting to build physical prototypes of bridges instead.