Amazing, Immersive, science and inquiry-based game
Community Review for Tyto Online
My Take
This role-playing game is truly designed with educators and students in mind. The program runs online on all platforms, including our school's Chromebooks. Students were so engaged in discussing the topics and working together to solve problems. Each quest requires students to collect evidence in a 3D environment, share their findings with in-game experts, and build arguments for addressing the problems. Each student's progress is monitored in real-time through a dashboard that uses Next Generation Science Standards aligned skills. This helped me to quickly differentiated the needs of the students and provide timely formative feedback. The entire program is online and is easy to setup. The technical support team is available for immediate help, especially during school hours.
How I Use It
I have piloted this program with students for a few years in grades six and seven in a public middle school. The students were incredibly engaged by the immersive experience of creating their own avatar, completing storylines and quests that mimic real-world challenges, and simulating their own ecosystems. My favorite quest, the Seal of Disapproval, asked students to diagnose and treat a monk seal with a mysterious illness. Students have to collect evidence through medical imaging, learning about food webs, and exploring undersea environments. The program included a supportive unplugged series of activities and graphic organizer to maintain focus and reflection. In general, the students loved the ability to move in first person and demonstrate their findings with success.