Spongelab

Name: Spongelab
Item: Spongelab
Rating: 3
Author: Emily Pohlonski

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Science community shows promise despite site's significant glitches

Subjects & skills

Grades This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.

5–12

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Spongelab is a free resource for science simulations, case studies, lessons, and videos.

Kids play games, such as clicking on “protein targets” as fast as possible to grow the longest neuron.

Users can share images, videos, and lessons.

Teachers can deploy lessons and track student progress using the teacher dashboard.

At the Spongelab Marketplace, points can be redeemed for coupons for science materials.

Pros: The exciting, bright graphics will appeal to students and draw them in.

Cons: Spongelab is plagued with technical bugs; even the support page has video tutorials with dead links.

Bottom Line: Although the flashy graphics are appealing, technical issues make it frustrating to use.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Teachers can use Spongelab as a way to direct kids toward specific simulations, animations, videos, case studies, or quizzes. As kids explore the science resources, they're rewarded for their efforts in the form of points. Credits, points, and badges are awarded liberally, but it takes quite a few to purchase an item in the Spongelab Marketplace. As teachers spend time on the site, they earn points, too. These points can be redeemed at the Spongelab Marketplace in exchange for discounts on science supplies. While these may be motivating rewards for a teacher, students might not find them that exciting.

What Is It?

Spongelab, a global science community, provides free interactive science resources, including games, videos, animations, case studies, lesson plans, and quizzes. Kids register with an email address, a password, and some demographic information, such as what country they live in. Once logged in, they click the Explore tab to find content by subject and language, or to see what's been uploaded recently -- from an image of a wheat harvest to a simulation called Build-a-Solar-Cell. Teachers also can put their own lessons on the site and have kids follow them online.

Is It Good for Learning?

Spongelab provides interactive simulations, videos, and images, all aimed at teaching kids science using a variety of multimedia content. Its heart is in the right place, but it seems that for every good quality, there's something the site could improve on. Some games, like Biochem Gems, appear flashy and fun at first glance but ultimately aren't intuitive and don't have much learning value. Other activities, like the supercool Genomics Digital Lab, show promise but are slow to load (plus, kids have to navigate through several menus to play). Build-a-Cell has great graphics but isn't that much fun; kids simply drag and drop images into a cell. Knowledge Mine lets kids answer biology trivia questions, but there's a technical glitch that causes the images to block the answer button. Frustrating! If Spongelab could fix all these annoying bugs, they'd have an outstanding science resource on their hands.

Rating Details

Overall Rating

Engagement Would it motivate students and hold their interest? Is it visually appealing? Would it inspire teachers to try something new or change their instruction?

Hidden beneath beautiful graphics, major technical problems make games move slowly or not work at all, frustrating kids and causing them to lose interest.

Pedagogy Does the tool help teachers promote a more student-centered experience? Will students gain conceptual understanding or think critically? Does it deepen teachers’ pedagogical thinking?

Some games are flashy and fun and look great, but they ultimately involve only superficial learning. Activities are available in multiple languages.

Support Can students and teachers get assistance when they need it? Is it created with people of different abilities and backgrounds in mind? Is learning reinforced and extended beyond the digital experience?

Most games provide kids feedback as they progress, which is helpful. Kids can learn from their mistakes based on the data provided.

Common Sense Reviewer

Emily Pohlonski Classroom teacher

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Featured review by
ABy M. , Classroom teacher

Classroom teacher

Great interactive game on learning Glycolysis

I think this website is good for gathering information, keeping students engaged because the animation and graphics are really impressive. I also liked the online game specifically the ones about the Glycolysis game because it helps students see what happens as enzymes combine with specific substrate molecules.

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