Virtual Earthquake - 2 views

• 
  #1 Charles Crowley on 16 Oct 10

   

  Game: Virtual Earthquake
  
  URL: http://www.sciencecourseware.com/VirtualEarthquake/VQuakeExecute.html
  
  Age Level: High school and up. Late adolescent to adult learners should be able to grasp the content but it requires some seriousness of purpose to complete.
  
  What it does: In addition to supplying background information about earthquakes, this site teaches the student how to interpret seismographic data. After entering the S-P wave interval and the S-wave magnitude (which the text explains how to do) from sample graphs, maps are produced showing where the epicentral circles cross (again, it explains the terms and concepts) pinpointing the quake's epicenter. Next, you learn how to measure the width of the S-wave record on the graph and using a nomogram (I'm acquiring all kinds of vocabulary) the magnitude can be calculated on the Richter scale.
  
  Observations: Unflashy, not a game and not all simulation. Large amounts of text which may put off less dedicated or younger learners. Highly educational and very information-dense. Design features are basic, almost primitive (think 1990s) but this isn't all bad. No confusing details distract the user, bandwidth isn't wasted, response is instant. To follow thru the activities, you click from one HTML page to the next, a very basic setup. Interactivity occurs only when the user enters data and produces graphs.
  
  Few navigation aids, no "back to previous page" and "home" buttons. I expected the logos at the top to be parent site and home links on the "everything that looks like a button should be a button" principle but they weren't. Adding a directory and a glossary wouldn't be amiss.
  
  Up/Down: Up. All in all, even with its stodgy design I found this one of the best.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Game: Virtual Earthquake <br /> <br /> URL: <a href="http://www.sciencecourseware.com/VirtualEarthquake/VQuakeExecute.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.sciencecourseware.com/VirtualEarthquake/VQuakeExecute.html</a> <br /> <br /> Age Level: High school and up. Late adolescent to adult learners should be able to grasp the content but it requires some seriousness of purpose to complete. <br /> <br /> What it does: In addition to supplying background information about earthquakes, this site teaches the student how to interpret seismographic data. After entering the S-P wave interval and the S-wave magnitude (which the text explains how to do) from sample graphs, maps are produced showing where the epicentral circles cross (again, it explains the terms and concepts) pinpointing the quake's epicenter. Next, you learn how to measure the width of the S-wave record on the graph and using a nomogram (I'm acquiring all kinds of vocabulary) the magnitude can be calculated on the Richter scale. <br /> <br /> Observations: Unflashy, not a game and not all simulation. Large amounts of text which may put off less dedicated or younger learners. Highly educational and very information-dense. Design features are basic, almost primitive (think 1990s) but this isn't all bad. No confusing details distract the user, bandwidth isn't wasted, response is instant. To follow thru the activities, you click from one HTML page to the next, a very basic setup. Interactivity occurs only when the user enters data and produces graphs. <br /> <br /> Few navigation aids, no "back to previous page" and "home" buttons. I expected the logos at the top to be parent site and home links on the "everything that looks like a button should be a button" principle but they weren't. Adding a directory and a glossary wouldn't be amiss. <br /> <br /> Up/Down: Up. All in all, even with its stodgy design I found this one of the best.</div>

  ...

  Cancel

To Top