Dino Lab - Research Quest Building Dinosaurs
Project Description
An experimental educational experience built for middle school students to promote critical thinking development. Players build dinosaurs using 3d scanned dinosaur bones, test them in various scenarios, then analyze the results.
The Dino Lab prototype is a module of a collaborative research project between The University of Utah's Therapeutic Games and Apps Lab (The GApp) and the Natural History Museum of Utah.
My Role
Producer
Website
Published
May 2015
Engine
Unity 4/5
Dev Time
1.0 year
Team size
5
About My role in the project
I was the producer and a designer on the project. The project did not start with a design. During half of the production cycle (5 months) the project underwent nearly a dozen iterations in an effort to better understand ways to teach critical thinking through games.
I managed the team, resources, communication with subject experts and museum and core design throughout many iterations. I also presented the project to various committees and academic groups to help secure future grant funding. I also organized and ran playtests with multiple teacher and student groups.
The project is ongoing but you can see the prototype below.
See also: Natural History Museum to launch innovative digital platform
Video Prototype experience
An example of the flow of the prototype.
Screenshots Captured moments from various stages in development
Download Check it out yourself
Dino Lab - Research Quest is a prototype and is in ongoing development at the Natural History Museum of Utah. Because of this, it is not yet ready for public download. Stay tuned!