Interactive Underwater Learning

We took a family trip to Disney World in December. While we were there Tornado Dad and I had our first chance to ride Soarin’ in the Land pavillion at EPCOT while my parents took Tornado Boy over to see The Seas with Nemo and Friends. I was a bit nervous about Soarin’ since I sometimes get motion sickness on rides that have a virtual component to them (real motion is fine). I was pleasantly surprised to find that Soarin’ didn’t make me feel sick. It was amazing to fly over the landscape and really be immersed in the sights, sounds and smells around me. Tornado Dad said that it really would be an amazing way to teach geography in schools – with the feeling that you’re really there.

Meanwhile, Tornado Boy was having a blast at the Seas. I was kind of surprised at how much he enjoyed it since he’s been to several aquariums and been less than impressed. Evidently having Nemo and Dory as hosts was just what he needed. I really wanted to feed off that interest once we got home. I rented a video game called Endless Ocean for the Wii. I had been curious about it for a while. Tornado Boy was immediately fascinated. The game is a fantastic learning adventure. You play a scuba diver who explores the ocean. There is no violence, no threats and no specific tasks that you must accomplish (though many that you can choose). The more you interact with the aquatic animals and fish, the more you learn about them. It is beautifully rendered and has a soothing soundtrack. You can also listen to your own music (via an SD chip) if you choose.

Tornado Boy has learned so much from the game. He knows that Dory is a Blue Tang fish. He knows a bit about SCUBA diving such as you wear a tank for breathing and that you can only stay underwater for a certain amount of time before the tank runs out (no foul in the game, but we talked about it). He knows more about reading a map since you can visit certain sites by moving your boat on the map. He’s learned a bit about how a compass works. He’s learned a ton about many different species of fish. He’s learned a bit about how dolphins use sonar and how they can respond to whistle calls. He’s learned about how they can be trained to perform different behaviors.

We really love to play the game together and it’s just a brilliant example of how games can be educational, fun, beautiful and non-violent. Both Soarin’ and Endless Ocean are great examples of what could be if high quality educational games were produced. I was supremely disappointed to see that the upcoming sequel to Endless Ocean carries a 10+ rating and that it includes elements of danger. I guess we’ll just have to stick to the original! Here’s a clip to give you an idea what the game is like:

The real test of success will be how Tornado Boy reacts next time we visit an aquarium. I’m hoping to take him to one next month. It will be interesting to see if he retains the information about some of the species of fish that he has learned about.