Virtual Physics: Escape From Braindeath

Reviewed by Anise Hollingshead
Published by Cubic Science

Age Group: Age 8 and Up
Type: Science
Price: $35

PC version requires:
P 75MHz, Windows 3.1 or higher, 12MB RAM, 16-bit Graphics Card

Mac version requires:
68040 or PowerPC Processor, 12MB RAM

Description:

Get a good grounding in the basics of physics with this informative science title from Cubic Science. Students will learn facts about electricity, sound waves, light, magnetism, and optics while interacting with demonstrations and listening to tutorials.

Aimed at middle school students, Escape From Braindeath takes a no-nonsense approach to physics. Although there is a simple plot that involves proving that you're smart enough to live to some aliens who've captured you for study, the meat of the program here is education, not entertainment. That said, the educational content is presented in an engaging, easy-to-understand format, which lets the student go at his or her own pace. To escape from the alien's space pod, users will need to gather 22 puzzle pieces that have been scattered around the pod by a former prisoner. Of course, to earn these pieces, you must first answer some questions, to prove that you're not a good candidate for the next brain-suction procedure.

Features:

  • Middle school physics
  • Tutorials
  • Interactive demonstrations of science concepts
  • Glossary of terms
  • Science practice problems
  • 2 questions to be answered correctly for each of 22 puzzle pieces

Technical Aspects:

There is no installation as such, this program runs from the CD. Note that the save function is a little difficult to understand; students will need to choose "c" as the drive letter of choice, instead of the default CD-ROM letter given.

The graphics are nothing to get excited about, but the material is still fun to learn. Hearing impaired users will have some difficulty using this program, as the tutorials are all verbal. The questions and practice problems are in text, though.

Report and Conclusions:

This is not the flashiest title around, but who needs flashy when it comes to understanding the subject matter? This title will help students in grades 5-8 understand the basic principles of many subjects they will be studying in school, and may be having a hard time with. The tutorials, glossary terms, demonstrations and questions all combine to present the material in a variety of ways, although the tutorials could have been slowed down a trifle, for better understanding (they move along fast, so sometimes the material that is being discussed is lost along the way.) Even so, the tutorials can always be played again.

I had one problem with the way the questions were designed: it was too easy to come back and give a different answer to a question for a puzzle piece, if missed the first time. For instance, if I missed a question, I could just come back and keep guessing until I got it right, without ever looking at the tutorials or practice problems. Since there is no "student tracking", there is no easy way to catch this.

A good choice for schools, or school at home.




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