Orbital Simulations doesn’t just focus on simulations. Instead, it aims to directly help students learn. To make this possible, we made two modes: Campaign Mode and Playground Mode.
What is Playground Mode?
Playground Mode was developed with teachers in mind. Often, demonstrations are shown on projector screens or TVs during class. We wanted to make these demonstrations easy. Playground Mode gives teachers an intuitive tool to show orbitals. The different playgrounds are all separate simulations meant for different situations. For example, if you want to compare different orbitals, use “Compare Orbitals.” It will allow you to overlay orbitals and see their differences in one eye.
Although Playground Mode is most beneficial for teachers, it can also be used effectively by students. After learning concepts, students can explore different playgrounds in order to solidify their learning using visual representations.
What is Campaign Mode?
Campaign Mode is like a digital textbook or course. Modules are individual lessons. Students can learn or review new concepts through interactive simulations. Checkpoints are practice problems. Each student will get their own adaptive feedback to help them learn from their mistakes. Campaigns are the chapters in a textbook that contain all these modules and checkpoints. Currently, there is only one campaign available, but we are planning to add many more!
Content Alignment
The different parts of the game, including playgrounds, checkpoints, and modules, are closely aligned with each other. This alignment is written under the description for each playground, checkpoint, or module. This has many use cases. Teachers can first assign their students modules, then augment the learning using aligned playground demonstrations. As for students, they can review their weaknesses by assessing their skills with checkpoints and revisiting the aligned modules.