The+Night+of+the+Bilby

=
//Resource 3//: __**The Night of the Bilby**__ ======



//**__THE NIGHT OF THE BILBY: A SAFE HABITAT__**//__.__ Studies of society and environment | Published 26/03/2009 | TLF-ID L9894 Survey a desert environment to see if it is a suitable area to release bilbies. Estimate the amount of food available by trapping insects and small animals. Inspect the habitat for animal tracks made by predators or competitors. Fence the area to keep out unwanted animals and then remove any remaining threats. This learning object is one in a series of two objects.


 * __Features:__**

The Night of the Bilby: A safe habitat is an interactive game designed on the topic of animal habitats and aimed at students in the grade 3-4 level. Some of the features of this resource are:
 * A short multiple choice quiz about bilbies and the main focuses in this game as a prelude to the main game.
 * Words deemed as unfamiliar or difficult for students are underlined and highlighted in a different colour. Students are able to click on these words to read a short definition, hear the word spoken and view a picture to visually enhance the written definition.


 * The text is read aloud to students in a clear and easy to understand manner.


 * Clear instructions/options are given both verbally and in print on the screen.


 * The graphics/animations are fun, relevant and eye-catching adding excitement and appeal to the game.


 * __EVALUATION:__**

This is an excellent resource for students in grades 3-4, who are studying the topic of animal habitats. This game offers students a fun, engaging and interactive way to learn about the bilby, while creating and deciding on an appropriate habitat for these animals to live in. The students are challenged to consider the relevance of a safe and sustainable habitat for their bilbies to survive in. Throughout this game students are asked to make choices about creating an ideal habitat. Students must consider the availability of shelter, food and safety from predators. An added bonus of this resource is the short multiple choice quiz which checks students basic knowledge of the bilby and relevant words used throughout the game. One feature that could be improved regarding the quiz is that once the questions are answered it should automatically move onto the game by prompt students that the quiz is finished or giving students the option to repeat the quiz. The voice which reads the text for students is clear and at a pace which is easy for students to keep up with. The written text does not disappear from the screen when the voice is finished reading, but rather remains in the screen so that students with slower reading skills can reread or check any of the underlined words that they are unsure of. I found this feature an excellent way to expand student’s vocabulary and there comprehension of what they are reading. The option of seeing a picture to support the written definition, again assists students with lower literacy skills put a real understanding to the highlighted word. Having the option of the being spoken, assists with the pronunciation of the word. This would have been an ideal way of helping students in their further reading or when using the word themselves. Although this option appears on the screen at the time of using this resource it did not work. This resource has clear instructions/options given both verbally and with the choices for the students to select highlighted. Throughout the game the "info" link can provide students with extra information both verbally and pictorially, that can help them when making choices about their habitat. The graphics are fun and eye-catching, while providing students with interesting facts about the bilby and its required habitat. This game can be played more than once as there are subtle changes within each game for example, the type of vegetation, the amount of food collected etc which affects the end result of the game (e.g. the number of bilbies that can be released). An added bonus when using this resource is that there is another very similar game (with all the same features) on the habitat of the bilby which could also be accessed. I would recommend this resource to students in the grade 3-4 area. I would suggested that for optimum results students could support each other’s learning by working collaboratively in pairs sharing their ideas, questioning decisions and justifying their choices with one another. This type of resource would encourage further student investigation.

home