Evaluation of Marine Missions iPad App

Produced by National Geographic Kids and Cricket Moon Media with support from the National Science Foundation, Marine Missions is a free iPad touch screen application for preschoolers. The app is hosted by Jacques, a hermit crab character who guides pre-readers through six ocean missions and the building of a fantasy sea creature. Players steer Jacques’ boat to three green markers to clean up polluted spots in the ocean and three orange markers to complete different water current challenges in which players rescue Jacques’ tools from a whirlpool, run past blowholes, and surf on tidal bores. Completing all six missions earns players rewards to use in the fantasy sea creature builder activity. As part of the National Science Foundation Pathways grant, Multimedia Research and Knight Williams Inc. implemented an evaluation to gather feedback from five year olds and their parents regarding the app’s appeal, usability and learning impact