Exploring the use of a commercial game engine for the development of educational software

Three-dimensional visualization and simulation environments are becoming increasingly important in both industrial and educational environments. However, developing these simulations can be a difficult and expensive task. Herein we explore the use of a commercial game engine to develop a 3-D, interactive computer game designed to teach players about the anatomy of a frog. The goal of this project is threefold: 1) to develop high-fidelity virtual reality educational software with a limited budget and limited personnel, 2) to define a software development process by which similar simulations can be developed, and 3) to explore the benefits that these simulations provide to secondary education. To this end, the Frog Explorer software development process will be reviewed, including discussion of the use of frog anatomy information, as well as the use of the Quake III game engine tools and features. Positive and negative results from two user-testing studies will be reported, with a focus on the game\u27s usability and utility as an educational tool --Abstract, page iii