Earth Quest
Published by DK Multimedia, Earth Quest CD-ROM is an interactive guide to the forces
and forms of our dynamic planet. Price: $29.95. ISBN: 0-7894-1234-9. WIN/MAC CD-ROM.
Content
Earth Quest is a virtual reality earth science museum and game designed to give the user information about the processes that have shaped and continue to shape our world, and about the rock and mineral resources of the planet. In addition, DK Multimedia has provided access to an online web site appropriate for children.
When the user first begins Earth Quest he is in the lobby. There is an index on one side of the lobby and the online access on the other. The index contains definitions as well as videos of various earth processes, such as volcanoes and earthquakes. Information about a specific term can be obtained through the index or in the virtual museum itself.
After passing into the Earth Gallery, the user may look around and choose to stop at one of the many exhibits that line the gallery, such as the oxides group, the sedimentary rocks group, the gems group, etc. Each exhibit contains pictures of the rocks or elements in question, as well as description, formation, and use. In addition to these exhibits, there are three rooms off the main gallery which contain additional information. Shaping the Earth Room and Violent Earth Room contain videos and demonstrations about volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics and other natural phenomenon. (For example, the user may set up an earthquake simulation by changing parameters and then view the results.) The Mining Room shows a map with locations for various resources such as fossil fuels and minerals.
There is a game called Earthbuilder where the user can answer sets of three questions and if he gets one set right, one of 17 tectonic plates will be installed on the globe. Once 17 sets of questions have been answered correctly, all the plates will have been installed and the earth will be "built". Once a user has successfully "built the earth", the next time he plays the game the questions will be harder. Mineral samples and answers to the questions can be obtained in the Earth gallery or by using the index. (The reviewer felt that being able to re-view the plates and their names would have been helpful, but unless the user paid attention, the name and location of the plate on the globe passed quickly by.)
There is a DK web site which you can access if you have a web browser. Supposedly it requires a password but this reviewer was able to access it with no problem. There is Earth Quest Online, Science Online, and Nature Online. Each site contains current information about topics in that particular field, such as recent earthquakes and volcanoes for Earth Quest, endangered species updates for Nature Online, and so on. There are puzzles, quizzes, and activities such as making a sedimentary rock and a periscope. This is a good site for elementary and perhaps middle school age children.[To Top]
Ease of Use
This CD-Rom came with no instructions other than installation instructions. Advertisements at the DK web site noted that it came with a book, which was not present during the review, so perhaps more instructions are available with purchase of the CD. For a long time it was not even clear what the user was supposed to be doing other than viewing the exhibits. More instructions at the beginning and in the help section would have been beneficial.
Several times during operation of the CD (on a Power Mac) everything locked up so I had to start all over again. Apparently not enough memory was allocated and since the program was not installed but rather played off the CD, the allocation parameters could not be changed. Perhaps installation on the hard drive would have alleviated those problems.
There is a point and click interface that allows the user to move around easily. There is a little map which is easily accessed and allows the user to quickly move from one part of the museum to another.
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Audience and Educational Merit
Audience: 8 years and up, although some of the information is quite technical.
Educational Merit: This is an excellent program for anyone interesting in geology and in earth processes. [To Top]
Other Reviews
A Review of Earth Quest. TitleWatch, May/June 1997 - by Patricia Semple. MultiMedia Schools, May/June 1997
"...allows students to explore the Earth's geology in a 3-museum. Interactive features include earthquake and volcano simulators and displays on plate tectonics, crystal formations, and mineralogy."
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System Requirements/Installation
System Requirements: For Windows, a multimedia PC, with 486DX/33Mhz, 8Mb RAM - 16Mb recommended, 13Mb hard disc space, double-speed CD-ROM drive - double speed, 640 x 480 display size, 256K color display, 8-BIT audio (will not run without audio card) Printer (optional) - color printer recommended, Microsoft Windows version 3.1x or Windows 95. For Macintosh, MacOS System 7.0 or better, 68lc040 25 Mhz processor - PowerPC recommended - that supports a 640 x 480 pixel monitor displaying 256 colors, 8Mb RAM - 16Mb required for PowerPC, 9Mb hard disk space, double-speed CD-ROM drive - double speed, 8-BIT audio, Printer (optional) - color printer recommended.
To access the online part of the program, a web browser is needed.
For This Review: Power Macintosh 7200/90.
Reviewer's Note: The game is challenging and once the object is clear, the user will probably enjoy it. The graphics are very good and there is much information available. Basically a fun program once the user figures out what to do and how to get around.
Installation: Instructions for installation are given on the package and are easy to follow. An un-install option is available. [To Top]
Reviewed by Deva Brown, Graduate student in Library and Information Science at the University of Texas at Austin