The use of educational games in micropaleontology: FossilSketch software to teach microfossil identification

Micropaleontology focuses on studying microscopic fossilized remains of organisms, typically smaller than two millimeters, such as Foraminifera and Ostracoda. Micropaleontology is vital for dating geologic records, reconstructing ancient environments, and monitoring modern ecosystems. Micropaleontological skills are also highly valued in industry, yet they are often omitted in undergraduate geology programs.

FossilSketch is an online educational software designed to facilitate learning of micropaleontology. It enhances the traditional lab-based micropaleontology classes and allows for active learning of microfossil identification through a combination of informational videos, exercises, and interactive mini-games. The student centered learning approach in FossilSketch is driven by providing scaffolding and immediate feedback to users. Analysis of classroom assessments showed that junior and senior geology majors who used FossilSketch were better able to understand the process of microfossil identification and achieve a correct identification than those who did not use FossilSketch (Stepanova et al., 2024).

Gamification in geosciences enhances learning by incorporating game-based elements, such as challenges, rewards, and interactive simulations, to engage students and improve their understanding of complex geological concepts. In FossilSketch, students interactively practice and  learn to recognize morphological features through mini-games that divide the identification process into smaller tasks before combining their skills to identify common genera or morphotypes. After learning to identify microfossils, students apply this knowledge to interpret microfossil assemblages and gain insight into various micropaleontology applications in research and industry. 

FossilSketch offers six engaging mini-games of varying difficulty, each designed to teach key morphological features of microfossils:

1. What microfossil is this?:

• Level 1: Sort specimens into three categories—Foraminifera, Ostracoda, and "Other."
• Level 2: Classify Foraminifera as planktonic or benthic.

2. Identify microfossil features:

• A game designed to help players identify key microfossil features by analyzing highlighted details in the images.

3. Foraminifera Chamber Arrangement Matching:

• For each of the three game rounds, students match four randomly selected Foraminifera images to the correct chamber arrangement card.

4. Foraminifera Morphotype Matching:

• A simplified classification game where students drag and drop Foraminifera images to match them with their overall test shape in three rounds of the game.

5. Ostracoda Valve Outline:

• Match images of ostracod valves with their corresponding outline cards by dragging and dropping in three rounds of the game.

6. Ostracoda Valve Orientation:

• Learn proper orientation of ostracod valves by rotating incorrectly oriented valves to align the dorsal side upwards in four rounds of the game.

Each game incorporates interactive elements to enhance learning and retention of microfossil morphology. For all games, students receive star ratings from zero to three based on how many rounds they completed correctly on the first attempt. In all the mini-games, students could advance to the next round only by submitting a correct answer. 

References:

Stepanova, A., Belanger, C., Anwar, S., Stanley, C., Nath, A., Cherian, J., & Hammond, T. (2024). Using the interactive software FossilSketch to teach micropaleontology to undergraduate students. Journal of Geoscience Education, 1-21.