Quest Atlantis facts for kids

Quest Atlantis (QA) was a special 3D computer game designed to help kids aged 9 to 15 learn important things. It was like a virtual world where you could go on exciting missions, called Quests. These Quests helped you learn about different school subjects while having fun.

The game mixed the best parts of playing games with ideas from how people learn. Quest Atlantis wanted to show kids that learning could be fun, and that they could make a real difference in the world. Players could travel to virtual places, talk with other players and helpers, and create their own online characters. The goal was to help kids become like real scientists, doctors, or reporters who needed to understand school subjects to complete their tasks.

What Was Quest Atlantis?

Quest Atlantis was a unique learning environment. It used stories and adventures to get kids involved in learning. Instead of just doing schoolwork, kids became active explorers. They learned by solving problems and working on projects, just like real-world experts.

Learning Through Play

The project combined fun gaming ideas with serious educational research. It aimed to make learning exciting and meaningful. Kids weren't just memorizing facts. They were using what they learned to achieve goals in the game. This made learning feel like an adventure, not a chore.

Helping Others and Making a Difference

A big part of Quest Atlantis was about helping others. The game encouraged kids to think about important social and environmental issues. It showed them how their actions, even in a game, could lead to positive changes. This helped kids develop good attitudes about helping their communities and the planet.

Who Played Quest Atlantis?

Over five years, more than 65,000 children from all over the world played Quest Atlantis. Kids on five different continents joined in the fun and learning.

What Did Kids Learn?

Quest Atlantis helped kids improve in subjects like science, language arts, and social studies. Players completed thousands of Quests. Some of these were given by teachers, but many were chosen by the students themselves during their free time.

Teachers and students reported that they were much more interested in learning. They often wanted to explore school topics even outside of class. The game helped them learn important content while also caring about big issues like the environment.

The People Behind Quest Atlantis

The main leader of the Quest Atlantis project was Sasha Barab. He is a professor who studies how people learn. He is now at Arizona State University at the Center for Games and Impact.

Other important people who helped create Quest Atlantis included:

• Dan Hickey from Indiana University-Bloomington
• Melissa Gresalfi from Vanderbilt University

People from all over the world worked together to make Quest Atlantis a success.

From Quest Atlantis to Atlantis Remixed

In 2012, Quest Atlantis was updated and redesigned. This new version was called Atlantis Remixed. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation helped fund this new project.