Educators, scientists, and technologists from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, ºÚÁÏÍø and Cleveland Metroparks have partnered to develop a new learning app that is now live and freely available on iTunes. The app, called ParkApps, features a number of different resources aimed at educating park visitors as they run, hike and bike through the parks. Like other apps that have been built for local, state and national parks, ParkApps includes a digital map with points of interest where users learn about the history and ecology of the parks. However, the team pushed beyond traditional map delivery to include opportunities for interactive learning. For instance, in ‘Adventure Tracks,’ visitors can explore topics like wildflowers, geology or marsh habitats while they hike the trails. The user’s mobile device alerts them to places along the path to stop and engage with the environment. Once tracks are completed, users earn digital badges as a reward for their effort. The project was funded by the National Science Foundation's Advancing Informal STEM Learning initiative.
ParkApps E-Inside Article
