Seequent and CerebralFix launch new app for Geoscience Students
Science meets gaming: Seequent launches free web app to help combat global shortage of earth scientists
Software company Seequent engages leading Christchurch game development studio in a bid to revolutionise earth science education.
Seequent, New Zealand’s largest software solutions company and a former Hi-Tech Company of the Year, engaged game development studio CerebralFix, whose clients include Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks, to build the Visible Geology app.
Together, they have created an immersive, intuitive gaming experience that is set to transform the way earth science students are taught the key concepts of geology.
Geology is a foundational science for understanding the earth. The app moves beyond traditional 2D and paper-based teaching methods into immersive 3D modelling in the cloud via a simple, intuitive interface. Anyone with access to the internet can access Visible Geology for free – no subscription required.
Grant Graeme, CEO at Seequent says, “we know how critical earth scientists are to understanding the earth’s resources and solving some of the world’s most urgent and complex challenges – from climate resilience to the energy transition. That’s why we have taken our world-leading expertise in earth science software and brought in gaming experts.”
New App ‘Visible Geology’ showing a model of Lyttleton Harbour.
Around the globe, universities are reporting a significant decline in earth science enrolments and courses are being cut. Australia has witnessed a 40% slump in geoscience students completing degrees in the last eight years, and in 2020 the UK reported a 43% decrease in students studying geology since 2014. The American Geosciences Institute has reported a workforce deficit of 130,000 geoscientists in the US by 2030.
Chelsea Rapp, Co-CEO of CerebralFix says, “Video games have an incredible ability to transform education by blending immersive experiences with interactive learning. They are much more than just entertainment; applications like Visible Geology are dynamic tools that empower learners to explore and experiment in ways that traditional methods cannot match.”
Chelsea Rapp, Co-CEO at CerebralFix
CanterburyTech was invited to the global launch of this incredible software. What was really exciting for the team was the story of how two companies from entirely different technology disciplines came together to create this innovative software for future geoscientists. It was easy to see how students would find it engaging, the team tried it for themselves and it’s very simple to use. We can see how it would assist with bringing learning to life and adding rich learning experiences to field work by giving them insight into how things look through a 3D model.
Dr. Kate Pedley is a Geology Lecturer at the University of Canterbury. She and her students were a part of the testing process for Visible Geology and she is already incorporating the software into her undergraduate courses.
Dr. Pedley says, Visible Geology is intuitive and easy to use. Students can play around with it and have a bit of fun and it builds understanding in a way that complicated 2D maps can’t. Visible Geology builds a bridge for students to the professional geoscience software they will use in their careers.
Dr. Kate Pedley, Geology Lecturer at University of Canterbury
Visible Geology complements Seequent’s academic program, an international network of students, educators, and researchers using Seequent’s professional software for low or no cost to advance our understanding of the earth at more than 500 leading universities.
