Seequent, The Bentley Subsurface Company, has launched Visible Geology, a free web application to teach earth science students how the earth works – in 3D.
Visible Geology, Seequent says, offers an immersive, intuitive gaming experience that is set to transform the way earth science students are taught the key concepts of geology – a foundational science for understanding the earth. The app was developed with CerebralFix, a game development studio that creates innovative interactive, digital experiences for companies including Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks.
The app moves beyond traditional 2D and paper-based teaching methods into immersive 3D modelling in the cloud via an intuitive interface. Anyone with access to the internet can access Visible Geology for free – no subscription is required.
Graham, Grant, CEO, Seequent, said: “At Seequent, we are passionate about inspiring the next generation of earth scientists. 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. With falling enrolments and older professionals retiring, there is a workforce crisis ahead that is set to impact our way of life. That’s why we have taken our world-leading expertise in earth science software and brought in gaming expert CerebralFix to build Visible Geology and make it available to everyone, for free.”
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, according to reports, and in 2020 the UK reported a 43% decrease in students studying geology since 2014 (A joint report from The Geological Society of London and University Geoscience UK found). The American Geosciences Institute has reported a workforce deficit of 130,000 geoscientists in the US by 2030.
CerebralFix co-CEO, Chelsea Rapp, said: “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.”
Dr Kate Pedley, Geology Lecturer, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, was part of the Visible Geology testing process with her students and is already incorporating Visible Geology into her undergraduate courses. Dr Pedley said: “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.” |
Visible Geology, the company says, 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.
