Upon completion of each puzzle, learners can watch their contraptions in action to see how they work. And throughout the game, they earn fun awards such as “First Time Using String” and “One Level with One Golden Prune.” Up to three golden prunes are awarded per puzzle. The more tools players use, the more prunes they earn. Once a puzzle is solved using all the tools, the actual Rube Goldberg cartoon version is saved as a reward. However, different users can solve the puzzles over and over, which makes sharing a little easier. Teachers can reset the entire game, allowing learners to start fresh and earn all their own achievements. There is also an Educators tab, which can be accessed by tapping the lightbulb on the home screen. This section provides useful tips for integrating the app into classroom instruction. The iOS version includes language translations to Spanish and German. The desktop versions include translations to Spanish, German, French, and Italian.
This game gives educators a great opportunity to hold a class-wide contest during a unit about forces and motion. Students can’t create individual accounts, so sharing in the classroom is a must. Divide learners into small groups and have them work together to solve some of the puzzles. Students can share their results with their classmates to find out who earned the most golden prunes.
Follow up with a class discussion about simple and compound machines, pointing out how forces and motion are used by the contraptions that learners built. Then challenge groups to design their own contraptions using silly tools to accomplish a simple task. Encourage learners to be creative but also to apply concepts of forces and motion in their designs. You can also visit the Rube Goldberg website to find out about the official Rube Goldberg machine contest, and access the educational extension activities within the app. Since multiple languages are included in the app settings, this is a good game for some English language learners.
To solve the puzzles, learners use problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to devise novel contraption designs that complete a specific task. Each puzzle has more than one solution, but learners earn the greatest reward (golden prunes!) for using all the available tools. With the unlimited option to test their contraptions at any time, learners learn a valuable lesson about the importance of trial and error in science.
Once learners successfully build a contraption that completes a given task, they earn their golden prunes and the next puzzle is unlocked. Because the puzzles are challenging, completing them gives learners a strong sense of accomplishment. However, hints are abstract, and younger learners may have a hard time understanding them. An option to show partial solutions or more concrete hints would help struggling players, but the extension activities inside the app can provide a more solid foundation before learners begin playing.
Website: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unitygames.rubeworks
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id716238013?uo=4&at=10laCG&ct=website
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IAA9M0G?tag=comsenmed07-20
Overall User Consensus About the App
Student Engagement
Silly tools and colorful graphics grab attention, and successfully building contraptions is a lot of fun. Students who struggle to complete puzzles may get frustrated.
Curriculum and Instruction
Students will feel empowered when designing the contraptions and seeing how they work to complete a task. Science concepts are not explicitly taught, so prior knowledge of forces, motion, and simple machines is helpful.
Customer Support
A tutorial puzzle helps get learners started, and there are plenty of riddle-like hints along the way. In-app extension activities stretch the learning into the real world.
