GeoForge: FAQ

General Questions

What is GeoForge?

GeoForge is an immersive virtual reality experience where middle and high school students are trying to find a planet that can be terraformed to a hospitable place for humans to live.

Can I use GeoForge in my classroom now?

GeoForge is currently pilot testing.

If you are interested in pilot testing GeoForge in Spring 2020, please complete this Google Form

Is GeoForge only in English?

Some students have used GeoForge in Spanish by using Chrome's translate feature. To use this, students can right-click on the page and select "Translate to language...". The first time this feature is used, it may say "Translate to English", which once you click on will give you options to select other languages.

I would like to make a comment / give some feedback / report an issue to the Killer Snails team. How can I get in contact?

You can send an e-mail to info@killersnails.com. We also encourage you to fill out this message form to help us record detailed responses.

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Hardware Requirements

What are the basic requirements for GeoForge?

A computer, Chromebook or tablet with a current browser for the online digital journal and a mobile VR headset (like a smartphone with Google Cardboard).

Teachers will need to register for an account on Killer Snails Accounts and create a classroom with their students.

GeoForge VR experiences were designed with the idea that headsets may have to be shared between students, so a one-to-one for VR headsets is not required. Currently, the Digital Journal is optimized for Chrome, but will also work in Safari and Firefox.

What are the supported VR devices?

Either an Android device running a minimum of KitKat (4.4) or an iPhone 6 running at least iOS 8. The device also needs to be wi-fi enabled.

Note:

Smartphones just need the ability to connect to the internet with wifi, they do not require an active voice or data plan.
iPods are not supported due to lack of gyroscope needed for VR
iPads are currently not supported
Some models of Android devices may not have a gyroscope for VR. You can check your device by trying to play a 360° video from YouTube's Virtual Reality channel and see if moving your phone around changes the view

What does "Toggle VR" do?

For students who don’t want to go into VR or for students with visual impairment.

Clicking on "Toggle VR" turns the VR into a full screen experience. Students still move the device to get a full screen 360 view without the headset and move forward by touching the screen.

System requirements (computer/mobile)

To access GeoForge and Killer Snails Account, you will need a computer or mobile device with a current web browser with Javascript and Cookies enabled. We recommend recent versions of Chrome or Safari.

NOTE: Safari 9 or less and all versions of Internet Explorer are NOT supported.

What type of internet connection is required?

1 Mbps or better (broadband recommended). VR devices will need internet access via Wi-fi in order to connect to Killer Snails Accounts and the product being used.

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WaterWays Troubleshooting

Do browsers have to have Javascript enabled?

In order for GeoForge and the Digital Journal to function properly, the users must have Javascipt enabled in their browsers.

To enable Javascript in your browser:

For Chrome browsers:
- Click the Chrome menu in the top right hand corner of your browser
- Select Settings
- Scroll down and click on Advanced
- Under the Privacy and security section, click the Content settings button
- In the Javascript section, select "Allow (recommended)"
For Safari on Mac:
- Go to the menu Safari -> Preferences
- Select Security
- Click on Web Content: Enable Javascript
For Safari on iOS:
- Open up Settings
- Select Safari
- Under Security slide Javascript to "on"
For Firefox browsers:
- In the address bar, type about:config, and press Enter.
- Click I'll be careful, I promise
- In the search bar, search for javascript.enabled.
- Right click the result named javascript.enabled and click Toggle. JavaScript is now disabled.

For more information you can also check out Enable JavaScript.

How do I enable spell checking?

Most browsers have spell checking enabled by default, but in order to check:

For Chrome browsers:
- Click the Chrome menu in the top right hand corner of your browser
- Select Settings
- Scroll down and click on Advanced
- Under the Languages section, make sure Spell check is turned on
- On Mac OS, you may also have to see if the menu item Chrome -> Edit-> Spelling and Grammar -> Check Spelling While Typing is checked.
For Safari on Mac:
- Go to the menu Safari -> Edit -> Spelling and Grammar
- Make sure the Check Spelling While Typing is checked
For Firefox browsers:
- Click the menu button and then choose Preferences.
- Under the General panel, go to the Language section.
- Make sure the Check your spelling as you type is selected.

For more information you can also check out Enable JavaScript.

The text in GeoForge is small and hard to read. How can I make the text larger?

To make the text larger, enlarge the page to the full screen. You can also enlarge the text by using the Zoom feature in your current browser.

The phones being used to play GeoForge are overheating. What can I do to avoid this?

In order to avoid phone overheating, make sure to close out of all other apps and to turn off text messaging before going into VR mode.

How will students' names appear in the game?

Students will be addressed with the names they used in their Killer Snails account.

The text in the GeoForge VR looks blurry. How can this be fixed?

To ensure the text is clear, line the phone up with the center line, as pictured below.

My students are unable to access WaterWays. Instead of the website, they are seeing a white screen reading “This site can't be reached” (see screenshot below). What is a possible cause for this?

Please check with your school or district’s IT department to ensure that they unblock the following domain:

killersnails.com

They should not limit it to just the www prefix (ie: www.killersnails.com) since other subdomains will also be accessed by different products. For instance, to login to Killer Snails Account, you will need access to accounts.killersnails.com. For GeoForge, you will also need access to geoforge.killersnails.com and geoforgetemp.killersnails.com.

We would be happy to speak with your IT department to help assist with this process- please contact us at info@killersnails.com

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Killer Snails Accounts Management

How do I create a class?

If you log into Killer Snails Account, look for the logo of the experience you wish to make a class for, and click on next to it. You will be prompted to choose if you wish to use Google Classrooms or not. If you select yes, you can import your existing Google Classes here, and if you select no, you can enter a name for your class, create a password, and click on to create a class.

How do I set up a classroom in BioDive?

How do I manage “Classes”?

You can manage your classes by logging in to your Killer Snails Account. You will be able to remove or add students to existing classes, delete classes, download student answers, or create new classes.

How can I check if students have logged into their accounts?

When you log into your Killer Snails Account, click on the class to get a list of students. If a student has logged into their account, you will see next to their email address. If not, then they will have a next to their email.

Can I remove students from class?

To remove students from a class, log into your Killer Snails Account and select the class in which you want to remove your student. Click on the . You will be asked to confirm the deletion. If the student had started working in the class, the seat will not be returned.

Can I add students to an existing class?

If you log into Killer Snails Account, and click on your class, you will be able to add students to an existing class by clicking the button. Fill out their information and click on the button.

What happens to personal data when a student is removed from a class?

If a student is removed from a class, and is not enrolled in any other Killer Snails classes, then their data will be deleted from our database, in accordance with FERPA guidelines.

What happens to student responses at the end of the school year?

Following FERPA guidelines, once the subscription ends, all data will be deleted within 45 days of the contract ending. Upon request, Killer Snails can provide a spreadsheet of de-identified student responses for teachers.

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Using Your Killer Snails Accounts

How do I create an account?

You can create an account at Killer Snails Account register page. Fill out the information and click on “Register”. Once complete, you will receive an email to verify your account.

How do I reset my password?

To reset your password, you will need to log out of Killer Snails Account, and follow the link to Killer Snails Account forgot password page. Enter your email, and you will be sent a link to change your password.

Are the accounts secure/encrypted?

All account information is stored in a database and is encrypted.

Will my email address be visible to others?

Emails are used for log-in purposes only. Only teachers that have added students to their classes will be able to see the email addresses of their students. Emails will not be used for any marketing purposes.

How will my email be used?

Your email will be used as the username for you to log into Killer Snails Accounts or any product that uses a Killer Snails Accounts login, like BioDive’s Digital Journal and GeoForge’s Digital Journal . The accounts are linked to individual emails so if students move they can keep their account.

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Standards Alignment

What standards does GeoForge align to?

GeoForge will be aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. More to come when closer to completion...

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