Educational gaming software

A method of providing an educational game to a learner, the method comprising:

• detecting a computing device associated with a learner;
• determining a target level of educational skill of the learner;
• determining one or more training tasks designed to advance the learner to the target level;
• providing a digital world display of a gaming realm associated with the educational game to the computing device of the learner;
• providing, via the gaming realm, the learner with a character such that the learner controls actions of the character within the gaming realm, wherein the gaming realm within which the character interacts comprises one or more biological entities, wherein the educational skill is in a field of science related to the one or more biological entities, wherein the training tasks involve interactions between the character and the gaming realm that are scientifically targeted to said field of science and corresponding educational skill;
• detecting, via the gaming realm, the learner with a character such that the learner controls actions of the character in gameplay within the gaming realm in a manner resulting in satisfaction of the training tasks;
• responsive to satisfaction of the training tasks, recording at the server that the learner has reached the target level of the educational skill;
• and
• responsive to the satisfaction of the training tasks, unlocking a previously locked aspect of gameplay within the gaming realm, thereby permitting the character to advance in the gameplay.

A method of providing an educational game to a learner, the method comprising:

• detecting a computing device associated with a learner;
• determining one or more educational tasks designed to advance an educational skill of the learner;
• providing a digital world display of a gaming realm associated with the educational game to the computing device of the learner, wherein the gaming realm has a gaming realm ecology comprising biological entities, said biological entities comprising one or more animals;
• providing, via the gaming realm, the learner with a character such that the learner utilizes the character to interact with the gaming realm, said interactions occurring during gameplay, said interactions affecting the gaming realm ecology and related aspects of the biological entities, wherein the educational skill is in a field of science related to the one or more biological entities, wherein changes to the gaming realm ecology occur in a manner that advances the educational skill level of the learner;
• responsive to a gameplay interaction of the character that positively affects the gaming realm ecology while concurrently advancing the educational skill level, increasing a quantity or quality of one or more animals within the gaming realm;
• and
• permitting the character to utilize the at least one animal in gameplay of the educational game along with the increase resulting from the change in the gaming realm ecology, wherein the permitting advances the gameplay of the character.