How to enhance education with a digital platform?
The client
Van Wind naar Watt (From Wind to Watt / From Wind to What?) is an initiative by the Dutch government to teach school children about the benefits of wind power. As The Netherlands transitions from a carbon-based to a clean & green economy, ministers want to promote the science behind carbon-zero generation and help children understand the importance of sustainability at an early age.
Together we create
“For the project Van Wind naar Watt we were looking for a partner who could develop a website with information for teachers and a place where children could view videos and images. The Pack came up with new ideas and was open to contribute ideas or to improve processes. Clear agreements were made about when what should be delivered. The Pack was the partner we needed.”
Karien Reichman, Projectmanager BKK/Doorvriendschap Sterker
The objective
Working with branding agency BBK and leading Dutch children’s publisher Zwijsen, we were tasked with creating a website that could bring the Wind to Watt curriculum to life. The build needed to support the curriculum’s overall objectives: teach kids about the power of sea-based wind turbines, explain the challenges that arise when moving from one kind of power generation to another, and animate the upside of adopting a carbon-free power grid. The site also needed to promote the initiative amongst teachers and convince them to sign up for free resources and lesson plans.
Tech Stack
Wordpress - Next.js - Framer Motion
We used WordPress as a headless CMS to simplify site management and make it easy to add new materials as the course evolves and grows.
In combination with a Next.js application and static site generation we we're able to create a immensely fast web experience for the visitors. Animations were created using Framer Motion.
Taking a
deep dive
The big idea
We decided that the site should make learning about wind power an immersive experience — the more you scroll, the deeper into the program you go. Since the turbines are mounted on the ocean floor, we wanted to give students a feeling of being at sea to make each lesson more engaging and entertaining. Moving from one stage of the lesson to another should have elements of exploration and adventure, with an element of mystery and a code to crack.
How digital and physical lessons create immersion
Our approach was to create a digital platform that could extend elements of the physical classroom into the online experience. We used animations to ensure visual interest and engagement and optimised the interface so that interactive smartboards could be embedded on the page.
Solving a mystery through learning
To engage students, we added a mystery to the site narrative that only moving through the site could solve. Two characters, Ciara and Windson, find themselves stuck on an ocean wind turbine. Working together as a class, students try to set them free by unravelling a riddle. They do so by answering questions that demonstrate what they've learned about wind power.
Always in reach
To engage teachers, we made the site a portal where they could register for access to physical course materials or download digital versions directly. The site also allows teachers and students to work on course documents and assignments together.
Educational video’s and hidden clue’s
Each digital lesson consist of video’s and images. With the animated video’s the students learn about wind energy. In order to solve the mystery students have to pay good attention to solve the clue's with the hint images!
Cracking the code
The moment is finally here, the students have learned about wind energy and solved all the clues. But have they solved the mystery? Only one way to find out! By cracking the code students will find out if they have found the correct answers in order to save Ciara and Windson!
Try it out!
The grand prize!
After cracking the code the class will be greeted with the chance to win an amazing prize! They can name a real life windmill park! The class that comes up with the best name will get a real park named after it.
What schools thought about Van Wind naar Watt
Elementary School St. Martinus, Venlo
“It is a fun and very active way of teaching, where the students have to work together to find the answers.”
KBS De Golfslag, Swifterbant
“I used the lesson as a start for our own windmill project. The government is building a windmill park near our village. Students are coming up with creative ideas and solutions on how we can make the windmill park more eco-friendly and how we can make it more appealing for humans, animals and nature”
IKC Het Talent, Amsterdam
“The students really liked to get started with the lessons. It is a totally new way of thinking for the kids!”
