The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Neither format is a universal winner. Educational touchscreen games have improved knowledge of specific scientific ideas in zoo studies, and one game increased interest in science. Separate randomized studies found that some live animal experiences produced stronger knowledge, emotional, empathy and conservation-intent outcomes than recorded video. Because these studies used different interventions, samples and definitions of engagement, the defensible answer depends on what a zoo means by “engage”: hold attention, teach facts, create an emotional connection or motivate conservation.
What “engagement” should mean in this comparison
Engagement is not one measurement. A visitor can spend ten minutes on a game without remembering its lesson, watch an animal quietly and leave with a stronger conservation commitment, or talk with an interpreter for only a few minutes and learn more than a longer, unsupervised interaction. A useful comparison separates four outcomes:
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- Attention and time: whether visitors stop, participate and remain at an exhibit; dwell time is an opportunity for engagement, not proof of learning.
- Learning: immediate knowledge or recall of the scientific idea presented.
- Affect and connection: enjoyment, emotional response and empathy toward animals.
- Conservation outcomes: stated intent to support conservation or change behavior. Intent should not be treated as completed action.
Audience and setting also change the result. Age, species, exhibit design, group composition, facilitation and whether a digital activity is educational or merely present all matter. The available evidence does not include a same-site, same-sample trial that directly compares a general-purpose video game with a live animal display. The closest live-versus-digital experiments compare in-person animal experiences with recordings, not games. Those categories must remain separate.
What the zoo-game studies actually found
Touchscreen games at Marwell Zoo and Edinburgh Zoo
A PLOS ONE evaluation examined public-engagement touchscreen games at Marwell Zoo’s Macaque Study Centre and Edinburgh Zoo’s Budongo Trail chimpanzee exhibit. Both games increased visitors’ knowledge of particular scientific findings. Only one produced a statistically significant increase in interest in science. That is evidence that a well-designed game can teach a defined concept; it is not evidence that every game will increase general engagement or science interest.
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Visitors younger than 16 were significantly more likely to engage with the games. This age pattern is useful for planning, but it does not mean older visitors cannot learn from an interactive display. It means that the observed interaction rate differed by age in these exhibits and should be measured rather than assumed away.
Why the game’s content matters more than the presence of a screen
The games were built around scientific findings connected to the animals on display. That context gives visitors a reason to play and supplies a clear learning target. A screen that simply attracts taps has no demonstrated educational value unless its content, instructions and feedback support the intended idea.
This distinction appears in a separate Zoo Atlanta study of an orangutan exhibit. Activating an on-exhibit touchscreen did not change visitor stay time or overall experience ratings, although visitors expressed positive attitudes toward the technology. Technology was acceptable to visitors, but its mere availability did not make them stay longer or report a better experience.
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What can and cannot be concluded from the game evidence
- The studies support educational games as one engagement tool, especially when a game is tied to a specific scientific message.
- They do not establish that games outperform live animals on emotional connection, empathy or conservation behavior.
- They do not show that longer play produces durable learning; the reported knowledge measures were tied to the evaluated interventions.
- They do not justify treating a touchscreen, tablet or generic game as equivalent to an animal encounter.
What live animal experience studies found
Brookfield Zoo’s randomized polar-bear study
In a randomized 2020 study, 124 Brookfield Zoo members were assigned to one of three conditions: a live polar-bear training session, a video of the same session or an audio-based control. Compared with the control, the live condition was associated with a higher probability of correct answers, a more positive emotional experience, greater empathic concern for wild bears and stronger conservation intent. The reported effects were not observed for the video condition.
Because the video showed the same training session, this is a meaningful test of whether physical presence adds something beyond identical content. It is still not a test of a video game. The participants were zoo members, the activity involved polar bears and training, and the outcomes were measured in that study’s particular setting.
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The 2025 in-person-versus-recorded study
A later 2025 randomized study assigned 300 zoo members to view an elephant or stingray encounter either in person—with or without touch—or through a video recording. Video viewers scored significantly lower than in-person viewers on every measured outcome except knowledge. The two in-person conditions did not differ significantly, so adding touch did not produce a detectable advantage over viewing in person without touch.
Species also mattered: participants in the stingray condition scored lower than those in the elephant condition. That finding limits broad claims about “live animals” as a single category. A large, charismatic land mammal and an aquatic encounter can create different levels of attention and emotional response, independent of the delivery format.
How to interpret the live-versus-video results
Together, the two studies suggest that physical presence can contribute to affective and conservation-related outcomes that a recording does not always reproduce. They do not prove that every live display beats every digital experience, nor that touch is required. They also measure short-term responses and stated intent, not whether visitors later change behavior or support a conservation project.
Attention and dwell time: useful, but easy to overread
Lincoln Park Zoo’s immersive exhibit observations
Researchers tracked 338 visitors at Lincoln Park Zoo’s Regenstein African Journey for nine weeks. The observations were conducted in 2003 and published in 2009. The median visit lasted 11.08 minutes. Visitors spent 41% of that time looking at animals and 9% engaging with interpretive elements.
Those percentages describe that exhibit and study period; they are not a universal benchmark for zoo visits. They also illustrate why a single “time spent” number is incomplete. Most observed time involved looking at animals, while a smaller share involved interpretation. A game could increase interaction time without increasing understanding, and a quiet viewing period could support emotional connection without producing a measurable quiz gain.
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Longer visits in free-flight aviaries
A 2023 Zoo Biology study of two free-flight aviaries reported that visitors who used a bird guide stayed 59% to 82% longer than visitors who did not. Visitors who conversed with exhibit-specific staff stayed 67% to 89% longer. These are associations in particular aviaries, not proof that the guide or conversation alone caused the additional time. The figures do support offering a field guide or staff interaction as a practical way to create more opportunities for observation and questions.
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At ZooTampa’s interactive Lorikeet Landing aviary, visitors preferred interacting with a live interpreter to reading posted signage. Interaction with the animals was the strongest indicator of the desired outcomes measured in that case study. A separate study comparing walk-through and traditional exhibits found more surface-level and deeper-level visitor comments at walk-through exhibits. Educators or volunteers could enhance engagement, although the researchers noted that more work was needed to determine whether that engagement became conservation knowledge or action.
Side-by-side comparison by outcome
| Outcome | Educational video games | Live animal displays or encounters | What the evidence supports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attention and participation | Visitors under 16 were more likely to engage with the evaluated games. A separate orangutan touchscreen did not change stay time. | Animal viewing, staff conversation, interpretation and walk-through design can increase interaction or dwell time in specific exhibits. | Design and facilitation matter more than the medium’s label. |
| Immediate knowledge | Both evaluated zoo games improved knowledge of specific scientific findings. | In-person polar-bear training and in-person elephant or stingray viewing produced knowledge benefits in their respective experiments; the 2025 study found no significant knowledge difference between in-person and recorded viewing. | Both formats can teach; the lesson and measurement must be specified. |
| Science interest | Only one of the two evaluated games significantly increased interest in science. | Not directly tested as a matched outcome in the cited live-encounter studies. | Do not generalize from one game to all digital activities. |
| Emotion and empathy | Not established by the cited game evaluation. | Live polar-bear training outperformed the control on positive emotional experience and empathic concern; 2025 in-person viewers outperformed video viewers on all outcomes except knowledge. | Live presence has the stronger direct evidence for these outcomes in the cited studies. |
| Conservation intent | Not established by the cited game evaluation. | Live polar-bear training produced stronger conservation intent than control; the 2025 study found lower scores for video than in-person viewing on measured outcomes. | Intent is not the same as verified conservation action. |
| Transfer to later behavior | Not established. | Not established by these studies. | A follow-up behavior measure is required before claiming lasting impact. |
When a zoo should choose a game
Use a game for a precise, testable learning objective
A game is a strong fit when the zoo wants visitors to discover a relationship, process or scientific finding that benefits from active decisions. Examples include matching an animal’s behavior to habitat conditions, testing how a population changes under different pressures or identifying evidence from a field study. Define the correct answer before building the interaction, then test recall or explanation immediately afterward.
Design for short, understandable sessions
- Put the scientific question on the first screen rather than hiding it in instructions.
- Use feedback that explains why an answer is correct, not only a score.
- Make the connection to the nearby animal explicit so play does not become an isolated arcade activity.
- Allow more than one visitor to participate without forcing a single player to block the exhibit.
- Provide a non-digital equivalent for visitors who cannot or do not want to use the device.
- Measure completion, repeat play, knowledge and interest separately.
Plan for maintenance and accessibility
Touchscreens need cleaning, uptime monitoring, readable text, usable contrast and controls that work for visitors with different motor and sensory needs. A game that is frequently unavailable, difficult to understand or too slow to load can reduce rather than increase participation. The cited studies do not establish a universal equipment specification or cost threshold, so each zoo should budget and test for its own traffic, staffing and environmental conditions.
When a zoo should prioritize a live display or encounter
Use presence when the goal is connection
Live animals are the better-supported option in the cited evidence when the primary target is emotional response, empathy or conservation intent. The Brookfield and 2025 randomized studies both found advantages for in-person conditions over recorded viewing on several non-knowledge outcomes. A live display also gives visitors a chance to notice movement, choice and context that a fixed recording may not capture.
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Add interpretation rather than relying on proximity alone
Being near an animal does not guarantee a meaningful experience. Train interpreters and volunteers to invite observation, answer questions and connect visible behavior to habitat or conservation work. The ZooTampa case study found that visitors preferred live interpretation to posted signage, and the aviary research linked staff conversation with longer stays. These findings support facilitation, while still leaving the question of long-term conservation action open.
Do not assume touch is necessary
In the 2025 study, in-person viewing with touch did not differ significantly from in-person viewing without touch. A well-managed no-touch encounter can therefore be a valid design choice when animal welfare, safety, disease control or visitor capacity makes contact inappropriate. The evidence does not show that touch adds a general engagement benefit.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical decision framework for exhibit planners
- Name the outcome. Choose one primary measure—knowledge, science interest, emotional response, empathy, conservation intent or sustained behavior—and list secondary measures separately.
- Match the format to the outcome. Use an interactive game for a defined concept that benefits from decisions and feedback. Use live viewing and interpretation when presence, observation and social conversation are central.
- Specify the audience and context. Record age, membership status, species, exhibit type, group size, time of day and whether an educator was present. These variables differed across the studies and affect comparability.
- Create a baseline. Ask a brief pre-visit or pre-activity question when feasible, then use a post-activity measure that tests the same construct. Avoid treating a satisfaction rating as a knowledge test.
- Track behavior as well as opinion. Record approach, participation, completion, repeat use, conversation, dwell time and attention to animals versus interpretation. For conservation claims, add a later check such as sign-up, donation, pledge completion or another observable action.
- Compare like with like. If the zoo wants to compare formats, keep the scientific message, species, time limit and audience as similar as possible. A comparison of a game with a live display is not equivalent to the existing live-versus-recorded studies.
- Iterate from failure points. If visitors stop early, inspect instructions and queue design. If they finish but cannot explain the idea, revise feedback. If dwell time rises but learning does not, change the activity rather than declaring success.
Common mistakes and how to correct them
Calling every screen a game
A passive video, an information kiosk and a decision-based game have different cognitive demands. Label the intervention accurately and report what visitors actually did.
Using dwell time as the headline result
Longer stay time may provide more opportunity, but the Lincoln Park, touchscreen and aviary findings show that time, interpretation and learning are separate variables. Pair time with an outcome measure.
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The strongest direct digital-versus-live evidence in the cited material concerns recordings of animal encounters. It cannot be used to claim that every video game performs worse than a live display.
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Generalizing from one species or visitor group
The live studies involved zoo members and particular encounters. In the 2025 study, stingray participants scored lower than elephant participants. Report species and sample alongside the result rather than presenting it as a rule for all animals.
Equating stated intent with conservation action
A visitor can express stronger conservation intent without changing a later purchase, donation or behavior. Use follow-up measures before claiming real-world impact.
Assuming a positive attitude toward technology proves effectiveness
Zoo Atlanta visitors viewed the touchscreen technology positively, yet activation did not change stay time or overall experience ratings. Acceptance is a usability signal, not an outcome in itself.
What visitors can expect from each format
If you choose the game
Look for a clear connection between the challenge and the animal or science on display. The most useful games explain the answer and encourage you to observe the exhibit, rather than rewarding speed alone. If you are visiting with children, invite them to predict an animal’s behavior before playing and then check the prediction at the enclosure.
If you choose the live display
Allow time to watch before reading every sign. Notice what the animal chooses to do, then ask an interpreter or educator how that behavior relates to habitat, social life or conservation. A short conversation can add context that a static panel or recording may not provide.
If both are available
Use the game to investigate a question and the live exhibit to look for evidence. This combination is not proven superior by a matched trial in the available studies, but it aligns each format with a different strength: interactive practice for a defined idea and physical presence for observation and connection.
Bottom line for zoo decision-makers
Choose based on the outcome you need to improve, not on whether the attraction is digital or live. Educational games have demonstrated gains in specific knowledge, with stronger participation among visitors under 16 in the evaluated exhibits; only one of those games increased science interest. Live encounters have the clearest direct evidence for stronger emotional, empathy and conservation-intent responses than recorded viewing, while knowledge results can be similar across formats in some settings. A touchscreen by itself is not an engagement strategy, and longer dwell time is not proof of learning.
The most credible exhibit plan states its audience, species, learning objective and success metric in advance, then measures attention, learning, affect and conservation outcomes separately. That approach lets a zoo use games, live animals, interpreters, signage and field guides where each is most likely to help—without claiming that one format wins every definition of engagement.
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