New Zealand tourism launches virtual ‘Minecraft’ experience

Travel

New Zealand’s tourism body has unveiled a collaboration with Minecraft to promote travel to the country where the upcoming movie adaptation was filmed. Olivia Palamountain reports
To coincide with the release of A Minecraft Movie, 100% Pure New Zealand has partnered with Warner Bros. Pictures and Mojang Studios to create what they describe as a “world-first destination DLC” (downloadable content) for the popular game.
The initiative transforms iconic locations into the distinctive blocky aesthetic of Minecraft, allowing players to virtually experience activities such as paddling a traditional Māori waka (canoe) in Abel Tasman National Park or exploring the glowworm caves of Waitomo.
Flight Centre has simultaneously launched bookable Minecraft-inspired itineraries for UK travellers wanting to experience these digital adventures in real life.The virtual locations featured in the Minecraft DLC include six of New Zealand’s most distinctive destinations, each offering unique visitor experiences.
At Waitomo Glowworm Caves on the North Island, tourists can follow in the footsteps of Māori Chief Tāne Tinorau, who first explored the caves over a century ago. Today, many of the expert guides are Tinorau’s descendants, leading visitors through the Cathedral chamber before a boat ride through Glowworm Grotto to see millions of bioluminescent creatures. Tours start from £27 for adults and £12.40 for children.
Kāpiti Island, north of Wellington, offers a glimpse of pre-European New Zealand as a bird sanctuary housing rare and endangered native species including the Kākā forest parrot, the once-thought-extinct Takahē, and the grey Kōkako. Guided tours with Kāpiti Island Nature Tours are led by Mana Whenua (indigenous people of the area), some whose families have inhabited the island for eight generations. Day tours begin at £36.30 for adults and £19.50 for children.At Te Puia in Rotorua on the North Island, visitors can experience New Zealand’s largest geyser, the Pōhutu Geyser, alongside mud pools, hot springs, and silica formations. The site also serves as a cultural centre offering traditional Māori cooking (hāngī), live performances, and demonstrations by master weavers and carvers.
The Abel Tasman National Park, described by The Times as “New Zealand’s best-kept secret,” offers golden beaches and emerald seas in a region boasting some of the country’s longest sunshine hours. While the complete Abel Tasman Coast Track takes five days, visitors can opt for a Waka Abel Tasman tour on a traditional double-hulled Māori canoe from £46.50 for adults and £31 for children.For night sky enthusiasts, Lake Tekapo/Takapō sits within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky reserve in the South Island, the world’s largest gold-status dark sky reserve. The Dark Sky Project offers a Summit Experience tour to Mount John, providing access to New Zealand’s only professional research observatory with high-powered telescopes for viewing celestial features like the Milky Way and Southern Cross. Tours start from £92.50 for adults and £75 for children.
Finally, Patea Doubtful Sound, named for Captain James Cook’s reluctance to enter its steep-walled fjord, remains largely unchanged since its discovery. The South Island location features snowy peaks, primeval forests and bottlenose dolphins, accessible only by boat. RealNZ offers various cruises, including overnight options.

Rabat hosts landmark 30th International Book Fair, celebrates Moroccan diaspora

Arts & Culture, Books

Rabat will host the 30th edition of the International Book and Publishing Fair from April 18 to 28, with Sharjah, UAE, as the guest of honor.
This cultural exchange follows Morocco’s role as Sharjah’s guest of honor last year. The fair will also focus on celebrating the Moroccan diaspora, recognizing their significant contribution to Morocco’s identity worldwide.
Latifa Maftaker, the fair’s delegate, emphasized Sharjah’s participation as a reflection of the strong ties between Morocco and the UAE. She highlighted that the fair, which will feature 51 participating countries, serves as a platform for international cultural exchange.

Scientists revive dire wolf species from ‘Game of Thrones’ in world’s first known ‘de-extinction’

Science and Health

It’s game of clones!

The dire wolf — a species that disappeared 13,000 years ago and was made famous by the beloved HBO series “Game of Thrones” — is making a comeback, thanks to the first-ever so-called “de-extinction.”

Three dire wolf pups — aptly named Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi — were successfully born using DNA from ancient dire wolf fossils and genes from their closest living relative, the gray wolf.

The extraordinary results were revealed Monday by Colossal Biosciences, the same Texas-based genetic engineering company that created the adorable colossal woolly mouse.

“Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies,” said Colossal CEO Ben Lamm. “It was once said, ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation.”

A genetic engineering company announced the birth of three dire wolf puppies in the world’s first successful “de-extinction.” Colossal Biosciences / Business Wire

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To create the painfully cute pups, Colossal cloned high-quality cell lines using somatic cell nuclear transfer into donor egg cells, and transferred them to a surrogate dog mom, who gave birth in January, according to the statement.

The ancient DNA was taken from a tooth fossil found in Ohio that is around 13,000 years old and an inner ear bone from Idaho, about 72,000 years old.

Dire wolves went extinct 13,000 years ago. Colossal Biosciences / Business Wire

The two six-month-old male wolves, Romulus and Remus, and female pup Khaleesi now reside in 2,000- plus acre “secure expansive ecological preserve” with 10 full-time staff to give them round-the-clock care, Colossal said.

Dire wolves have appeared in HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series which the TV show is based on, “A Song of Ice and Fire.” In the show, the wolves are the sigil, or mascot, of House Stark.

Khaleesi is also named after the character, Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke in the series.

Despite their fictional significance, dire wolves were real-world predators that lurked across North America with mastodons and saber tooth tigers during the Ice Age. They hunted horses, bison and possibly mammoths, paleontologist Julie Meachen told the New York Times.

Dire wolves have appeared in HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series which the TV show is based on, “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Helen Sloan / HBO

After many of those prey became extinct due to human hunters, the dire wolf went extinct, and the gray wolf filled the “ecological void,” Meachen said.

Dire wolves are 25% larger than their gray wolf counterparts, with more muscular jaws and shoulders, biologists say.

Lamm and George Church, a Harvard Medical School biologist, founded the now $10 billion private company with the goal of bringing back the wooly mammoth, Bloomberg reported.

The company also has its eyes set on reviving the Tasmanian tiger, the dodo, and successfully genetically engineered the wooly mouse last month, which shares similar curly-haired features with wooly mammoths.

Dire wold pup Khaleesi is named after “Game of Thrones” character, Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke in the series. Colossal Biosciences

“The de-extinction of the dire wolf and an end-to-end system for de-extinction is transformative and heralds an entirely new era of human stewardship of life,” Dr Christopher Mason, a scientific advisor and member of the board of observers for Colossal, said in the statement.

“This is an extraordinary technological leap in genetic engineering efforts for both science and for conservation as well as preservation of life, and a wonderful example of the power of biotechnology to protect species, both extant and extinct,” Mason said.

Breaking: Supreme Court Issues Stay of District Court Order re: Return of Salvadoran National (Updated)

US & Canada

In a case that’s moving fast enough to give even casual observers whiplash, the Supreme Court has now issued an administrative stay of a Maryland district court order demanding the return of Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia.  Advertisement As Bonchie reported regarding the initial district court ruling:  An illegal immigrant first only described as a…

Dire Wolf Brought Back To Life, Scientists Claim In Historic First Species De-Extinction

Science and Health

Colossal Biosciences announced the revival of the long-extinct wolf species in a news release on Monday, April 7. Three dire wolf pups were born at a private ecological preserve in Texas on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.The wolves are named Romulus and Remus – mythological figures in the city of Rome’s origin story – and Khaleesi, the “Mother of Dragons” from the HBO TV series “Game of Thrones”.
The pups now live on the 2,000-acre preserve, which is monitored by drones, cameras, and 10-foot fencing.”I could not be more proud of the team,” said Colossal CEO Ben Lamm. “This massive milestone is the first of many coming examples demonstrating that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works.”The company used ancient DNA from fossils and 20 precise gene edits to a gray wolf’s genetic code to bring the Ice Age predators back to life.
“Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies,” Lamm said. “It was once said, ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation.”Dire wolves have been prevalent in pop culture, especially through portrayals on “Game of Thrones”, along with the video game “World of Warcraft” and role-playing game “Dungeons & Dragons”. Often considered a myth, the real wolf went extinct about 10,000 years ago, according to the National Park Service.”Game of Thrones” creator George R.R. Martin is a Colossal investor and cultural advisor.”Many people view dire wolves as mythical creatures that only exist in a fantasy world, but in reality, they have a rich history of contributing to the American ecosystem,” said Martin. “I get the luxury to write about magic, but Ben and Colossal have created magic by bringing these majestic beasts back to our world.”
Colossal also birthed two litters of critically endangered red wolves, using the same non-invasive cloning technology. The litters include one female, Hope, and three males named Blaze, Cinder, and Ash.Only about 20 red wolves are left in North America.”I never thought I might live in a time when we have the science to bring back those species and restore them to selected sections of their former homeland,” said Rick McIntyre, a world-renowned author and wolf behavior expert. “I have a dream that some time in the near future I can go back to Alaska, or a similar place in Northern Europe or Asia, and see those extinct species that have been brought back thanks to science. When that happens, I will begin to study the behavior of dire wolves.”The project is also a major leap forward for cloning and genome editing. Colossal said it used gray wolves as a genetic base and edited in 15 ancient gene variants to recreate extinct features like body size, jaw strength, and coat color.
The result: dire wolves with light-colored fur, wide skulls, and thick coats – traits scientists believe helped the species survive the Ice Age.”Today’s dire wolf announcement represents an exciting scientific step and demonstrates the power and possibilities of genetic technologies,” said Barney Long, senior director of conservation strategy for Re:wild. “These technologies will likely transform the conservation of critically endangered species that still exist, and we are excited to apply them to prevent extinctions. “From restoring lost genes into small, inbred populations to inserting disease resistance into imperiled species, the genetic technologies being developed by Colossal have immense potential to greatly speed up the recovery of species on the brink of extinction.”
Harvard University geneticist and Colossal co-founder George Church said the dire wolves are “the largest number of precise genomic edits in a healthy vertebrate so far.”Colossal’s preserve, certified by the American Humane Society, includes on-site vet care, storm shelters, and natural dens. The company says the wolves will live out their lives there and may eventually be introduced into larger protected ecosystems, potentially including Indigenous land.Mark Fox, tribal chair of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, said the dire wolf’s return also carries cultural weight. 
“The de-extinction of the dire wolf is more than a biological revival,” he said. “Its birth symbolizes a reawakening – a return of an ancient spirit to the world. The dire wolf carries the echoes of our ancestors, their wisdom, and their connection to the wild.”Its presence would remind us of our responsibility as stewards of the Earth – to protect not just the wolf, but the delicate balance of life itself. The work of the team at Colossal Biosciences is not only significant to our lands and people, but for conservation efforts across the globe. The ability for technological innovation to bring forth something so culturally and spiritually significant to indigenous people is paralleled by the far-reaching impacts that this technology provides for the future of stewardship on our planet in species diversity and conservation.”Colossal says it will share more information about the wolves “in the coming months” after monitoring their health and development.

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Dire Wolf Brought Back To Life, Scientists Claim In Historic First Species De-Extinction

Science and Health

Colossal Biosciences announced the revival of the long-extinct wolf species in a news release on Monday, April 7. Three dire wolf pups were born at a private ecological preserve in Texas on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.The wolves are named Romulus and Remus – mythological figures in the city of Rome’s origin story – and Khaleesi, the “Mother of Dragons” from the HBO TV series “Game of Thrones”.
The pups now live on the 2,000-acre preserve, which is monitored by drones, cameras, and 10-foot fencing.”I could not be more proud of the team,” said Colossal CEO Ben Lamm. “This massive milestone is the first of many coming examples demonstrating that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works.”The company used ancient DNA from fossils and 20 precise gene edits to a gray wolf’s genetic code to bring the Ice Age predators back to life.
“Our team took DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies,” Lamm said. “It was once said, ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation.”Dire wolves have been prevalent in pop culture, especially through portrayals on “Game of Thrones”, along with the video game “World of Warcraft” and role-playing game “Dungeons & Dragons”. Often considered a myth, the real wolf went extinct about 10,000 years ago, according to the National Park Service.”Game of Thrones” creator George R.R. Martin is a Colossal investor and cultural advisor.”Many people view dire wolves as mythical creatures that only exist in a fantasy world, but in reality, they have a rich history of contributing to the American ecosystem,” said Martin. “I get the luxury to write about magic, but Ben and Colossal have created magic by bringing these majestic beasts back to our world.”
Colossal also birthed two litters of critically endangered red wolves, using the same non-invasive cloning technology. The litters include one female, Hope, and three males named Blaze, Cinder, and Ash.Only about 20 red wolves are left in North America.”I never thought I might live in a time when we have the science to bring back those species and restore them to selected sections of their former homeland,” said Rick McIntyre, a world-renowned author and wolf behavior expert. “I have a dream that some time in the near future I can go back to Alaska, or a similar place in Northern Europe or Asia, and see those extinct species that have been brought back thanks to science. When that happens, I will begin to study the behavior of dire wolves.”The project is also a major leap forward for cloning and genome editing. Colossal said it used gray wolves as a genetic base and edited in 15 ancient gene variants to recreate extinct features like body size, jaw strength, and coat color.
The result: dire wolves with light-colored fur, wide skulls, and thick coats – traits scientists believe helped the species survive the Ice Age.”Today’s dire wolf announcement represents an exciting scientific step and demonstrates the power and possibilities of genetic technologies,” said Barney Long, senior director of conservation strategy for Re:wild. “These technologies will likely transform the conservation of critically endangered species that still exist, and we are excited to apply them to prevent extinctions. “From restoring lost genes into small, inbred populations to inserting disease resistance into imperiled species, the genetic technologies being developed by Colossal have immense potential to greatly speed up the recovery of species on the brink of extinction.”
Harvard University geneticist and Colossal co-founder George Church said the dire wolves are “the largest number of precise genomic edits in a healthy vertebrate so far.”Colossal’s preserve, certified by the American Humane Society, includes on-site vet care, storm shelters, and natural dens. The company says the wolves will live out their lives there and may eventually be introduced into larger protected ecosystems, potentially including Indigenous land.Mark Fox, tribal chair of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, said the dire wolf’s return also carries cultural weight. 
“The de-extinction of the dire wolf is more than a biological revival,” he said. “Its birth symbolizes a reawakening – a return of an ancient spirit to the world. The dire wolf carries the echoes of our ancestors, their wisdom, and their connection to the wild.”Its presence would remind us of our responsibility as stewards of the Earth – to protect not just the wolf, but the delicate balance of life itself. The work of the team at Colossal Biosciences is not only significant to our lands and people, but for conservation efforts across the globe. The ability for technological innovation to bring forth something so culturally and spiritually significant to indigenous people is paralleled by the far-reaching impacts that this technology provides for the future of stewardship on our planet in species diversity and conservation.”Colossal says it will share more information about the wolves “in the coming months” after monitoring their health and development.

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New research shows digital technology is linked to reduced wellbeing in young kids. So what can parents do?

Technology

Once upon a time, children fought for control of the remote to the sole family television. Now the choice of screen-based content available to kids seems endless. There are computers, tablets, phones and gaming consoles offering streaming services, online content and apps.

Children also use devices at school, with digital literacy part of the Australian curriculum from the start of school.

The speed and scale of this change has left parents, researchers and policymakers scrambling to catch up. And it has inevitably led to concerns about screen use, as well as guidelines about limiting their use.

Our new study looks at the links between digital technology use and young children’s wellbeing, specifically for those aged four to six.

Our comprehensive analysis shows children who spend longer periods using digital technologies are more likely to have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. However, we can’t say at what age or level of screen use these negative effects are likely to become evident.

But for parents trying to navigate a world where technology is all around us, our study also shows there are things they can do to help their kids use screens in healthier ways.

Read more:
Why parents need to be like Big Ted and ‘talk aloud’ while they use screens with their kids

Our study

We carried out a systematic review of the research literature on children’s use of digital devices since 2011 (after the Apple iPad was launched). This means we examined all the available peer-reviewed research on digital devices and their impact on wellbeing for children.

We also focused on ages four to six age as it is a time when children are developing rapidly and beginning school. Other studies have focused on particular types of device. But we included all kinds of digital devices in our search – from televisions to phones, tablets and gaming consoles – to make sure we could provide comprehensive analysis of what kids are using.

The studies came from 20 countries, including Australia, China, the United States, Turkey, Germany and Canada. They were almost exclusively based on parents’ reports of their children and include more than 83,000 parents.

Our research also showed the the type of content children consume is important – not just the time it takes.
Morrowind/Shutterstock

4 areas of child wellbeing

From this, we analysed the relationship between children’s technology use and the following four areas:

psychosocial wellbeing: an overall measure that captures children’s happiness, as well as social and emotional adjustment.
social functioning: children’s social skills, including how well they get along with their peers.
the parent-child relationship: the level of closeness or conflict between parents and their children.
behavioural functioning: the absence of behavioural difficulties such as tech-related tantrums, hyperactivity, depression or anxiety.

We did this with a meta-analysis – a statistical method that uses data from multiple studies to draw conclusions.

Read more:
3 ways to help your child transition off screens and avoid the dreaded ‘tech tantrums’

What we found

Our analysis found more digital technology use in young children was associated with poorer wellbeing outcomes across the four areas.

It is important to note correlation doesn’t equal causation. The scope of the research means at this point, it is not possible to identify the exact reasons behind the negative relationships.

But we do know the more time children spent watching TV, playing on iPads or apps, the more likely they were to have problems with behaviour, social skills, their relationship with their parents, and their emotional wellbeing.

But tech use is more than just time

Our research also brought together emerging evidence which shows the relationship between digital tech use and child wellbeing is complex.

This means the type of content children consume, and the context in which they consume it, can also have a bearing on their wellbeing. The research shows there are several ways parents can guide their children to potentially mitigate the negative links with social, emotional and behavioural wellbeing.

With this in mind, how can you encourage healthier screen use?

Our research showed if parents watch with their kids, it can open up opportunities for conversation and interaction.
Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels, CC BY

3 tips for kids and screens

1. Keep an eye on the clock

The research cannot provide a specific “time limit” for screen use. But you can still be mindful of how much time your child spends on devices both at home and at school – moderation is key.

Try and mix screen time with other activities, such as time outside or time with friends and family, books or imaginary play.

2. Seek out quality

Research shows encouraging high-quality educational content during screen use may curb negative links between tech use and wellbeing.

Consider swapping fast-paced cartoons and time spent on lots of short clips with educational viewing, for example ABC kids programs that promote learning.

Introduce your child to age-appropriate educational and interactive games that challenge them and encourage them to be creative.

3. Use tech together

Tech time isn’t just for kids – parents can also join in.

Solo tech use may reduce opportunities for positive social interactions. But watching or playing with friends or family opens up opportunities for conversation, working together and learning.

This could include watching a movie together and talking about the characters, working on an online puzzle together or learning new coding skills together.

Educational Animations: The Business Case for Visual Learning in Corporate Training and Schools

Business News

In an increasingly competitive marketplace where efficiency and effectiveness are paramount, businesses and educational institutions alike are turning to innovative solutions to enhance knowledge transfer and skills development.

Among these solutions, educational animations have emerged as powerful tools that deliver measurable improvements in learning outcomes while offering compelling returns on investment.

The Growing Market for Visual Learning

The global educational animation market has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, with projections indicating it will reach £29.6 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 16.8%. This expansion reflects growing recognition of animation’s effectiveness as a learning tool across diverse sectors.
In the UK specifically, demand for educational animations has accelerated dramatically, driven by both educational institutions seeking to enhance classroom engagement and businesses looking to revolutionise corporate training. This trend was further accelerated by the pandemic, which forced organisations to rapidly adopt digital learning solutions.
“We’ve witnessed a fundamental shift in how organisations approach knowledge transfer,” explains Michelle Connolly, founder of educational platform LearningMole. “What began as an emergency response to remote learning has evolved into strategic adoption of animation-based resources that deliver proven advantages over traditional approaches.”
For UK businesses in particular, educational animations offer distinct advantages in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Companies that implement animation-based training report significant improvements in information retention, reduced training time, and higher employee satisfaction—all contributing to enhanced operational efficiency and competitive advantage.

The Science Behind Animation’s Effectiveness

The remarkable effectiveness of animations as learning tools is rooted in solid cognitive science. Research consistently demonstrates that the human brain processes visual information approximately 60,000 times faster than text alone, making animations particularly efficient vehicles for conveying complex information.
A meta-analysis of 43 studies published in the British Journal of Educational Technology found that learners exposed to animated content demonstrated 62% better knowledge retention compared to those who received the same information through text or static images alone. This dramatic improvement in retention translates directly to business outcomes, with shorter learning curves and better knowledge application.
The dual coding theory, which proposes that the brain creates separate but interconnected representations for verbal and visual information, helps explain this phenomenon. When educational content engages both processing pathways—as occurs with well-designed animations—learning becomes more robust, with multiple neural pathways reinforcing the same concepts.
“The cognitive advantages of animation aren’t simply about making learning more engaging,” notes Connolly. “They’re about aligning learning methods with how the brain naturally processes information, creating physiological conditions optimised for knowledge acquisition and retention.”
For businesses, this science translates to tangible benefits: employees learn more effectively, retain information longer, and apply knowledge more consistently—all contributing to improved operational performance and return on training investment.

Corporate Applications: Beyond Basic Training

While animations have long been associated with educational settings, their application in corporate environments has expanded dramatically, serving diverse business objectives beyond basic training:

Onboarding and Skill Development

Businesses across sectors now leverage animations to streamline employee onboarding and develop critical skills:
Process Training: Companies like Lloyds Banking Group have implemented animated explanations of complex financial processes, reducing training time by 36% while improving comprehension scores. These animations break down intricate procedures into visual sequences that employees can easily understand and recall.
Compliance Training: Regulatory compliance represents a significant challenge for UK businesses, particularly in highly regulated industries like finance and healthcare. Animations transform dry compliance content into engaging narratives that improve retention of critical regulatory requirements.
Technical Skill Development: For organisations requiring employees to master technical skills, animations provide visual demonstrations that clarify complex procedures and equipment operation, reducing errors and accelerating proficiency.

Corporate Communication

Beyond training, businesses increasingly employ animations for both internal and external communication:
Data Visualisation: Companies handling complex data sets use animated visualisations to reveal patterns and relationships that might remain obscure in static presentations. These dynamic visualisations enable better-informed decision-making at all organisational levels.
Change Management: During organisational transitions, animations effectively communicate changes in structure, processes, or strategy, helping employees understand the rationale behind changes and their role in implementation.
Product Demonstrations: For sales and marketing teams, animations showcase products and services in action, highlighting features and benefits through visual storytelling that creates stronger impressions than text descriptions alone.
Stakeholder Communication: When communicating complex business concepts to investors, board members, or other stakeholders, animations distil complex information into accessible visual narratives that ensure comprehension regardless of technical background.

The Educational Voice Connection

A critical component in business animations is what professionals refer to as the “educational voice”—the distinctive communication approach that transforms information into learning. UK-based Educational Voice (educationalvoice.co.uk) has emerged as a leading provider specialising in creating business animations with this precise approach.
“Educational Voice isn’t just about narration—it’s about crafting communication that transforms information into genuine understanding,” explains a spokesperson from Educational Voice. “Our work with businesses focuses on creating animations that don’t merely convey facts but actually build knowledge and change behaviour.”
The company’s approach combines visual storytelling with precisely calibrated communication techniques that guide viewers through information in ways that maximise comprehension and retention. This methodology has proven particularly effective for businesses dealing with complex products, services, or processes that require clear explanation to diverse audiences.
Educational Voice’s work spans sectors from financial services to manufacturing, demonstrating how specialised animation providers are helping UK businesses transform their approach to knowledge transfer both internally and externally.

Educational Institutions: Transforming Learning Outcomes

For educational settings, animations have progressed from occasional supplements to central components of effective teaching strategies:

Classroom Integration

Modern educational animations span the entire curriculum, with applications across virtually all subject areas:
Mathematics: Abstract mathematical concepts become tangible through animation. Number lines come to life, geometric transformations unfold visually, and patterns emerge with clarity that static representations cannot achieve.
Science: Scientific processes that occur at scales or timeframes that make direct observation impossible in the classroom become accessible through animation. From cellular processes to astronomical events, animations make the invisible visible.
Literacy and Language: Animations support literacy development by bringing stories to life, demonstrating narrative structures, and creating contextual understanding for vocabulary acquisition.
History and Social Studies: Historical events and social concepts come alive through animation, allowing students to visualise different time periods, cultures, and perspectives.

Addressing Diverse Learning Needs

One of the most significant advantages of educational animations is their capacity to support diverse learning needs:
Various Learning Styles: Animations naturally accommodate visual learners while typically incorporating narration that supports auditory processing, creating a multi-sensory experience that addresses multiple learning preferences simultaneously.
Special Educational Needs: For students with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, ADHD, or autism spectrum disorders, animations can present information in ways that circumvent traditional barriers to learning.
Language and Cultural Differences: In increasingly diverse classrooms, animations can transcend language barriers, communicating concepts visually while supporting language acquisition for non-native speakers.

LearningMole: Setting the Standard for Educational Animations

Among the organisations leading innovation in educational animations, LearningMole has established itself as a pioneering platform providing comprehensive resources for schools and teachers. Founded by former teacher Michelle Connolly, LearningMole offers curriculum-aligned animations that support teaching and learning across primary and secondary education.
What distinguishes LearningMole’s approach is the pedagogical foundation underlying their animation resources. Each animation begins with specific learning objectives derived from curriculum standards, ensuring that engaging visuals serve genuine educational purposes rather than merely entertaining.
“Our development process always starts with clear learning objectives,” explains Connolly. “The animation itself is simply the vehicle for delivering understanding in the most effective way possible.”
LearningMole’s platform provides teachers with complete instructional packages that include pre-viewing activities, discussion prompts, and follow-up tasks designed to maximise learning outcomes. This comprehensive approach recognises that effective animation integration requires thoughtful pedagogical framing.
For UK schools operating with increasingly constrained budgets, LearningMole’s resources represent a cost-effective solution that enhances teaching effectiveness while reducing teacher workload. The platform’s subscription model provides access to hundreds of curriculum-aligned animations at a fraction of the cost of developing similar resources independently.

The Business Case for Educational Animations

For organisations considering investment in educational animations, the business case extends beyond learning outcomes to include compelling financial and operational benefits:

Return on Investment

The financial case for educational animations is increasingly well-documented:
Reduced Training Time: Businesses implementing animation-based training report 28-47% reductions in time required for employee proficiency, translating directly to cost savings and faster deployment of skilled personnel.
Improved Compliance: Companies using animations for compliance training report 31% fewer compliance violations compared to those using traditional methods, reducing risk exposure and associated costs.
Enhanced Retention: Improved information retention means less need for refresher training, with studies indicating that animation-based training reduces the frequency of required refresher sessions by approximately 35%.
Scalability: Once developed, animations can be deployed to unlimited users with no additional cost per learner, making them particularly cost-effective for large organisations or those with distributed workforces.

Operational Advantages

Beyond direct financial returns, animations offer operational benefits that contribute to organisational effectiveness:
Consistency: Animations ensure that every learner receives identical information presented in the same way, eliminating the variability that often occurs with instructor-led training.
Accessibility: Animation resources can be accessed anytime, anywhere, allowing for flexible, self-paced learning that accommodates diverse work schedules and locations.
Updating Efficiency: When procedures or information change, animations can be updated centrally and immediately deployed across the organisation, ensuring all employees promptly receive accurate information.
Analytics Integration: Modern animation platforms incorporate robust analytics that provide detailed insights into learner engagement and comprehension, allowing for continuous improvement of training effectiveness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-3eArinB7E

Implementation Best Practices

For organisations seeking to leverage educational animations effectively, several best practices have emerged:

Strategic Content Selection

Not all content benefits equally from animation. Organisations achieve optimal results by prioritising animation development for:
Complex Processes: Procedures involving multiple steps or interactions between various components benefit significantly from visual representation.
Abstract Concepts: Theoretical or conceptual information becomes more accessible when visualised through animation.
High-Risk Procedures: Tasks where errors could have significant consequences are excellent candidates for animation-based training that demonstrates proper execution.
Frequently Referenced Information: Content that employees or learners will need to access repeatedly benefits from memorable visual presentation that enhances recall.

Quality Considerations

The effectiveness of educational animations depends largely on their quality, with several key factors influencing outcomes:
Pedagogical Foundation: Effective animations begin with clear learning objectives and are designed to address specific knowledge gaps or skill requirements.
Visual Clarity: Animations should maintain visual simplicity that focuses attention on key information rather than overwhelming viewers with excessive detail.
Appropriate Pacing: Effective educational animations maintain pacing that allows cognitive processing, with strategic pauses that give viewers time to absorb complex information.
Professional Narration: Quality voiceover that maintains clarity, appropriate pacing, and engagement significantly enhances animation effectiveness.
Duration Optimisation: Research indicates that educational animations achieve optimal effectiveness when segmented into modules of 3-7 minutes, allowing for focused attention and preventing cognitive overload.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28apWGxljpo

Emerging Trends: The Future of Educational Animations

As technology continues advancing, several trends are reshaping the landscape of educational animations in both corporate and academic contexts:

Interactive Animations

The boundary between passive viewing and active participation continues to blur as educational animations increasingly incorporate interactive elements. These features allow learners to influence outcomes, make choices, and engage directly with content.
Next-generation animations respond to learner input, adapting scenarios based on decisions and providing personalised feedback. This interactivity reflects the active learning approaches increasingly valued in contemporary education and training.

Augmented and Virtual Reality Integration

The integration of educational animations with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) represents a particularly exciting frontier. These technologies allow learners to interact with animated educational content in three-dimensional space, creating immersive learning experiences.
In corporate settings, employees might practice complex procedures in simulated environments that provide real-time feedback without real-world consequences for mistakes. This approach proves particularly valuable for high-risk operations where errors could have significant safety or financial implications.

Adaptive Learning Systems

Perhaps the most significant emerging trend is the integration of educational animations into adaptive learning systems that personalise content based on individual learning progress and needs. These sophisticated systems track learner interactions and adjust content delivery accordingly.
“The future lies in responsive animation systems,” notes Connolly. “If a learner struggles with a particular concept, the system might show an alternative animation approaching the topic differently or provide additional visual explanations targeting that specific area of difficulty.”
While fully adaptive systems remain in development, organisations like LearningMole and Educational Voice are already implementing elements of this approach, creating branching animation pathways that address common misconceptions and provide additional support where learners typically struggle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTQKy19e2OQ

AI-Driven Development

Artificial intelligence technologies are beginning to influence educational animation development, potentially transforming production processes that have traditionally been time-intensive and costly:
Automated Storyboarding: AI tools can generate initial storyboards based on script input, accelerating the pre-production process.
Voice Synthesis: Advanced text-to-speech technology is approaching human-quality narration, potentially reducing production costs and enabling easier updates.
Personalisation Algorithms: AI systems analyse learner interactions to identify optimal animation approaches for different content types and learner profiles.
Content Generation: Emerging technologies show promise for generating basic animations from text descriptions, though human refinement remains essential for quality assurance.

The Business Imperative of Visual Learning

As UK businesses navigate an increasingly competitive global landscape, the strategic adoption of educational animations represents not merely a technological upgrade but a fundamental enhancement to how organisations develop their most valuable asset—human capital.
For educational institutions, animations offer evidence-based tools that improve learning outcomes while addressing the diverse needs of modern student populations. Platforms like LearningMole provide ready access to these resources, enabling schools to implement visual learning approaches without prohibitive development costs.
In corporate environments, animation resources deliver measurable improvements in training effectiveness, knowledge retention, and operational efficiency. Specialised providers like Educational Voice help businesses transform complex information into accessible visual narratives that drive genuine understanding and behaviour change.
What unites these applications is a recognition that visual learning aligns with human cognitive architecture in ways that traditional text-based approaches cannot match. By leveraging this alignment, organisations create conditions optimised for knowledge transfer and skill development.
As technology continues advancing, educational animations will likely become even more sophisticated, interactive, and personalised. Organisations that embrace these tools now position themselves at the forefront of a transformation in how knowledge is conveyed and skills are developed—a transformation that promises significant competitive advantages in an increasingly knowledge-driven economy.