The children were all linked to a common system that meant they were in communication with each other in the simulated world as well as in the normal way in the real world, and what they heard and saw responded to what they did as individuals and together as a team. In addition to the outdoor experience, there was an indoor 'den' equipped with an interactive whiteboard that could represent the simulated savannah; information could be collected in the outdoor world and then reviewed and discussed back in the den.
The main challenge for the ' lions' was how to survive in the savannah. They encountered threats (such as elephants, bush fires and humans) that they had to avoid; they needed to collaborate as a pack when hunting other animals for food; they had cubs to protect, territory to mark and resources such as shade and water to find.
They had to balance the costs and returns of various activities such as running, attacking and sleeping, and adapt their behaviour to maintain their energy levels.
The simulation built on real-world knowledge provided by the BBC Natural History Unit, and was made as accurate as possible within the constraints of the technology.
You may already be familiar with the use of games in learning- related research. What is of particular interest here is how rich physical activity could be woven into the interactive experience; sound, sight and movement enabled a complex experience to be built up, creating high levels of enthusiasm and engagement. When running away from an elephant, the children were really running, and if they wanted to collaborate they had to move themselves on the playing field, not just move avatars on a screen.