I've been trying to understand better where simulation fits within the skills development process and whether simulation is the only/best option available to trainers and/or learners. Simulation seems to me to sit somewhere between the observation of expert performance and trying out those skills for yoursef on the job, however well supported. To be effective, simulations need to My diagram shows a stepped transition from the abstract/theoretical/2D to the live application of the skill in a concrete/practical/3D environment. From a learning and development perspective,

I wrote this article for Innovate magazine a few months ago, to coincide with the release of Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds . They sense an overlap between virtual worlds, games, and simulations, and yet they know that one is not synonymous with the other. The three often look similar; they all typically take place in three-dimensional worlds that are While pieces have have been excerpted, many have asked for the complete article, which I am reprinting here. Many practitioners have been struck by a paradox.

Recently, a number of individuals have inquired about resources for virtual world research. Journal of Virtual World Research --Great resource. This journal has freely available PDF articles describing the vast amount of work being done in virtual worlds. Recently, the journal featured Here are some valuable links. Please add your own resources in the comments.

Karl Kapp, professor, author and speaker, understands the value of games and simulations in learning. In this two-part interview, Karl covers everything from video games to virtual 3D worlds, their cognitive advantages and future trends in online learning. Coach: How did you become an evangelist for learning through games, simulations and gadgets? Karl: Well, I’m not sure I am an evangelist, I don’t think of myself that way. But, in terms of my interest in games, gadgets and simulations, it really started by observing my two sons.

Clark Aldrichs Style Guide for Serious Games and Simulations Notes from an Analyst and Simulation Designer for Hire Email Clark costs for simulation The cost that organizations have to spend to access an educational simulation , either by commissioning custom simulations or licensing skip to main | skip to sidebar 24.3.07

Here are some thoughts on the peeling away of the "post-literacy" onion. 2009: Understanding and Procuring forms of Highly Interactive Virtual Environments Organizations will continue to explore their understanding of Highly Interactive Virtual Environments . They will seek to resolve the differences in structure, use, best practices, and metrics between virtual worlds , serious game , and educational simulations . Across my own client base, there are increasing questions about how the next five or so years will play out. More organizations will purchase

Chuck Hamilton presented on his (IBM’s) take on affordances on virtual worlds. I start with what I think are the core affordances of virtual worlds, that there’s a 3D world, that you can visit, and that’s digital.  From there, I see that you can enable others to be there (social), you can enable action (agency), the world can be kept around (persistent), and it can be made accessible broadly (e.g. I recently attended the 3DTLC conference, as I reported before .  Given that I’ve opined before , I asked for more detail on their take, and

Caspian Learning has produced a useful taxonomy of immersive learning simulations in their white paper Serious Games in Defence Education (Word or PDF, 4MB). Caspian's own sims fit this category. Branching story sims Single player games, in 2D or 3D, in which the 'story' advances on the basis of the user's selections from the options available. Real-time strategy sim Simulation in which the user takes an over-arching strategic role, rather than one of a particular character. Although the paper addresses a single vertical market, the taxonomy is of general interest. Here's a list of the categories in the taxonomy (the descriptions are mine, not theirs): Egocentric performance sims Single player game, where the player takes on the role of a single character in a 3D space.

In This Post: Learn what simulations are and aren’t. Learn best practices in designing and creating sims. Section One – Sims: What and Why A good educational simulation may look a lot like a casual computer game. Students learn what their real-world options are in situations, and a conviction in what are often complex and even indirect strategies that lead to positive results. Understanding where they fit in an organizations’ flow of skills. It may have stylized, fast moving graphics.

Clark Aldrich has produced a great guide to the selection, justification, and development of Highly Interactive Virtual Environments. Serious Games Virtual World Readers will find it useful, whether they are new to design of such applications or highly experienced. ...Tags: Tags: Immersive Learning Instructional Design Learning 2.0