Date post: | 17-Jan-2015 |
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Best practice Guide for Implementing Immersive Learning Simulations
Richard Smith, PIXELearning – Devlearn session 514
Personal introduction
• Sales Director, PIXELearning• Background in IT/telecoms• Established 6 years• Custom services (design & build)• OTS products• International ‘blue chip’ clients• Based at Serious Games Institute• Over 50 game/simulation projects
Topics
Definitions, benefits, examples, costs, timescales & how to sell it
Stages & process – from ‘big idea’ to successful deployment
Cardinal sins – what to avoid
[1]
[2]
[3]
What are we talking about?
“Immersive Learning
Simulations”
“Serious Games”
“VirtualWorlds”
“Games-basedLearning”
“eLearning2.0”?
There are a LOT of terms in play right now.
Easy to get confused (or overwhelmed)!
Focus on what the medium can do…then implement to get results!
Misconceptions
• All military & health• Is very high-tech• Is very costly• Is only for kids/ ‘Gen Y’
“The use of games or gaming dynamics not simply to entertain the player, but rather to inspire a particular action, effect some type of attitudinal/behavioral change, or instill a particular lesson in the service of an organizational goal”.“It’s Time To Take Games Seriously”Forrester report (TJ Keitt and Paul Jackson), August 19, 2008
A definition
QUESTIONS
Who here has used ‘serious games’ or ‘immersive sims’ in your
organisation already?
What was they intended to achieve?
Games/sims for learning
Theory
“Game the skill”
Reflection
PRACTICE
Immersive simulations allow people to experience a scenario or situation in a safe, realistic manner.
Putting theory into practice.
Builds on theory and post-reflection (blend)
ComplexCognitiveactivity
Informationdissemination
Higher-order thinking skills
Immersive simulations focus on higher-order thinking skills.
Think ‘Football Manager’ or ‘Tycoon’ – lots of different information, competing pressures, focus on strategy and decision-making.
Not memorizing facts!
Games/sims for learning
Virtual experience Real world application
“VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE”
Games/sims for learning
Immersive simulations allow users to build up and learn from ‘virtual experience’.
They can then apply this to the real world – transferrable learning!
Problem-basedLearning (goals,
tasks)
ADULT LEARNING
Games/sims for learning
Learning by doing!
Simulations are based on their job role and/or work environment.
Adults like problem-based learning, challenges and clear relevance to work or personal needs.
Passivereception
Active engagement
ENGAGEMENT
Games/sims for learning
Immersive simulations positively encourage user participation.
Moving from “fill the vessel” with facts to….
…empower the user to make decisions and experience meaningful consequences.
Learner-centric experiences!
Peer review
Collaboration
Group support
Added realism
MULTIPLAYER
Games/sims for learning
Multiplayer allows learners to collaborate and compete.
Makes experience very life-like, challenging and engaging.
Peer support + learn from others.
Examples - What others are doing
Examples - What others are doing
Small projects/discreet ‘jolts’
Examples - What others are doing
B2C marketing Discreet topics
Proof of concepts Viral awareness
• Larger projects usually in $50k to $500k range • Smaller projects - $10k to $50k• Marginal/ongoing cost (e.g. hosting/updates) approx 10%
Investment outlay
Longer terms savings come through investments in reusable ‘engines’ – avoids reinventing the wheel.
• Normal range 2 to 6 months• Usually to fit in client budget quarters (3 or 6 months)
Timescales
1 month
2 months
4 months
5 months
6 months
7+ months
3 months
* Based on analysis of PXL projects in 2008/09 FY
Selling it internally
Example project (Financial Services)
Total project cost $750,000 (inc client time)Simulations + F2F programme2,000 users/yearFive year useful life= $75/user
Measured productivity improvement > $10m
ASTD 2008Excellence in Practice
Award Winner
5001,0
002,0
004,0
008,0
00
16,000
32,000
64,000
$0
$2,000,000
$4,000,000
$6,000,000
$8,000,000
$10,000,000
$12,000,000
$14,000,000
Game Solution Classroom
Employees
Cos
ts
Assumes average costs/employee for classroom training at $200
Assumes initial Sim solution investment of $750K and internal variable costs of $2/employee.
Inclusion of lost time and productivity would increase the savings as less time is spent using the serious game than in classroom training.
Costs for Classroom Training vs. Serious Game Solution
Selling it internally
Making it happen (successfully!)
Client:1. Organisational drivers2. Audience3. Subject4. ‘Content’ (expertise)5. Early stage concepts
Time to bring in a vendor or consultant? - could save time, $’s and stress later!
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
Making it happen (successfully!)
Keep asking; What? Why? When? How? & Who?
Outputs:
•RFI/RFP,•IT guidelines•Audience/instructional objectives •Articulate concepts•Budget •Outline project plan•Success criteria!!!
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
Making it happen (successfully!)
•Sponsor / project owner•The ‘vision holder’•The SMEs/curricula experts•The tech guys/LMS guardian•Branding•Compliance•ISDs/training folks•Project Manager•Guinea pigs•Consultant?•Vendor•Measurement
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
Making it happen (successfully!)
•Game/Sim and learning skills?•Technology specialism (e.g. browser)?•Topic specialism? (e.g. compliance)•Genre specialism (e.g. business sims)?•Proven track record•Existing technology/engines?•Existing product?•Comfortable with timescales?•Comfortable with budget?•Team in place?•Pricing model/licensing approach?
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
Making it happen (successfully!)
• Revisit key drivers/objectives with vendor - check all assumptions & decisions again
• Be clear on genre/concept approach + • 2D or 3D? – learning value vs cost
• Define learning, tech, look and feel, genre, sim models in very deep detail
• Design on paper with mock-ups to visualise
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
Making it happen (successfully!)
Key mantra! Building for learners not for gamers
Be clear on development approach – time to do iterative prototypes?
Be clear on what deliverables are (alpha?, beta?)
Build to work, then build pretty
20:80 rule – comes together at end
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
Making it happen (successfully!)
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
Single points of decision/contact
Document & sign-off everything
Ensure project team understand implications of changes – disciplined change management process
Frequent communications + ‘show & tells’
Beware of feature creep
Making it happen (successfully!)
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
Define testing regimes at start
Test logic before coding (RAD tools?)
Test usability e.g. instructions/GUI
Test from learning design standpoint
Test from IT compliance standpoint (inc LMS)
QA – typos, visuals, brand/professional compliance
Making it happen (successfully!)
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
Internal marketing
Viral tools (mini-games?)
‘Coming soon’ videos
Posters in water cooler area
Competitions / high score charts
Identify internal advocates
Making it happen (successfully!)
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
‘Dummies guides’ (PDF)
Intro video (quick captivates)
Facilitator guides – remove barriers/empower key people
Email support
Telephone support?
Making it happen (successfully!)
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
“To LMS or to not LMS”? - Control access vs barrier to entry- Compliance reporting?- Level of data needed for assessment?
Recognize that IT are their to protect the IT infrastructure – TLC required
CD/DVD – are learners always online?
Making it happen (successfully!)
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
Hold a project “post-mortem”
Encourage open and frank feedback from internal and external teams
Document for future use – avoid repeating any mistakes
Create an ideas ‘parking lot’ – stuff that didn’t make it into v1.0
Making it happen (successfully!)
The ‘big idea’Defining itThe project teamVendor selectionDesign itBuild itManage itTest itPre-sell itSupport itDeploy itReview itMeasure it
Refer to original success criteria
‘Happy sheets’ or $savings / $generated?
Use industry standard measurement approaches (Kirkpatrick/Phillips)
Proof needed to justify the next project!
• Avoid ‘decision by committee’ like the plague• Skimping on the design - effective design leads to effective development• Diluting the design - accommodating too many viewpoints creates confusion, waters down the results• Treat sims as ‘content’ – fundamental differences• Changing design during development – project suicide• Failure to communicate – talk/meet regularly, review progress weekly• Don’t allow time for testing – 20% of project at least!
Cardinal sins
Best practice Guide for Implementing Immersive Learning Simulations White paper coming soon!
Richard Smith, PIXELearning – Devlearn session 514
www.pixelearning.comOr
Richard Smith,
Sales [email protected]
Company web: www.pixelearning.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/richardsmithuk
+44 (0) 24 7623 6971