LEEF 2009 Learning Workshops

Although the value of simulations has been well documented, there is a perception that they are simply too expensive, time consuming and complicated to produce. That may have once been the case, but there are now tools and methodologies available that reduce both the time and cost of design. This session will focus on a methodology to capture knowledge, and articulate it as a scenario-based, complex branching or interactive case study simulation.

The methodology presented will help reduce the complexity for designing and developing simulations and provide a way in which an individual or small team can complete a project once only doable by a multi-faceted simulation design and development team.

Simulation is not a science, it is a way of organizing your thinking and this session will provide the organizing principals for the participants. As part of the workshop session participants will actually apply the methodology to an objective of their own and they will have the opportunity to publish what they have produced to take home with them.

Another challenge in the current environment is that simulations are not considered at the appropriate times because of the perceived design and development resources and cost. Instructional designers and developers who have the expertise to do the authoring often feel they need the programming and media development help in order to get the initiative started and when those resources are not available or there is no budget to outsource it the project does not move forward.

This workshop will enable instructional designers and developers to engage in simulation development activities on their own and provide them with the confidence to execute these kinds of experiential learning activities.

Participants will learn how to:

• Define a need that will benefit from a simulation
• Focus knowledge and expertise into a simulation layout
• Breakdown the learning objective to its core elements so that a Scorecard can be defined
• Articulate a decision tree without blowing their minds
• Execute an approach to drive learning through scenarios, consequences, scorecard and/or narrative feedback

Virtual worlds are providing the opportunity to structure remote learning in engaging, immersive ways. The current virtual world technologies offer a range of capabilities; the session will explore the current state of virtual world technologies and suggested criteria for evaluating platforms, both for technology and learning affordances. Virtual world implications for design are exciting but staggering; learning can now be experiential with live coaching and peer discussion components and conducted in mirror worlds with learners participating via avatars.

This session will provide a vision for the future of learning in virtual worlds, a discussion of the opportunities and challenges of designing in this technology and suggestions for what you can be doing now to prepare for the future.

Session topics will include:

• How will the future of learning look in virtual worlds?
  • Individual experience
  • Enterprise
  • Academia
• What virtual world technologies are currently being used for learning?
  • Public worlds
  • Private worlds
• What criteria can be used to evaluate virtual worlds for learning (ie platform selection)?
  • Technology criteria
  • Learning criteria
• What are implications for designing learning in virtual worlds?
  • Instructional implications
  • Technology implications
  • Learner implications
• What technology advancements should we be anticipating in virtual worlds?
• What can you do NOW to prepare for the future of virtual worlds for learning?

Cell phone video and social media tools have created an explosion of user-generated “how to” resources and casual movies. Learn how to use these tools to create attention-getting, cost effective learning and communication solutions in this session led by RWD Technologies.

This hands-on session will challenge participants to create live action user-directed games. Key elements of storytelling and character development will be reviewed along with guidelines for creating a clear narrative. Game design fundamentals will also be reviewed before groups of attendees are asked to make their own game.

Session topics and activities will include:

• Storytelling to make the journey interesting and fun
• Creating characters that work
• Writing a clear narrative
• Integrating game design into any environment
• Making the game
• Reviewing other game examples
• Integrating the techniques in your workplace
• Accessing resources for help and support