Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds Strategies for Online Instruction

by Aldrich, Clark

• ISBN13: 9780470438343
• ISBN10: 0470438347
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-09-22
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

Higher education institutions are increasingly delivering content online, but the content is often not sufficiently engaging. Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds provides a simple and practical guide to identifying when and what kind of games, simulations, and virtual environments should be used, how to get them, how to deploy them, and how to measure their effectiveness. Using frameworks, tips, case studies, real examples, and resources, this cutting-edge tool will help faculty members and instructional designers comfortably use games, simulations, and virtual environments to enhance learning.

Author Biography

The Author

Clark Aldrich, a popular conference speaker, columnist, and analyst, is the designer and implementer of educational simulations including SimuLearn's vLeader 2007, a virtual leadership e-learning platform. He is the author of two award-winning books, Simulations and the Future of Learning and Learning by Doing, as well as The Complete Guide to Simulations and Serious Games, all from Pfeiffer.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
The Author	p. x
What Are Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds Really, and Why Should I Care?
Understanding Highly Interactive Virtual Environments	p. 3
Do Highly Interactive Virtual Environments Work Better?	p. 4
The "Why"	p. 5
Clarifying What We Mean by Highly Interactive Virtual Environments	p. 6
Embracing Interactivity	p. 15
Interactivity Levels 0 through 6	p. 16
Interactivity Levels and Leadership Models	p. 19
Sims: A New Model of Content	p. 21
Simulation Elements	p. 22
Game Elements	p. 23
Pedagogical Elements	p. 25
Tasks and Levels	p. 27
Genres of Stand-Alone Sims	p. 29
Four Concluding Thoughts	p. 37
Highly Interactive Content from the Students' and the Instructor's Perspective	p. 39
Different Culture, Different Rules	p. 39
Learning to Love Frustration and Anticipate Resolution	p. 40
When the Most Valuable Thing for a Coach to Do Is Nothing	p. 42
Choosing and Using a Highly Interactive Virtual Environment
Identifying the Right Approach for the Right Need	p. 47
Why Use Distance Learning Programs at All?	p. 48
When to Use Highly Interactive Content	p. 49
Costs Associated with HIVEs	p. 53
Doing the Prep Work	p. 55
Connect with Other Interested Professionals	p. 55
Access the Content	p. 55
Infrastructure Selection Criteria	p. 63
Content Selection Criteria	p. 66
Self-Paced/Single Player, Asynchronous, or Synchronous	p. 69
Trust	p. 71
Might Virtual Worlds Be the Universal Interface to (Other) Sims?	p. 71
Integrating and Piloting	p. 75
Technical Support for Students	p. 75
Chunking Content	p. 76
Piloting	p. 81
Conclusion: The Need for Front Loading	p. 83
A Brief Example of a Simulation Deployment	p. 85
Peter Shea's Sim for Writing	p. 85
Online versus Face to Face	p. 87
Students as Real-Time Evaluators of Sims?	p. 88
The Processes of Using a HIVE and the Role of Coaching	p. 89
The Setup	p. 89
On Ramp: From Real Life to Simulation	p. 92
Teaching the Interface	p. 93
First Public Simulation Play	p. 93
Putting Together Groups for Multiplayer or Team-Based Sims	p. 95
Coaching during the Student Use	p. 97
After Action Reviews	p. 99
Off Ramp: From Simulation Back to Real Life	p. 101
Into the Breach	p. 102
Creating Evaluation Strategies	p. 103
Why Not Measure Experience with a Multiple-Choice Test?	p. 103
Assessment Strategies	p. 105
Assessment Techniques for Grading Student Performance	p. 107
Conclusion	p. 111
Other Considerations
Selling Interactive Environments Internally-Getting Buy In from Administrators, Department Heads, Colleagues, Parents, and even Students	p. 115
Building Support for HIVEs	p. 116
What Does Success Look Like for You?	p. 120
Epilogue: The New Attraction of Distance Learning	p. 121
References	p. 123
Index	p. 125
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