Devlearn Session 514

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!


Virtual experience Real world application

“VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE”


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


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


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


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


Small projects/discreet ‘jolts’


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


Keep asking; What? Why? When? How? & Who?

Outputs:

•RFI/RFP,•IT guidelines•Audience/instructional objectives •Articulate concepts•Budget •Outline project plan•Success criteria!!!



•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



•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?



• 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



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




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



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



Internal marketing

Viral tools (mini-games?)

‘Coming soon’ videos

Posters in water cooler area

Competitions / high score charts

Identify internal advocates



‘Dummies guides’ (PDF)

Intro video (quick captivates)

Facilitator guides – remove barriers/empower key people

Email support

Telephone support?



“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?



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



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

[email protected]

Richard Smith,

Sales [email protected]

Company web: www.pixelearning.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/richardsmithuk

+44 (0) 24 7623 6971