While more than half of American adults now play games on a regular basis (and this holds true for men and women), there are still many cynics. After all, games are still more likely to conjure up images of hyperactive preteen boys wasting hours of their time on front of screens than adults engage in serious work. Nevertheless, there is ample reason to embrace gaming as a serious way to gain new skills. Indeed, today, serious games are rapidly becoming one of the training sector’s most powerful tools. Today’s post outlines why gaming and training increasingly are practices seen to go hand in hand. Continue reading
Gamification
Gamification enables organizations and trainers to use game theory in creating and delivering training content and other mundane organizational activity. Learn about the latest in gamification including its application to training, elearning and education.
Why 3D Games are Finally Gaining Traction
Despite the fact that gamers generally agree that 3D games failed, 3D games are now picking up traction on both the education and training fronts. But why is a gaming innovation generally rejected by hardcore gamers finding a second life with trainers and educators? Today’s post offers an introduction to 3D games and examines what experts in the training and development and education sectors are saying about their potential applications and benefits for learners of all ages.
Can Gaming Push Back Retirement?
As discussed in previous posts, gaming continues to transform workplace training. From pilots to surgeons, video games are increasingly being used to train professionals in a wide range of contexts. While some industries rely on games to simulate actual workplace environments, in other cases, games are being adopted as an innovative and engaging way to deliver training modules. To date, however, much of the focus has been on using games to train younger workers who have grown up playing video games and already intuitively know how to interact with games. There is evidence, however, that games might also hold surprising benefits for older workers.
Gamification, 3D Printing and Wearables in Education
There is nothing new about education evolving to accommodate new information mediums and platform. Despite the initial resistance from a few skeptics, philosophers in ancient Greece quickly recognized that writing was a technology that would ultimately serve rather than undermine their educational mandates. Continue reading
Play at Work: Learning from Commercial Game Design
From the training of surgeons to pilots to educators, video games continue to appear in classrooms and often in lieu of classrooms. But are we ready for this serious play? The idea of using video games for education and training remains difficult for many people to accept. After all, when most people think about video games, the first thing they imagine is a teenager addicted to World of Warcraft. Beyond the negative stereotypes, however, some educational theorists insist that games have much to offer children, teens and adults in educational and training contexts alike. More surprising, however, is that increasingly educators are looking to commercial video game producers for design solutions. Continue reading
Gamify Your Basic Skills Training
You need everyone in your organization to perform at peak levels, and many are surprised to find out the percentage of workers who need basic job skills training. Despite all our efforts, basic skills deficiencies persist among all age groups, which means this is probably affecting your own organization as well. Even mentioning basic skills training, however, is likely to clear a room. Why? Because for the most part it’s perceived as incredibly boring. But what if you could make even basic skills training fun? That’s exactly what gamification is all about. Continue reading
The Essence of Gamification
The Essence of Gamification for E-Learning
photo credit: tedeytan
Game mechanics are employed to engage users, create extended periods of interaction and to reward engagement in order to ensure loyalty. This is the essence of gamification. We encourage you to utilize these game mechanics when you are designing or creating any training or e-learning content applications:
E-Learning Game Day: How to Add Some Fun Games and Activities to Online Training
Adding some fun games and activities to your e-Learning courses are a surefire way to engage and motivate attendees. Engaging and motivating attendees with games, however, involves adding the right games to your online training courses. Use these tips to infuse the activities that are right for your e-Learning training. Continue reading