Simulations as Learning Tools

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Simulations as Learning Tools

• Virtual Reality and
• Serious Games
• John Heckman, Director
• Johnson Simulation Center

Pine TechnicalCollege
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The Johnson Simulation Center

• Established January, 2000
• Pine Technical College and MnSCU
• Professional staff, producing simulations
• Collaborative Service Center Education,
  Business, Government
• Mission Enable and support computer simulation
  to improve education and training

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Session Overview

• Simulation Basics
• VR and Serious Games
• Development Process
• Demonstrations and Examples
• Q A

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Simulation makes sense ...

• When
• Difficult, dangerous, or expensive
• Practice improves performance
• Complex concepts and systems
• Training younger workers
• Physical/perceptual skills (consider VR)?
• Soft skills (consider serious games)?

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Definitions

• Simulation Modeled environment or system to
  provide safe and effective practice of important
  skills
• Game Goals, rules, challenge, interaction
• Serious Game engaging action, learning content,
  soft skills, and reward for correct behavior

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Definitions

• Virtual Reality Focus on performing tasks in a
  realistic virtual environment
• User Interface How users see and take action in
  the simulated environment.
• User Experience What users notice, think, and
  feel during the simulation

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Definitions

• Gameplay What can players/users do?
• Rules player goals, rights, abilities,
  responsibilities, assessment
• Requires skills, strategy, and/or chance
• General Information
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serious_game

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Why Simulate for Training?

• Safety Learn without real hazards
• Fast Learning Engaging, effective
• Repeatable Consistent best practices
• Low/zero training costs for
• Materials
• Production equipment
• Supervision/trainer

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Virtual Reality

• Modeled environment looks/feels real
• Often involves specialized equipment
• HMD
• Motion tracking
• Haptics
• Physical/perceptual training focus

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Virtual Reality Spray Paint

• Automotive refinish
• Production line
• Trade shows

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Virtual Reality QA Training

• Possis Medical, Catheter Tray
• Progress Casting, Cylinder Head
• Hearth Tech, Valve Burner Unit

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Why Serious Games?

• Present dilemmas
• Entice exploration
• Encourage practice
• Provide context
• (not an exhaustive list)?

• Develop deeper understanding
• Motivate further study
• Change attitudes

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Serious Game Simulations

• Completed Projects
• Behind the Message, Journalism Game
• Iowa National Guard Painter Game
• BioLab
• In Production
• Nursing Assistant
• Corrosion Prevention
• Math Game
• Guatemala

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Simulation Development

• Bright idea/Training need
• Initial concept
• Design specification
• Project partners
• Learning/training objectives
• Target audience
• Budget
• Time frames

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Game Planning

• Target Audience
• Serious Content
• Project Partners
• User Interface
• Budget Funding
• Scheduling
• Nice Creative Brief article and format
  http//www.gamecareerguide.com/features/310/proven
  _preliminary_planning_.php?page4

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Target Audience

• Answer these questions
• Who are the learners?
• What is their computer skill level?
• What is their subject skill level?
• How will you get the simulation to them?
• What kind of computer will they use?
• When/where will they learn?

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Serious Content

• Learning Objectives
• What will the player learn?
• How to Write Great Learning Objectives
• http//www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art3_4.htm
• You set the context and rules
• Assessment
• How will you measure performance?
• Proof of Learning Assessment in Serious Games
• http//www.gamasutra.com/features/20051019/chen_01
  .shtml

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The Simulation Story

• How will you present information?
• Storyboarding, Script writing, Decision tree
• Environmental cues
• A good article on Storytelling http//www.gamasutr
  a.com/features/19990416/level_design_04.htm
• Scholarly paper on Storyboard Development
  http//www.sjsu.edu/depts/it/edit235/lectures/lect
  ure5/storyboard2.pdf
• Video Production 101
• http//www.sotherden.com/video101/storyboard.
  htm
• Tree Structure Example
• http//seanmichaelragan.com/html/5B2008-03-075D_
  Choose_Your_Own_Adventure_book_as_directed_graph.s
  html

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Scene Descriptions

• What does the user see in this scene?
• What can the user do in this scene?
• Navigate around?
• Clickable objects?
• What happens then?
• Scoring/assessment implications?
• Leave this scene for another?
• Which scene next?
• Exit conditions?

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Project Partners

• Who will perform these functions?
• Subject Matter Expert
• Curriculum Design
• Art, Graphic Design, and Sound
• Logic and Programming
• Game Play Design
• Production
• Funding and Management

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User Interface

• How does the user see, navigate in, and interact
  with the game world?
• Controls
• Visual cues, perspective
• Status/Feedback
• Applying Game Design to Virtual Environments
• http//www.gamasutra.com/features/19980101/virtual
  _environments_01.htm

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Budget Schedule Development

• MN Common Grant Application http//www.mcf.org/MCF
  /grant/applicat.htm
• A Bunch of Game Design Documents
• http//www.gamedev.net/reference/list.asp?categor
  yid23 (See especially Chris
  Taylor's Design Document Template)?

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Putting it All Together

• Merging design, schedule, and budgets
• Pick any two Fast, Good, Cheap
• Assessing your efforts
• Playtest
• Test regularly during development
• More playtesters is better
• Other subject matter experts
• Watch their play What works, what doesnt
• Principles of Playtesting
• http//rinku.livejournal.com/1200653.html

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Johnson Simulation Center

• Mission Enable and support computer simulation
  for education and training.
• More info at www.johnsonsimcenter.com
• Or contact
• John Heckman, Director
• Heckmanj_at_pinetech.edu
• 320-629-5143