Gaming/simulation and the Virtual Learning Environment VLE

Pieter van der Hijden (Sofos Consultancy) 38th Annual ISAGA Conference, 9-13 July 2007 Nijmegen, The Netherlands ISAGA 2007 www.sofos.nl

ISAGA 2007 www.sofos.nl

Your presenter

The theme

Virtual Learning Environment becomes central backbone in educational institutes

Implications for serious computer-based games

Presentation

VLE as a world apart

VLE as game management system

VLE as game extension

VLE as game engine (now)

VLE as game engine (future)

ISAGA 2007 www.sofos.nl VLE is the end of a the educational process chain

WHAT IS A GAME?

ISAGA 2007 www.sofos.nl VLE Gaming/Simulations Educational / Gaming Teacher centred Goal is learning (and testing) Student centred Goal is exploring, competing, fun Organisational Hierarchical Cohort based Extension of classroom Network Flexible in time Informal learning Technical Backbone for the whole institute Developing slowly Each game isolated, various platforms Changing rapidly

Administer and enrol students

Organise subgroups

Deliver learning resources and activities (see next slide)

Collect results

Organise gradebook

Start-up

Introduction

Briefing

Micro cycles

Steps-of-play

Mini-critique

Shut-down

Debriefing

Evaluation & follow-up

Picture

VLE’s have intrinsic gaming functions

Branched story games

Flash games (via SCORM)

New functions of VLE’s

Choreography of learning (Learning Design, IMS-LD)

Sequential activities

Parallel activities

Conditional activities

New challenges

Service oriented architecture

ISAGA 2007 www.sofos.nl VLE as… Educational Gaming Organisational Technical A world apart Gaming is strange element Limited use Gaming is disturbing Gaming is disturbing Game management system Gaming gets an educational context Gaming management is improved Gaming is incorporated Games have to follow standards Game extension Interesting new interface Open, unstructured, not always appropriate Depandency of supplier Complex, changing all the time Game engine (now) Ready to use Sometimes appropriate, not very high profile Takes some lecturers time to develop Ready to use Game engine (future) Interesting new world Shifting borders between leraning /gaming acticities Heavy investment in training for lecturers Rebuilding current systems

Using Role-Play Simulations for teaching and Learning - motivation and pedagogy ; powerpoint presentation at SAGANET-seminar; Roni Linser ( www.fablusi.com ), September 27th, 2006, Delft, The Netherlands.

Patterns in game-design ; Staffan Björk, Jussi Holopainen; Charles River Media, 2005.

Putting a Second Life “Metaverse” skin on learning management systems ; Jeremy Kemp, Daniel Livingstone ( www.sloodle.com ).

Learning Design; a handbook on modelling and delivering networked education and training ; Rob Koper, ColinTattersall (eds.); Springer, 2005.

On the Development of Asynchronous Workflow-based Group Simulations ; Pieter van der Hijden ( www.sofos.nl ); Paper presented at the ISAGA05 Conference in Atlanta, USA; June 27th - July 4th 2005.

Pieter van der Hijden ( [email_address] ) Sofos Consultancy ( www.sofos.nl ) ISAGA 2007 www.sofos.nl