The document discusses new technologies for e-learning including web 2.0 tools, virtual 3D worlds, and serious games/immersive simulations. It provides examples of each technology and notes their benefits such as enabling user-generated content, rich collaboration environments, and using games to practice skills. The document advocates starting small with these new technologies and focusing on measurable outcomes and strategic roadmaps.

1. Kevin Corti, Founder & CEO PIXELearning European Training & Development Summit 18 th June 2008, Prague. Navigating through the cloud - THE FUTURE OF E-LEARNING & TECHNOLOGIES

2. “ A tag cloud is a set of related tags with corresponding weights. Typical tag clouds have between 30 and 150 tags. The weights are represented using font sizes or other visual clues”. - www.wikipedia.org Why ‘cloud’?

3. Objectives: What new technologies offer benefits? How do we start to use them?

4. What is in the ‘cloud’? Many names & terms Masses of technologies Confusion about how to apply it Numerous opportunities Achievable organisational benefits Learn from other industries who have done the hard work already!

5. Personal introduction Founder & CEO, PIXELearning Board member of IDM & ANGILS Steering committee - WM Serious about game, Digital Central Elearning Guild, Elearning Network, NASAGA etc etc Frequent speaker/writer on ‘serious games’ in UK, EU and US Based at The Serious Games Institute, UK Sold, designed & delivered over 40 game/sim projects [email_address] // [email_address] Web: www.pixelearning.com // www.kevincorti.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kevincorti Blog: http://theevilnumber27.wordpress.com

6. The E-Learning Guild 360 Research report, March 2008, “Immersive Learning Simulations”. www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com

7. Personal introduction 2002 (aged 32) Found & bought a house Banked online Bought FMCG’s to financial products Keep in touch with 100’s friends Managed remote teams Collaborate with overseas clients Bought a motorbike (and learned how to fix it) Fought virtual battles with hundreds of people Informally learned technology & business skills Research Masters thesis Conducted auctions …… .and the list goes on … .but I never ONCE chose to use an eLearning course 1977 (aged 7) Dad bought Atari … .spent time & money playing entertainment software

8. The internet is my primary source of information… Self-guided, informal learning, peer support, mentoring, coaching, expertise, sharing, - the web is already doing it…the training industry needs to enter the 21 st century!

9. “ The kids are doing it” “ It’s the in thing” “ It’s the way that they communicate” “ We need to make it fun” “ We need to make it like a game” “ The competition have done it”

10. The workforce is changing Generation Y refers to a specific cohort of individuals born from 1977 to 2001. "Generation Y" alludes to a succession from Generation X, a term which was made popular by the Canadian fiction writer Douglas Coupland in 1991. www.wikipedia.org 97% own a computer 94% own a cell phone 76% use Instant Messaging. 15% logged onto IM 24 hours a day 34% websites are their primary news source 28% author a blog and 44% read blogs 49% download music using P2P file sharing 75% of college students have a Facebook a/c 60% own an iPod/MP3 player Reynol Junco and Jeanna Mastrodicasa (2007)

11. Generation Y 38% of (US) population Grow up with technology - most technically aware generation in history The first generation to know more about critically important technology than our parents...or any of our managers We adapt well to changes...we were born into a world that is constantly changing. Older people fear change...we say "bring it on!" You call it 'multi tasking'...we call it 'normal' THOUGHT: The oldest will soon by your middle managers, the youngest will enter the workforce within 8 years

12. Productivity tools or wasteful distractions? Email Web browsing Web conferencing / collaborative workspaces Podcasting RSS Instant Messaging (e.g. MSN, Yahoo IM) Wikis Blogs Peer to peer / file sharing applications Social networks 3D virtual worlds Simulations Serious games

13. Web 1.0 1 to many Receive / read Publications Content Information User Keyword search Push Static Tell Disseminate Web 2.0 Many to many Create / use Services Applications Knowledge Author Semantic search Pull Dynamic Do Participate “ There is an upgrade available for the WWW”

14. www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com Why should we be interested? If you are a progressive ID/trainer… Engage Immerse Make learning fun Encourage creativity Reach out to the ‘hard to reach’ Target the ‘PlayStation generation’ Because the kids are doing it Because it is cool

15. www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com Why should we be interested? If you are a CxO…. Increase revenues Improve margins Enhance balance sheet Increase share price Facts: Applying new technologies CAN achieve this You WILL make mistakes along the way

16. Categorising this ‘New Technology” [1] Web 2.0 tools for eLearning 2.0 [2] Virtual 3D Worlds [3] Serious games / immersive learning simulations

17. www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com Distilling it down [1] Web 2.0 tools for eLearning 2.0 Search, remix, create, publish, share, connect, collaborate, network, review, recommend…

18. www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com What is hiding in the cloud?

26. www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com ‘ Key takeaways’ - Web 2.0 for EL2.0 Start with Blogs & Wikis - user generated content & social networking Usually cheap/free Align to your business Learn from other industries Small steps + big vision (roadmap) Involve & trust users, take some risks & learn from mistakes

27. www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com [2] Virtual (3D) Worlds explore, meet, chat, follow, discuss, observe, find, build, design, collaborate, serendipity…

28. Immersive, virtual collaboration spaces Visual representation of persistent, rich environment Fully-realized 3D, intuitive world Permits experiences impractical or impossible in real world Observe or do, as many times as needed, in low-risk “sandbox” environment Avatars User-customizable Emotional and “tactile” Real-time interaction with others Co-creation Informal learning Social networking The next phase of Internet revolution?? (Suggested by IBM CEO Sam Palmisano, Fortune , 2/23/2007) Characteristics of 3D Virtual Worlds

34. “ Businesses looking to put down stakes in virtual worlds should note that a new generation is growing up with virtual worlds as a natural extension of their real-life existence, not as a mere novelty.” - Virtual Worlds: A Business Case, O’Reilly Radar Report. A virtual world is an online arena that looks and behaves very much like the real world….in which….avatars (are) controlled by real people, and in which a gamut of typical human social interactions occur.

35. Qwaq Forums 3D virtual environments for realtime collaboration and conferencing. includes built-in voice communication and text chat, as well as the ability for users to share existing applications. designed for business computers “ WebEx on steroids”

36. Forterra Olive Focus on: Military/Government Healthcare Corporate training

37. ProtoSphere Targeted for corporate learning (e.g., inappropriate avatars not allowed, has language control) Combines elements of simulations, gaming, authoring tools and online meetings in an immersive, 3-D environment. Security features most likely meets corporate standards (TBD) Content created through tools

38. Challenges… Impropriety - workplace sensitivity and harassment issues Terminology/concepts are alien to senior execs Insufficient security - deployment of sensitive information Compliance to corporate standards Marketing bias rather than learning Tech issues – downtime due to exponential growth VOIP availability Hard to navigate Hard to find content

39. www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com ‘ Key takeaways’ – Virtual 3D Worlds Start with general platform then experiment with business focussed alternatives Start with easiest areas (recruitment, induction, orientation, team building?) Align to your business Learn from early adopters Small steps + big vision (roadmap)

40. www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com [3] Serious games / immersive sims practice, learn by doing, experience, challenge, problem spaces, compete, apply, perform, assess, game the skill…

41. Provide opportunities for meaningful (and repeat) practice – “game the skill” Focus on high order cognitive activity / skills rather than ‘information dissemination’ Provide realistic, transferrable ‘virtual experience’ Experiential, problem/task-based (adult learning theory) Engage and actively involve learners rather than ‘passive reception’ Strong ROI – proven performance, productivity and quality improvement Why use games & simulations?

42. Serious Games and sims Games as ‘problem spaces’ Intrinsic reward from solving the problem. Objectives, assess, strategise, tactics, enact, lead, manage resources, feedback, review, modify…. Sound familiar? Sound useful? www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com

43. Basically….. Is there a process , environment or system that can be conceptually and/or visually modelled and from which relevant and meaningful scenarios created? When is a Serious Games appropriate? www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com

46. An opportunity to experience something from another person’s perspective. Serious Games and sims www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com

48. Unemployed Teacher Retired Security Guard Detailed design {characters} User responses indicated common perceptions (e.g. tendency to judge based on how a person looks) and were thus used to assign in-game roles

49. Costs for Classroom Training vs. Serious Game Solution Assumes average costs/employee for classroom training at $200 (does not include lost time and productivity) 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. Business Needs Identification {Cost/ROI}

50. That Word ‘ Game ’ … “ A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet, but would a game by some other name sell to the executive suite?” - Jeff Johannigman

51. A Four Letter Word?

52. Quick, Easy, Good?

53. Why use a ‘platform’? Serious games require, training, instructional, game, simulation, 2D & 3D graphic, multimedia and software application and database design AND subject matter expertise…. Expensive, time-consuming and high risk

54. The bottom line #2 When a platform is used as the foundations for a solution then focus moves from generic needs to specific addressable organizational needs. If organizations approach game/simulations with a platform: Costs are more affordable (license + custom works) Project time is reduced (2 to 4 months) Easy opportunities for future adaption Solutions lifespan is elongated (good ROCE) Client and vendor stress levels are reduced Risks of failure minimized Solutions portfolio based on consistency/standards Why use a ‘platform’?

55. www.pixelearning.com || info@pixelearning.com ‘ Key takeaways’ – Serious Games / simulations Don’t get hung up on semantics Start with small discreet ‘nuggets’ Focus on easy wins (less complex, generic topics) Measure, measure, measure Outline a strategic roadmap

56. Categorising this ‘New Technology” [1] Web 2.0 tools for eLearning 2.0 >> user generated knowledge / social networks [2] Virtual 3D Worlds >> Rich communities, collaboration [3] Serious games / immersive simulations >> Game the skill, deep learning, realistic

57. Kevin Corti, CEO founder & Chief Learning Architect [email_address] Company web: www.pixelearning.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kevincorti Blog: http://theevilnumber27.wordpress.com +44 (0) 24 7623 6971