Elearning - June/July 2008 - (Page 11) Tips for Introducing Virtual Worlds Early adopters are often lonely in their enthusiasm and overwhelmed by the considerable marketing needed to convince corporate decision-makers that a new technology is worth the investment. Brandon Hall Research offers four tips to help convince your training department to use virtual worlds for learning: >> Avoid Live Demonstrations. While real-time demonstrations of virtual worlds can be done, it becomes too easy to lose focus while presenting and demonstrating at the same time. To ensure effective communication, you could initially show a digital video of the immersive environment, called a machinima. Most virtual world companies provide these for free. >> Conduct a Formative Evaluation. At the beginning of the presentation, ask if anyone in the group has used an immersive environment before (formative research) and discover if the experience was positive or negative. Interact with these people throughout the presentation; with some minor encouragement, they could quickly become champions of your cause. >> Take Advantage of Visuals. Using many visuals, such as screen shots and small videos, will help your audience see the 3-D environment and recognize the learning possibilities. Make sure you show corporate-looking screen shots — for instance, a boardroom setting — so your future champions mentally connect immersive environments with corporate training. These visuals also serve as a backup in case the technology fails to work. Brandon Hall has published four reports about using virtual worlds for learning, including “Virtual Worlds for Learning: Tips to Help Convince Your Training Department to Use Immersive Environments.” For more information, visit the Website http://www.brandonhall.com/publications/15jan8.shtml. 1000+ Attend Virtual Trade Show On May 8, more than 1000 executives attended Elearning! magazine’s first Elearning! Summit virtual conference and trade show. “The participation level was phenomenal, and an indication that executives need event options that are flexible, comprehensive, participative and available from their desktops,” says Elearning! publisher and event host Catherine Upton, who also notes that companies save 1000 pounds of CO2 emissions by attending a virtual event rather than a real such event. The typical visitor stayed in the event two hours and visited most of the booths. Exhibiting companies reported up to 1,115 visitors during the live session, more than 550 downloads, 317 products viewed and 194 Web links engaged. “We had three sales representatives working the booth simultaneously, from across the country. By the end of the event day, we had well qualified sales prospects … which could result in a more then ten fold return on our initial investment,” reported Todd Nelson, Director of Marketing, Blackboard Inc. The May event is available on-demand for free at www.elearning.b2bmediaco.com through August 7. To register for the second Elearning! Summit Nov. 6-7, visit www.elearning.b2bmediaco.com. Companies that wish to present or sponsor an upcoming Summit can telephone (888) 201-2841 x844 or e-mail sales@b2bmediaco.com. People on the Move subsidiary based in India. DYKNOW, a leader in interactive education technology, named its 2008 Advisory Board. They are: Dr. Charles Bostian of VPI-SU; Debbie Rice of Auburn (Ala.) City Schools; Elizabeth Helfant of St. Louis, Mo.; Kimberly Henninger of St. Ursula Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio; Dr. Julia Williams of the RoseHulman Institute of Technology; and Dr. Vince DiStatsi of Grove City (Pa.) College. NETOP TECH, Inc., and NetOp Tech, Ltd., fully owned subsidiaries of Danish IT company Danware A/S, has named David Auwarter education sales manager in the United States and Peter Claxton education business development manager in the United Kingdom. Auwarter and Claxton have more than 40 years combined experience in the software market and specifically in the education segment. They will provide marketing, sales and service support to customers and partners in the U.S. and U.K. AVILAR, INC. has a new CEO: Thomas Grobicki, who reportedly possesses the ability to lead the company in its quest to increase its market share in Web-based competency management and e-learning solutions. Grobicki was a founding partner of the company in 1997 and served as its chief technology officer prior to becoming the new CEO. He is also the principal architect and designer of Avilar’s complete line of software products for human capital management and training. TOTAL LEARNING Concepts, upon its move from Boston to Lawrenceville, N.J., hired Stephen Cheng as manager of graphics design; Stacey Nelson as manager of creative services; Shravanthi Anrnreddy as senior accountant; and Joe Biondo as e-learning project manager. Total Learning Concepts is a Publicis Healthcare Communications Group company. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS of Adayana, a global performance-solutions company based in Minneapolis, Minn., has named Mike Jackson president and chief executive officer. Jackson is the founder and head of Indianapolis-based ABG, Inc., which was acquired by Adayana in 2005. He succeeds Adayana founder Rajiv Tandon as Chief Executive. Tandon remains Chairman of the Board and head of Adayana Learning Services, an Adayana Elearning! June/July 2008 11 http://www.elearning.b2bmediaco.com http://www.elearning.b2bmediaco.com http://www.brandonhall.com/publications/15jan8.shtml http://www.brandonhall.com/publications/15jan8.shtml
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