Chief Learning Officer - February 2008 - (Page 40)

tactics Figure 3: Pedagogical Principles for Video Games Clearly defined outcomes: These guide the complex definition of the world, roles, characters and interplay of the learning video game. A challenge-oriented, not error-oriented, approach: The inherent learning science within a video game drives you from your area of accomplishment — operating just on the edge of what you think is possible. Repetition and debrief: Repetition is a well-known pedagogical tool, and video games having the opportunity to make repetition interesting and desirable. Debrief in learning video games occurs during the social interactions of the learners — when they discuss progress or strategies, or generally socialize during and after game play. Deliberate self-monitoring: This is required for player-controlled learning — e.g., how am I progressing, what interactions have I shared with my colleagues, and how is my performance as a whole? Competition and collaboration: These coexist side-by-side in video games (and increasingly in successful organizations dealing with dynamic business environments). The possibility of exceeding peers, even while you may collaborate to assist them, gives new energy to the video game environment. Real-time decision making: Presentation of just-in-time facts or introduction of contrary points of view about a particular decision or condition inside the game that force the learner to think beyond the auto-decision response that so many managers illustrate today. business simulation and thoughtful pedagogical design using video game technology should be considered. A contrast to the run-of-the-mill business simulation is the life simulation, which can employ both individual and multiplayer formats to explore personal interactions and differing character behaviors. Popularized by The Sims series, this type of simulation can be used for corporate learning as a sophisticated character interaction tool within another game genre. 5. Puzzles. This genre can be utilized for learning business procedures, from simple logistics and material handling to more complex tasks, such as customer service in restaurants. For example, Diner Dash, while purely an entertainment game, provides a hint of potential decision-making crises in restaurant service. 6. Platforms. In this format, learners control their characters’ movements from one place to another, exploring the geography of the world. This requires accurate character movement — e.g., timely keystrokes and mouse clicks — to jump to and from “platforms” and other spatial locations. Very much focused on eye-hand coordination, it can serve as tool to navigate and learn new information. This genre can be very engaging but requires a certain level of skill in moving avatars accurately and quickly. Figure 4: Types of Role-Playing Games Adventure games involve setting objectives, or “quests,” that require understanding of increasingly advanced and complex knowledge to complete. This is a good genre for business learning applications that can be accomplished in either single or multiplayer mode, and it has the added value of discrete, intermediate and multiple wins prior to completion of the game. Sports games have been successfully used in non-video game solutions to build teamwork and in video games to teach sport-specific strategies and coaching practices. The sports team analogy is most effectively used in a multiplayer game. First-person shooter (FPS) games involve looking through a gun sight and eliminating other avatars. While not a typical corporate learning candidate, this type of game has been effectively used in the acclaimed algebra game Dimenxian, which is used in middle school and high school. Survival horror games could well be appropriate for some business applications — e.g., to gain experience and confidence to navigate corporate politics and peer and manager behaviors. How CLOs Can Incorporate Video Games Into Corporate Learning An ongoing challenge facing CLOs is convincing corporate leaders to view learning strategically and prudently experiment with new technologies and methods. However, waiting for competitors to innovate consigns companies to playing perpetual catch-up. Because the impact of gaming in business is difficult to measure, many succumb to “ROI inertia,” eschewing experiments and pilots and waiting for bulletproof evidence of ROI before taking action. CLOs should not be afraid to pursue middle-ground strategies that fall between high-risk gambits with bleeding-edge methods and technologies and waiting for silver-bullet solutions before making any change. Next-generation workers are already in your organization or will soon be arriving. Where will the burning platform come from that prompts the management changes required to integrate them into the workforce? Advances in video game technology and the working and learning styles of these employees make exper- February 2008 I www.clomedia.com I Chief Learning Officer 40 http://www.clomedia.com

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Chief Learning Officer - February 2008 Editor's Letter Table of Contents Business Impact Trends Best Practices Effectiveness Guest Editorial Learning Solutions Home Depot: Building Better Associates CLO Profile Environment Realizing the Vision of “One Philips” Tactics Sun Microsystems’ Next-Generation Worker Video Game Recruiting Tool Productivity The Regence Group: Blended Measurement Human Capital NASA: A Case Study in Technical Leadership Development Case Study Business Intelligence Advertisers' Index Editorial Resources In Conclusion

Chief Learning Officer - February 2008

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