Training Magazine - October 2007 - (Page 46) Games &Simulations FOCUS ON SPECIAL SECTION Preiser notes that students who explore the world via their avatars learn more at a much lower cost than otherwise, and the platform also allows the monitoring of instructors. Paideia partners with local instructors in other countries, and without the common ground of OLIVE, it would be difficult to make sure instructors’ skills and knowledge were up to date. VIRTUAL HEROES Besides the patient simulation project discussed at the beginning of this article, Virtual Heroes is designing serious games for the U.S. military. America’s Army, the official game of the U.S. Army, has 43 missions that test players with military challenges, which teach them teamwork and strategy. For example, Special Forces soldiers learn about the challenges they’ll face in the virtual environment of America’s Army before going into the live environment of war. “They Train ainer -the-Tr Presentation Skills for Trainers & Subject Matter Experts San Francisco Minneapolis Orlando Phoenix Washington DC Chicago Dallas Minneapolis Atlanta Nov. 7-9 Dec. 12-14 Jan. 21-23 Jan. 28-30 Feb. 25-27 Mar. 3-5 Mar. 31-April 2 April 9-11 May 12-14 101 might learn how IEDs [improvised explosive devices] are being deployed in theater, and how to avoid unsafe situations such as giving out candy to children, which is a perfect scenario for a suicide bomber,” says Virtual Heroes CEO Jerry Heneghan. “They’re also learning cultural mores and realities—such as the differences and similarities between Kurds, Sunnis, and Shiites—on the ground before going to Iraq or Afghanistan.” Other missions teach about specific situations, such as what to do in combat against an insurgent camp or how to fight when on a bridge. The collaborative aspect of virtual worlds can be both easier and more effective in virtual worlds than in uncomfortable icebreakers or role plays, because avatars allow learners to keep the social and interactive aspects while relieving them of the real-world embarrassment or social awkwardness that often get in the way of good training. Heneghan is encouraged by what he sees in the marketplace, which is more sophisticated customers who know the possibilities and limitations of virtual worlds. “As with any technology, you have to think through what your learning objectives are,” he says, “then think about whether the technology can support those objectives and whether you need that specific technology to meet them. Virtual reality is not a silver bullet, and nothing truly replaces the human factor.” In fact, the common note among many of these virtual worlds is collaboration, whether among colleagues who learn from each other by getting together in Second Life, or among coworkers who work simulations together to figure out how to solve a common problem or learn a skill. In some ways, virtual worlds lower the natural barriers to collaboration by connecting people in a realistic, experiential way. And while it’s a breakthrough technology that’s only going to be used more, Proton Media’s Burns says that in many ways it’s getting back to what we already know. “When you think about it, 3-D is really much more natural to us—it’s what we live every day.” t For an article on using avatars to support podcasts, visit http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/content_display/training/e 3i0f271707296ebc95b73dbf2348bcf574 w w w. t r a i n i n g m a g . c o m www.BobPikeGroup.com (800) 383-9210 46 | OCTOBER 2007 t r a i n i n g http://www.BobPikeGroup.com http://www.BobPikeGroup.com http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/content_display/training/e3i0f271707296ebc95b73dbf2348bcf574 http://www.trainingmag.com
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