Published Date: 03/20/2008
 IMMERSIVE LEARNING SIMULATIONS 2008By Steve Wexler, Kevin Corti, Anne Derryberry, Clark Quinn, and Angela van Barneveld
The big news this year is that Immersive Learning Simulations work. Big time! Over 1,100 Guild members have completed and or updated the ILS survey. Of these, 380 Guild members representing over 320 different organizations have weighed in on their personal experiences creating and deploying ILS and their experiences are overwhelmingly positive, with more then 93% rating ILS as being better than other forms of rich-skill practice, and 76% reporting a positive ROI.
An Immersive Learning Simulation, also known as a Serious Game, is an optimized blend of simulation, game element, and pedagogy that leads to the learner being motivated by, and immersed into, the purpose and goals of a learning interaction. Serious games use meaningful contextualization, and optimized experience, to successfully integrate the engagement of well-designed games with serious learning goals.
This comprehensive report addresses many aspects of ILS and the concerns of many different types of Guild members so it is likely that one or more sections of this report will be valuable for you if you... Want to learn what ILS/serious games are about and determine if they are right for your organization
Want to gauge where you and your organization are with respect to other organizations
Need ammunition to sell ILS into your organization
Want to know the capabilities and ratings of popular simulation tools
Want to see examples and get an idea of the different things people are doing with ILS/Serious Games
Want to know how to design and build Immersive Learning Simulations
Are a vendor and want to see what features members want, and what you can do to create highly-desirable products and services
In this section we review and analyze responses from over 1,100 Guild members to the ILS survey and from over 880 members to the Simulations Tools Survey. Key findings in this report include:Immersive Learning Simulations Work: Over 93% of respondents who have created an ILS report that their efforts produce results that are better than other forms of rich-skill practice.
Respondents are Reporting a Good ROI: More than 76% of respondents indicate they have received either a modest or a very good return on investment.
ILS and Mobile Learning are Converging: We’re seeing a convenient marriage of learning games and mobile devices, as mobile devices are proving to be a perfect vehicle for delivering ILSs of modest scope.
There’s Still a Problem with the Term “Game”: Over 80% of respondents have a problem with the term “Serious Game,” and 77% totally or somewhat agree with the statement “Games are great; it’s the name that’s a problem.”
Median and Average Costs Per Learner: The median cost per learner for an ILS is $102.08, and the average cost is $281.51.
Planning to do a Lot More: 70% of respondents plan to do more simulations and scenarios, 48% plan to do more mini-games, and 36% plan to do more serious games and/or Immersive Learning Simulations.
Still Thirsting for Great Examples: Over 90% of respondents want examples of great e-Learning games.
- Debunking Myths about Serious Games
Anne Derryberry, serious games maven, and principal of IMSerious.net takes on – and successfully debunks – some of the more popular myths surrounding serious games and ILS.
- Demystifying Immersive Learning Simulations: Moving From the Potential to the Practical
Kevin Corti, CEO of learning-games pioneer PIXELearning, shares his many years of experience in getting corporations to see beyond the potential, and embrace the practical, of ILS.
- On the Costs of Games, and Perceptions Thereof
Clark Quinn, returning from his successful engagement as an author of last year’s report, shares his analysis on what Guild members have to say about perceived and real costs of developing learning games.
- Name Game Nonsense
Steve Wexler, director of research and emerging technologies at The eLearning Guild, makes his case for getting beyond wasting time arguing about terminology.
- Transit Training in Immersive Virtual Reality
David Abitbol of uMindSoft shares his firm’s experience in helping Sociéte de Transport de Montréal embrace ILS to significantly improve transportation safety while decreasing costs.
- Using a Virtual Incident Management Training System for Transportation First Responders
Michael Armentrout and Anne Derryberry of ImSerious.net chronicle Forterra’s collaboration with the I-95 Corridor Coalition and the University of Maryland CATT LAB to develop an ILS to train personnel and thus reduce emergency response times on one of busiest highways in the US.
- Katie Salen, director of the Institute of Play, shares some inspirational insights into developing an alternative public school that uses game-based learning techniques.
- Alec Lamon, senior director of the Alfred West, Jr. Learning Lab at the Wharton School of Business, explains how his team is helping educate well-prepared graduates using innovative learning game technology.
This Report includes Guidelines for establishing the need for, and for designing, building, and implementing an ILS. It also includes an all-encompassing collection of books, Web sites, organizations, conferences, and papers to help you dig deeper into various facets of tool selection and use.
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