Clark Aldrich On Simulations and Serious Games: customize: why the training industry is doomed

9.3.07

customize: why the training industry is doomed

Changing between 5 and 20 percent of the off-the-shelf version to meet the needs of a specific demographic, organization, or individual.

Changes to a simulation program can include (from hard to easy) recoding some of a simulation, modding, and making changes the facilitation and workbook.

Customizations adds cost to any program, and can be done by the simulation vendor, a third party, the implementing organization, or even a student as part of an advanced program.

And savy organizations use caution: customizing any software often makes it difficult to take advantage of any vendor upgrades.

A coach/facilitator can also "customize" a program by using new words or changing the flow of the sessions to focus in on the most appropriate skills

Compare with configure.

Author's note: Upon seeing any simulation, many training people's first question is, "can I customize this?" Training organizations have a vestigal desire to change things. In many cases, thie changes suggested do not have a meaningful impact on the learning objectives.

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Congratulations to WILL Interactive's CEO, Sharon Sloane

Let me add my heartfelt congratulations to WILL Interactive's CEO, Sharon Sloane, who recently was selected by the Board of Directors of Women in Film and Video (WIFV) - Washington as a winner of the Women of Vision Award for 2009. (Previous winners include Cicely Tyson, Leslie Stahl, Barbara Koppel, Tipper Gore, Gwen Ifill and Tyne Daly.)

Sharon is a wonderful person and WILL Interactive is a great and pioneering simulation creator. I believe WILL Interactive may produce the most honest experiences that the training industry has ever seen, and have taken the genre of branching video to the highest possible level. Again, congratulations to Sharon, Lyn, and everyone at WILL Interactive. This is well deserved.

About Clark Aldrich

I am a simulation designer, researcher, and analyst working with a growing list of international clients from corporate, military, government, and academic environments to effectively plan, build, use, and evaluate simulations, serious games, and virtual worlds.

I also work as an analyst on non-simulation projects, applying the Sim research philosophy, to improve the effectiveness of more traditional consulting and business planning and create innovative intellectual property.

I work with clients however it suits them, from end-to-end design and delivery, to long term/part time projects, to one day jump-starting/brainstorming/mid-course correction on critical projects, to board positions. Email me as independent consultant or about my part-time contract work for SimuLearn.

Below are some of my projects:

700 Page The Complete Guide to Simulations and Serious Games Available for Pre-Order

The Complete Guide to Simulations and Serious Games, a reference for creating sims, is slated for a late summer, 2009 release date.

It is 700 pages long, and has over 350 pictures. But as with any good reference book, The Guide is structured to not necessarily be read straight through (although you can), but to be explored. It is organized as a virtual world might be, meticulously, logically, but not assuming any prescribed path. One can pick a section and devour it, or hop around. One can start with one specific concept, zoom out a little and read about tangential concepts, transport to a new section, and then come back, bringing new perspectives even to previously read entries. It is your journey.

I believe for some corporate, military, and academic researchers and sims designers, it will meet the same role as Webster's Dictionary (Noah Webster was an ancestor of mine) and The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White (no relation) met for others, as a definitive reference. Much as The Elements of Style doesn't give "the answer" to how to write a great novel but does talk about using paragraphs, chapters, tone, and punctuation, this guide talks about using levels, displays, units on maps, artificial intelligence and other interactive systems, and balance between engagement and education for interactive content.

And for policy and economics leaders, as well as entrepreneurs and philanthropists, it redfines the concept of what knowledge and other intellectual property can be captured and shared.

Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds also available for Pre-Order

Army Influence Trainer Released

Virtual Leader Product Line Available

SimuLearn's Virtual Leader Global Product Line, for which I was the lead designer, is available. Virtual Leader is the winner of countless awards and recognitions, including a patent and the title "The Best Online Training Product of the Year," and the world's first example of a new type of educational content. Through the AI and interface that I designed for the program, Virtual Leader develops leadership and emotional intelligence in players, as has been proven and documented in numerous third party published research. While I was not involved with the subsequent vLeader line, others at SimuLearn have taken the core product and my supporting content and put some interesting new packaging and additional material around it.