Simulations & Social Media
Marco Antonio Chávez Aguayo, Professor, University of Barcelona | Speaker Bio
Presentation: Second Life®: The New Technologies as an Incoming Set For Creativity on Innovation Culture and Education
Time: 10:00 am - 10:45 am
Participants will see how virtual worlds, like Second Life, can be used as a platform to promote cultural projects, artistic virtual productions, and cultural tourism on a real-time basis for a worldwide public connected online. We will use Opera Joven as a case study of an organization that uses the virtual environment to develop projects, reach a wide range of audiences, and grow its team with members from all around the world. Exploring this example will help you to discover new ways to foster cultural exchange, collaboration, production, education and management for your own business. This session can be accessed remotely by the public for free. To participate online, you must be a registered user of Second Life. Access to the session is available here.
Nancy Munro, Founder and CEO of KnowledgeShift | Speaker Bio
Presentation: How to Create Simulations on Mobile Devices
Time: 11:00 am - 11:45 am
Statistics state that over 80% of adults in the US carry a cell phone with them at all times. Do we know how to utilize these handy devices to engage learners or are we just replicating web-based content into the mobile-sphere. which really isn’t an effective use of the medium. Utilizing a variety of tools such as mobile WAP content, IVR and SMS, Nancy will provide you with hands on experience of various learning simulations that can easily be created for unique learning environments. Participants are encouraged to have their mobile device ready to participate in some of the simulations demonstrated.
Edward Spizzirri, Senior Presales Consultant at OutStart, Inc. | Speaker Bio
Presentation: How Social Learning Software Aids in the Delivery of Both Formal and Informal Knowledge
Time: 11:00 am - 11:45 am
OutStart’s software solution, "Participate," is a social software platform enabling organizations to leverage the formal and informal knowledge that exists within a company. Studies show that an organization’s knowledge seekers (employees, customers, partners) gain 80% of their new knowledge informally. Participate enables knowledge workers to share and organically capture informal knowledge for reuse. The result is an increase in the flow of information and expertise, providing workers with the right information at the right time to support the right business actions. Participants will explore how this tool might enable and support informal knowledge at their own companies.
Mike Kemmler, Learning Design Manager at Grant Thornton | Speaker Bio
Presentation: Virtually There: Second Life®
Time: 1:45 pm - 2:25 pm
Tighter budgets are making getting employees together for face-to-face training more and more difficult. Yet, learning and business leaders still see the value in networking and culture-building, as well as building critical business skills and knowledge. We try to fill the gap with webcasts, many of which are boring lectures with limited interactivity and virtually no acknowledgement of participants. At this session, we will explore Second Life educational islands and how this technology differs from others in our toolboxes. And, of course, we'll discuss the challenges this medium faces along the way.
Kevin Harvey, Assistant Director of Development at the Center for the Advancement of Distance Education | Speaker Bio
Presentation: Methods and Strategies to Make Second Life Work for Training and Education
Time: 2:45 pm - 3:25 pm
Participants will learn about cutting-edge developments in Second Life via case study. The first study will show how the Center for Advancement of Distance Education (CADE) at UIC has created emergency preparedness training spaces in Second Life, developed a comprehensive curriculum, and implemented a successful strategy for adoption by public health workers. The second case will elaborate a unique approach to introducing Second Life as the "Classroom of the Future" in Wisconsin. For this, CADE has partnered with Learnstorm, which creates structured and directed social networks to accelerate adoption of innovative educational applications.
Matthew Murray, Senior Manager and e-Learning Team Lead, PricewaterhouseCoopers | Speaker Bio
Presentation: Training Tax Professionals through Virtual Storylines, Simulations, and Stocks
Time: 2:45 pm - 3:25 pm
Participants will experience an online, team-based challenge designed to provide the learner population of tax professionals with an immersive introduction to the investment funds industry. The project incorporates two simulations that are run simultaneously – a virtual stock market challenge and a supporting, character-driven storyline around a fictitious investment consulting company. Witness the use of this emerging technology and how one sector chose to utilize and the witness the result. The presentation concludes with the surprising feedback received from pilot participants, and plans for future developments for the simulations.