I recently attended a webinar put on by Training Magazine Network featuring Clark Aldrich on “The Unifying View of Highly Interactive Virtual Environment (HIVE) Learning.” I wanted to take a moment to highlight a few of the key take aways for those that were not in attendance.

One of the first questions that Clark asked was: “What is the relationship between virtual worlds, games and simulations and when should each be used?” This resulted in some confusion, and even led to further confusion when screen shots were presented. Clark would show a screen shot of a virtual world, game, or simulation and each attendee would enter a text response as to what they thought the screen shot represented. For the most part participants were able to differentiate each one (but note there still were a few confused people out there) and I must admit even one of those screen shots made me scratch my head. Why? It was just a pool with a float in it and 2 lounge chairs beside it. What did this represent? (Where I would rather be, well, yes). But back to the topic at hand: Was it an image from a virtual world, game or simulation? Mr. Aldrich further went on to explain that it could be any of the three depending upon what elements were added in. For example, if you added a volleyball net and some people playing volleyball it would be conceived as a game. However, if one added in a lifeguard then it may be represented as a possible training simulation. So you get the point. Each has its own unique attributes that define it. They are interconnected to some degree (each are unique but similar to one another).
Educational simulations=Less flexibility
Virtual worlds=More flexibility

But this circles the question: How big is the blur between these (virtual worlds, games and simulations) and what specific attributes define each? Well let me highlight some defining features of virtual worlds that were brought up in the webinar:
-Synthetic
-Ability to interact with objects
-Own set of rules

A few metrics outlined to evaluate success in a virtual world:
-Involvement/ engagement
-Learning
-Performance of tasks
-Navigation
-Retention

Clark Aldrich also suggests that: All environments should have self-paced introductory levels: Utilization of a light game to get the user comfortable with the environment. A lot of organizations are so focused on investing in expensive virtual world platforms that they forget that content is key (and this holds true with all training)! Also, he is seeing a transition occurring from the age of linear content to the age of dynamic content.

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Decision Integration Visualization and Support (DIVAS™)

DIVAS™ is a highly advanced modeling application allowing simulation users and facilitators to use provided tools to manipulate and analyze highly variable scenarios. Using Visual Purple’s FloChart™ technology, DIVAS™ reveals the format of the simulation model with a graphic map and set of authoring tools, thus allowing non-programming savvy users to analyze possible outcomes through experimentation and manipulation of newly acquired information, multiple decision possibilities, and various unique events. Within a simulation, DIVAS™ supports randomization of the environment to enhance realism while leading users through information collection and informed decision making based on likely outcomes.

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By Ed Heinbockel, President and CEO, Visual Purple, LLC

Are you focusing on learner engagement and learning experience take-aways within current solutions? E-Learning can result in a hard pressed “push” of the learner’s results.

Let’s further examine a comparison of push vs. pull training… Within a virtual world environment the learner is able to “pull” content as they see fit with various types of overlays on top of the technologies driving the simulation. Logics are embedded to reveal specific information when needed. Virtual world training environments allow the general ability to watch what people are and are not doing while still honoring the different process styles associated with learning. Whereas within an e-Learning “push” environment the learner is pushed directly through the experiences, without the ability to alter the outcome and make decisions on their own.

Visual Purple and BTS transformed a traditional “push” e-Simulation into a “pull” virtual world environment. By leveraging existing training investments one can generate a higher learner/trainee retention rate, apply to wider range of audience and reap benefits from the significant cost savings. A virtual world approach will result in reduced training time, and improvement of overall learning effectiveness for the learner. By utilizing persistent world applications to guide the learner to succeed through decision-based scenarios enabling active participation, virtual world applications allow for engaging and realistic 3D training environments that are directly applicable to business needs. The key is to unlock potential from an existing “push” e-Learning solution and evolve it into a realistic and sticky “pull” virtual world training medium. Many top organizations are transitioning to virtual world based training solutions. Beginning from square one or utilizing an existing e-learning or CBT solution and transferring it into a successful virtual world training application. Virtual worlds offer the learner the foremost in freedom, interactivity and adaptability where specially tailored environments ensure realistic interaction and imagery to promote full emotional and intellectual engagement in any scenario.

View the trailer of the transformation from a “push” learning module to an immersive “pull” learning environment.

“- Link to”
YouTube Visual Purple Winning in Wireless Virtual World trailer

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Well most people just don’t go out and buy a car without asking what type of warranty is associated with it. Although training simulations don’t provide a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty they should have some type of guarantee/warranty behind them. For Visual Purple we stand behind every product we produce, leading to ultimate customer satisfaction. Each business has specific needs and unique training ideas and challenges; before selecting a training provider ask questions…lots of questions! Here is a good primer:

Checklist of Questions to Ask:

-Can we see your company’s past performance?
-How long will it take to build?
-How can you assure on time delivery?
-Is a project work plan provided?
-Any hidden costs?
-Creativity & SMEs – Can you dedicate the right people in your organization to be available at predetermined windows to provided critical input to the build process?
-Is any technology support provided?
-Will the solution be specifically tailored to fit my organizations needs?
-Ability to enhance/ add onto existing courses…can the training solution be easily extended or re-vamped?
-Any recurring costs for maintenance/ hosting?
-Technology license fully paid up or recurring?
-Language support- localize into a variety of languages?
-Is there transparency during the development process?

What is the end result that your organization is looking for? At Visual Purple we build effective and trusted solutions from the ground up, no off-the-shelf products here. Most organizations are looking for a training solution that gets results… at Visual Purple our advanced training simulation technologies get results (road tested and proven…your mileage may vary).

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In a follow-up blog post to the prior Training 4-1-1 Part 1 which addressed measuring training support I thought it important to post further proven statistics on learning outcomes from learning games. These stats are encouraging evidence that serious games do make a real difference.

The below statistical references are from the Kauffman Foundation in the Kauffman Thoughtbook 2009 excerpt.

Can We Prove It?

What proof do we have that any or all of this is true, that games can produce
superior learning outcomes? Well, the proof is precious little because the field is
so new, but at least it is positive. Witness these games:

• Supercharged! [electrostatics]—a 28 percent increase in learning outcomes
over lecture (K. Squire et al, 2004).
• Geography Explorer [geology]—a 15 to 40 percent increase in learning
outcomes over lecture (P. McClean et al, 2001).
• Virtual Cell [cell biology]—a 30 to 63 percent improvement in learning
outcomes over lecture (ibid).
• Dimenxian [algebra]—an average increase of one test grade (e.g., from B to
A) for most kids, up to three grades for underachieving kids (N. Etuk, 2006).
• River City [ecology, scientific inquiry]—a 370 percent increase in test
scores over lecture for D students; a 14 percent increase in test scores over
lecture for B students (D. Ketelhut, 2007).
• NIU Torcs [numerical methods]—twice as much time spent by gameplaying
kids on their homework, much more highly detailed concept
maps (B. Coller, 2006).

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Although the topic of this blog post can apply to a wide variety of training types – I’d like to focus on measuring ‘baked – in’ training support within decision-based and virtual world training applications. So here’s the BIG question: Are you measuring training support within your current solutions? And the obvious follow up question: If yes, then why?

It is always a challenge to measure the transfer of training to the learner, but is critical in allocating resources based on proven past performance. Of course you could go to Amazon and buy a book about the how-to’s of measuring training support, or you could save yourself the hassle and just make sure that when choosing a training solution a specific level of training support is available and proven.

Although there are some general principles that go into training measurement, weighing the pros and cons of a training platform and tracking ROI are key to any training solution success. Corporate training provides organizations with a distinct business and strategic advantage, making them smarter than their competition. According to a recent Training Industry Quarterly ezine article. An estimated 40% to 80% of training content failing to take root with learners; training leaders are seeing a massive amount of waste and unrealized potential. So how are you going to guarantee that the next training/learning solution that you bring into your organization provides for high learner retention rates and a strong Return on Investment?

From a past article written by Dorn Williams of Manage Smarter

“Training is a critical component in any organization’s strategy, but organizations don’t always evaluate the business impact of a training program. Given the large expenditures for training in many organizations, it is important to develop business intelligence tools that will help companies improve the measurement of training effectiveness. These tools need to provide a methodology to measure, evaluate, and continuously improve training, as well as the organizational and technical infrastructure (systems) to implement the methodology. Cross-functional and reporting and learning analytics provide important connections between the measures of learning effectiveness offered by a learning management system (LMS) and the larger enterprise metrics that indicate whether learning is transferred and positively affects business results.

Business Performance Impact

Many organizations are unable to evaluate their programs beyond the first two Kirkpatrick levels because they lack the tools to collect the data to make higher level evaluations. In part, LMSs, the most common repository for training data and mechanism to deliver training, make lower level evaluations easy but don’t provide any tool for higher level evaluation. Most LMSs automatically will track and report information required for Level One and Level Two analyses.”

Our services are not cookie-cutter or out-of-the-box, rather we collaborate with our clients and experts to create cutting-edge training solutions. Since we track EVERYTHING in our sims (especially important in virtual world sims), the training measurement taken from Visual Purple produced simulations have returned superb results. No surprise that the factor consistently getting the most press is Return on Investment (we’ll talk about ROI in future blog posts as it is an often misunderstood and elusive metric). Clear cut benefits to the bottom line and the organizations goals are keys to implementing any type of training solution.

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Q: What is a 3D Virtual Training Simulation?

A: Using computer technology, trainees role-play real-life decisions and actions with accurate consequences and rewards in immersive, virtual spaces.  The decision- based simulation will provide multiple paths and possibilities according to each of the trainee’s choices.  The trainee’s mental and emotional engagement is heightened through interaction thus ensuring that information is thoroughly and efficiently assimilated.

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A question I come across quite frequently is what different levels of simulation training mean. As an example I will use Visual Purple, who specializes in Level 5 training simulations (although our training simulations could span Levels I-VI, we really only ‘do’ Levels 5 and 6 – our own creation – Level 5 with our baked in patented I-Squared tech)). Most people don’t even realize what this means, nor do they realize what this entails and the real value in what we offer over other companies within the industry. Some may even write it off; figuring the higher level of training may be too advanced for their organizations specific training needs. With that being said there is a definite value in using a higher level of training. Level 5 training simulations provide the learner/ trainee with an unmatched training experience with the key element of built-in remediation/feedback – an intelligent tutoring feature.

Definition of Level 5 Simulation: Intelligent tutoring systems

· Complex, interwoven, multi-threaded, multi-path scenarios

· Ideal environment for exercising competencies, creative thinking skills, and decision-making

· Logical and illustrative consequences to user decisions

· Enhanced retention and motivation to succeed

(Definition provided by Dr. John G. Tyler of the MITRE Corporation)

Here is a link to view a sample of a Level 5 Simulation from Visual Purple:

Visual Purple Level 5 Training Simulation- Power of Story: Driven

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We are pleased to announce a re-launch of our newly designed company website, our ultimate goal is to offer visitors in-depth information on the types of custom training simulations that we offer and highlights of some of our simulations built in the Virtual World, Embedded Training, and Decision-Based Training sectors. In addition to our company’s main website, we have launched a new microsite where one can find out detailed information about the innovative training technologies that Visual Purple has created and our simulation design process. 

Explore the main Visual Purple website www.visualpurple.com

WhyVisualPurple microsite www.whyvisualpurple.com

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