"Learning in 3D" Reading Group

Chapter 7: Overcoming Being Addled by Addie

Jun 01

Denise WilsonBlog posts lin3drg No Comments

The chapter assigned to me by Hans was relevant and timely to my work; I suspect that was no coincidence.  We’ve selected a global eLearning vendor for what we’re calling level 3 eLearning – more complex, gaming type simulations.  In my view, level 3 goes much deeper even than Second Life and such.  It goes into serious gaming simulations with many moving parts, decisions to make, implications to decisions with options to recover, multiple players that influence everything…mimicking real life.  In the vendor selection, and now as we start the process to onboard them to our ways of working and business learning resources and needs, many of the questions posed here are being asked by me and my team.

In summary, you have to be a Instructional Designer and a bit of a video producer/director to get this right but it can be done.  I found these key points of interest for myself; I hope they are of interest to you as well:

• Many of the same processes used to develop more traditional instruction can be used when developing virtual learning worlds.
• One common mistake in designing 3DLEs is failing to have specific learning objectives, either formal or informal, for the intended interactions.  This seems a “no brainer” considering this would also be a mistake of design for any method of delivery!
• Development of a 3DLE is far more complicated than 2D types and require a modification, not a totally new approach.
  • 2D (WebEx or Centra type) – objectives slide, reduce the number of words on each screen, add a couple of interactive exercises, add a few instructional design elements, group all like information together, get some photographs of the Model Z from marketing; learning happens on desktop of the Learners and requires fewer skill sets
    • ISD
    • SME
• 3D – objectives, creation of large and small store displays as well as a trade-show floor display, creation of a giant Model Z drill, development of “feature cards” to place on both the giant drill and the smaller drill to provide information about the new features, providing sales representatives with a “selling experience” role play and finally, the creation of interactive displays for the learners to create as a final exercise, schematics versus simple photographs, physical prototype, time to train facilitators in more complex VIE; learning happens in virtual world that must be created with detail and requires multiple skill sets
  • Project Manager
  • ISD
  • SME
  • Context Developer/Builder
  • Script Writer/Programmer
  • IT Rep
  • Rep of Learner Pop
  • You are designing an “environment” for learning to occur
  • Teachable moments are based on experience of the Learner, not the mandate of the instructor.
  • No two Learners will have same experience because they each have different historical knowledge/experience and each has different experience in the VIE as a result of their “journey” in it
  • Experience is much more about context than content
  • Keep these design points in mind when creating virtual learning experiences
    • Create the right context
    • Create specific objectives – spelled out for Learner in 2D but not in 3D;in 3D, ask Learner questions or give them challenges where objectives will be addressed
    • Provide minimal guidelines – key gain in 3D is learning through exploration
    • Encourage collaboration
    • Allow opportunities for demonstrating learning; and
    • Build in incentives
    • ADDIE
      • Analysis – examine 4 main areas
        • Task, concept or skill to be taught
        • Environment – realistic or surreal?
        • Technical considerations – graphical cards, processing power, bandwidth, firewall issues, etc
        • Learners – are they ready for this?  Do they know how to work in it?  Will it require too much time for setup and prep?
• Design
  • Synchronous or asynchronous
  • Sequence and Instructional elements
  • Environment and structures
  • Design outside of reality
  • Consider the debriefing
  • Storyboard
• Develop – Many items can be purchased; cars, trucks, helicopters
• Implement – many tips in the book on this for before, during and after but quite similar to any learning event (pilot, review, revise, rollout)
• Evaluation
  • Learners
  • Instructions
  • Step-by-step Designing Process – there is a 15 step process detailed out in the book
  • Working with a 3^rd party vendor
    • Tie your request to a business need
    • Know what to expect
    • Be specific about your requirements
    • Do your homework
    • Visit the virtual space yourself