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Scholarship
July 3, 2025
Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds: Strategies for Online Instruction
- Author
- Aldrich, Clark
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, San Francisco
- ISBN
- 9780470438343
- Table of Contents
-
Preface
The Author
Part I What Are Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds Really, and Why Should I Care?
ch. 1 Understanding Highly Interactive Virtual Environments
Do Highly Interactive Virtual Environments Work Better?
The Why
Clarifying What We Mean by Highly Interactive Virtual Environments
ch. 2 Embracing Interactivity
Interactivity Levels 0 through 6
Interactivity Levels and Leadership Models
ch. 3 Sims: A New Model of Content
Simulation Elements
Game Elements
Pedagogical Elements
Tasks and Levels
Genres of Stand-Alone Sims
Four Concluding Thoughts
ch. 4 Highly Interactive Content from the Students' and the Instructor's Perspective
Different Culture, Different Rules
Learning to Love Frustration and Anticipate Resolution
When the Most Valuable Thing for a Coach to Do Is Nothing
Part II Choosing and Using a Highly Interactive Virtual Environment
ch. 5 Identifying the Right Approach for the Right Need
Why Use Distance Learning Programs at All?
When to Use Highly Interactive Content
Costs Associated with HIVEs
ch. 6 Doing the Prep Work
Connect with Other Interested Professionals
Access the Content
Infrastructure Selection Criteria
Content Selection Criteria
Self-Paced/Single Player, Asynchronous, or Synchronous
Trust
Might Virtual Worlds Be the Universal Interface to (Other) Sims?
ch. 7 Integrating and Piloting
Technical Support for Students
Chunking Content
Piloting
Conclusion: The Need for Front Loading
ch. 8 A Brief Example of a Simulation Deployment
Peter Shea's Sim for Writing
Online versus Face to Face
Students as Real-Time Evaluators of Sims?
ch. 9 The Processes of Using a HIVE and the Role of Coaching
The Setup
On Ramp: From Real Life to Simulation
Teaching the Interface
First Public Simulation Play
Putting Together Groups for Multiplayer or Team-Based Sims
Coaching during the Student Use
After Action Reviews
Off Ramp: From Simulation Back to Real Life
Into the Breach
ch. 10 Creating Evaluation Strategies
Why Not Measure Experience with a Multiple-Choice Test?
Assessment Strategies
Assessment Techniques for Grading Student Performance
Conclusion
Part III Other Considerations
ch. 11 Selling Interactive Environments Internally-Getting Buy In from Administrators, Department Heads, Colleagues, Parents, and even Students
Building Support for HIVEs
What Does Success Look Like for You?
Epilogue: The New Attraction of Distance Learning
References
Index
The infusion of games, simulations, and virtual worlds into online learning can be a transforming experience for both the instructor and the student. This practical guide, written by education game expert Clark Aldrich, shows faculty members and instructional designers how to identify opportunities for building games, simulations, and virtual environments into the curriculum; how to successfully incorporate these interactive environments to enhance student learning; and how to measure the learning outcomes. It also discusses how to build institutional support for using and financing more complex simulations. The book includes frameworks, tips, case studies and other real examples, and resources.