The AuthorClark Aldrich, a popular conference speaker, columnist, and analyst, is the designer and implementer of educational simulations including SimuLearn's vLeader 2007, a virtual leadership e-learning platform. He is the author of two award-winning books, Simulations and the Future of Learning and Learning by Doing, as well as The Complete Guide to Simulations and Serious Games, all from Pfeiffer.

• Preface. Part I: What Are Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds, and Why Should I Care?Chapter 1: Understanding Highly Interactive Virtual EnvironmentsDo Highly Interactive Virtual Environments Work Better?The “Why”.Clarifying What We Mean by Highly Interactive Virtual Environments.Chapter 2: Embracing Interactivity.Interactivity Levels 0 through 6.Interactivity Levels and Leadership Models.Chapter 3: Sims: A New Model of Content.Simulation Elements.Game Elements.Pedagogical Elements.Tasks and Levels.Genres of Stand-Alone Sims.Four Concluding ThoughtsChapter 4: Highly Interactive Content from the Students' and the Instructor's Perspective.Different Culture, Different Rules.Learning to Love Frustration and Anticipate Resolution.How Well Does the Instructor Have to Know the Sim?Part II: Choosing and Using a Highly Interactive Virtual Environment.Chapter 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.Chapter 6: Doing the Prep Work.Connect with Other Interested Professionals.Access the Content.Infrastructure Selection Criteria.Content Selection CriteriaSelf-Paced/Single Player, Asynchronous, or Synchronous.Trust.Conclusion: Might Second Life Be the Interface to (Other) Sims?Chapter 7: Integrating and Piloting.Technical Support for Students.Chunking Content.Piloting.Conclusion: The Need for Front Loading.Chapter 8: A Brief Example of a Simulation Deployment.Peter Shea's Sim for Writing.Students as Real-Time Evaluators of Sims?Chapter 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.Chapter 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.Chapter 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 AuthorClark Aldrich, a popular conference speaker, columnist, and analyst, is the designer and implementer of educational simulations including SimuLearn's vLeader 2007, a virtual leadership e-learning platform. He is the author of two award-winning books, Simulations and the Future of Learning and Learning by Doing, as well as The Complete Guide to Simulations and Serious Games, all from Pfeiffer.

• Preface. Part I: What Are Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds, and Why Should I Care?Chapter 1: Understanding Highly Interactive Virtual EnvironmentsDo Highly Interactive Virtual Environments Work Better?The “Why”.Clarifying What We Mean by Highly Interactive Virtual Environments.Chapter 2: Embracing Interactivity.Interactivity Levels 0 through 6.Interactivity Levels and Leadership Models.Chapter 3: Sims: A New Model of Content.Simulation Elements.Game Elements.Pedagogical Elements.Tasks and Levels.Genres of Stand-Alone Sims.Four Concluding ThoughtsChapter 4: Highly Interactive Content from the Students' and the Instructor's Perspective.Different Culture, Different Rules.Learning to Love Frustration and Anticipate Resolution.How Well Does the Instructor Have to Know the Sim?Part II: Choosing and Using a Highly Interactive Virtual Environment.Chapter 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.Chapter 6: Doing the Prep Work.Connect with Other Interested Professionals.Access the Content.Infrastructure Selection Criteria.Content Selection CriteriaSelf-Paced/Single Player, Asynchronous, or Synchronous.Trust.Conclusion: Might Second Life Be the Interface to (Other) Sims?Chapter 7: Integrating and Piloting.Technical Support for Students.Chunking Content.Piloting.Conclusion: The Need for Front Loading.Chapter 8: A Brief Example of a Simulation Deployment.Peter Shea's Sim for Writing.Students as Real-Time Evaluators of Sims?Chapter 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.Chapter 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.Chapter 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 AuthorClark Aldrich, a popular conference speaker, columnist, and analyst, is the designer and implementer of educational simulations including SimuLearn's vLeader 2007, a virtual leadership e-learning platform. He is the author of two award-winning books, Simulations and the Future of Learning and Learning by Doing, as well as The Complete Guide to Simulations and Serious Games, all from Pfeiffer.

• Preface. Part I: What Are Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds, and Why Should I Care?Chapter 1: Understanding Highly Interactive Virtual EnvironmentsDo Highly Interactive Virtual Environments Work Better?The “Why”.Clarifying What We Mean by Highly Interactive Virtual Environments.Chapter 2: Embracing Interactivity.Interactivity Levels 0 through 6.Interactivity Levels and Leadership Models.Chapter 3: Sims: A New Model of Content.Simulation Elements.Game Elements.Pedagogical Elements.Tasks and Levels.Genres of Stand-Alone Sims.Four Concluding ThoughtsChapter 4: Highly Interactive Content from the Students' and the Instructor's Perspective.Different Culture, Different Rules.Learning to Love Frustration and Anticipate Resolution.How Well Does the Instructor Have to Know the Sim?Part II: Choosing and Using a Highly Interactive Virtual Environment.Chapter 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.Chapter 6: Doing the Prep Work.Connect with Other Interested Professionals.Access the Content.Infrastructure Selection Criteria.Content Selection CriteriaSelf-Paced/Single Player, Asynchronous, or Synchronous.Trust.Conclusion: Might Second Life Be the Interface to (Other) Sims?Chapter 7: Integrating and Piloting.Technical Support for Students.Chunking Content.Piloting.Conclusion: The Need for Front Loading.Chapter 8: A Brief Example of a Simulation Deployment.Peter Shea's Sim for Writing.Students as Real-Time Evaluators of Sims?Chapter 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.Chapter 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.Chapter 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.