Foi publicado o último post da série The Gamified Classroom, de Andrew Proto: Part VI - Taking it to the Next Level. Neste último post, Proto refere a importância da gamification na educação. Esta pode ser a solução para muitos dos problemas que são sentidos pelos professores de hoje. Não deve, no entanto, ser visto como a solução definitiva para tudo o que está menos bem no setor da educação. Segundo Proto, o maior contributo da gamification será no que diz respeito a conseguir um maior envolvimento dos alunos com as atividades da escola. O post de Andrew Proto apresenta sobretudo as suas fontes para escrever a série The Gamified Classroom. Muitos dessas fontes foram já referidas neste blogue. Há algumas fontes adicionais que vale a pena destacar como o artigo de 2005, Engage Me or Enrage Me de Marc Prensky mas sobretudo o vídeo abaixo (9m31s, publicado em 5 de maio de 2011), Gamifying Education da Extra Credits. A Extra Credits produziu também um vídeo (6m) mais genérico sobre gamification: Ver os outros posts da série de Andrew Proto publicados aqui: The Gamified Classroom (1) The Gamified Classroom (2) The Gamified Classroom (3) The Gamified Classroom (4) The Gamified Classroom (5) 

    I like this month’s Big Question: Where is your time spent? and I must say it is the question of the moment. I started blogging in 2007 and  it has really helped me a lot. I am happy to invest time in  blogs, twitter and social networks because there is so much learning that is happening on a daily basis. I know it is really tricky when it comes to managing work in office and parallely doing stuff like tweeting, blogging and networking . However I think it is important to keep in touch with latest happenings in the field you are interested in. You might not be able to learn or do everything in your regular work. Blogs, Twitter and social networks help you learn and do things beyond your work at office and in fact help you excel in your jobs too. With new tools and technologies coming up, people are getting better and better at multi-tasking. I am sure most of us can manage whole lot of things at one go. So organizations must encourage their employees to blog and tweet at work especially now that the future of e-learning is going to be social learning. I like the questions raised in the Learning Circuits Blog. Here are my answers for the questions: How much time do you spend and how did you find time for all the relatively newer things like reading blogs, twitter, social networks, etc.? I do it intermittently, throughout the day. Reading blogs, Twitter, social networks is like having a cup of coffee. You do not calculate when you have coffee and for how long. It happens naturally, intermittently and amidst your work in office. There are days when I dont read tweets and blogs What are you doing less of today than you were 3-5 years ago? I do not watch television any more. I am glued to my computer 24/7. I do not read books. Do you have less of a life with all of these new things? Of course not. I have time for everything

Keynotes e Best Paper Award - Reconsidering "Gen Y" & Co: From Minding the Gap to Overcoming it, Emanuele Rapetti, Lorenzo Cantoni, Universita della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland

Show Jumping is an interesting 3D sport game. The objective of the game is to get your horse to cross hurdles within the target time. You gain points and clear levels when you successfully get your horse to cross the hurdles within set time. When you play the game you get the feel of riding a horse because of the 3D effects. Make sure you wear headphones when you play the game. The game allows you to take training before you start the game. You use the keyboard arrow keys to move the horse and the Space button to make the horse jump. Its a tough job to make the horse jump over the hurdle. You discover how to do it when you play for a couple of times. I made my horse hit the hurdle most of the time. Then I discovered that I need to get the horse closer to the hurdle and then press Space key continously to make the horse hump higher so that the horse does not hit the obstacle You have guided arrows which tells you in which direction to drive your horse and which hurdle to cross. To get the horse to jump over all hurdles with ease and that too within the given time span is a challenge. What I liked about the game Rich 3D  animations Opening music 3D sound effects Easy game controls The timer The guided arrows Play the game and please let me know your views.

Foi publicado recentemente o Horizon Report - 2012 K-12 Edition (ver também este post Horizon Report 2012 - Higher Education Edition). Destaque para: Horizonte de adoção inferior a 1 ano Mobile devices e apps Tablet computing Horizonte de adoção de dois a três anos Game-based learning Ambientes pessoais de aprendizagem (PLEs) Horizonte de adoção de quatro a cinco anos Realidade aumentada Natural user interfaces A aprendizagem baseada em jogos (Game-based Learning) aparece ainda com um horizonte de adoção muito largo face ao que seria de esperar, tendo em conta que se trata de algo de que se fala já há vários anos. O relatório aponta uma explicação: "This may be because a compelling supporting technology or concrete set of tools has not emerged that schools can broadly use to bring game-based learning to life". A aprendizagem baseada em jogos é definida como "... the integration of games or gaming mechanics into educational experiences". Nesta definição acaba por estar também incluído o recente conceito de gamification. Algumas passagens do relatório a realçar no que diz respeito a este tópico: "... what may be most appealing to educators is that games provide students a safe place to learn from failure. In games, exploration is inherent and there are generally no high-stakes consequence. Children are able to experiment and take risks to find solutions without the feeling that they are doing something wrong. Games encourage students to make and learn from mistakes, which is a particularly important concept in the K-12 setting". "Game-based learning reflects a number of important soft skills schools strive for students to acquire: collaboration, problem solving, communication, critical thinking, and digital literacy". "From role-playing games that enable students to experience the world from someone else’s eyes, to online social games that present real
world problems and raise global awareness, to the incorporation of game design in computer science classes, game mechanics can be integrated on many different levels in K-12 curriculum". "Perhaps the most popular games at the K-12 level come in app form".

This week’s game is Archana’s pick. Thank you Archana for pointing me to this game Bloxroz is an engrossing and addictive puzzle game. The objective of the game is to push the box into a hole. You move the box using the keyboard arrow keys. You need to make sure that the box does not fall off the tiled stage and you need to move it in such a way that finally it drops into the hole. There are 33 levels and each level has its own challenges. The tiled stage has been designed in such a way that its challenging for the gamer to play each level. The tiled stage has  hot spots and moving the box on the hot spot makes pathways. There are flimsy tiles which fall off if you place the box upright. As you play each level you discover new challenges. You have play each level a couple of times to figure out how to drop the box into the hole. You can note the code that appears on the top right corner of the screen and then use the code to load the level you want to play. What I liked about the game The way the box moves smoothly The way the difficulty has been designed for each level The game doesnt get monotonous You learn through trial and error Play the game now and let me know how you liked it. In case you discovered an interesting game on the web, please share it with me. I will post it in the Game of the Week section with due acknowledgement

Bow Master is a sport game. In this game you need to hit targets using the bow and arrow. You just need to drag the arrow using your mouse and simply click to release the arrow. The controls are very simple and easy to use. I liked the 3D effects in this game and it really makes a good impact. The game has different levels of challenges and you need to clear each level to move on to the next. I cleared 2 levels and still playing Play the game now!

Ao que parece, em 2012, começa a ter força uma nova tendência no uso de tecnologias na educação (ver What Teachers Need to Know about BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Trend in Education partilhado por @pgsimoes).  "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD), ou seja, algo que podemos traduzir por "cada um traz o seu próprio equipamento". O que isto quer dizer é cada aluno leva para a escola os equipamentos necessários (computador portátil, tablet ou smartphone). Faz todo o sentido se assumirmos que os alunos já possuem estes equipamentos e portanto será natural que na escola não usem outros. Para as escolas a vantagem é económica. Menos dinheiro gasto em equipamentos, bastando assegurar a infraestrutura de comunicações e os espaços físicos que não serão mais do que a sala de aula normal. Em Portugal, graças aos programas de incentivo dos últimos anos, muitos dos alunos do secundário (e mesmo do básico) já têm os seus portáteis (que muitas vezes duram após a entrada no ensino superior). O portátil é cada vez mais uma ferramenta que as famílias já consideram como fazendo parte do material escolar dos alunos. Mais difícil será o acesso a smartphones e, sobretudo, aos tablets. Com estes dois últimos, é possível criar experiências pedagógicas muito interessantes mas é necessário que todos os alunos os possuam. Ainda não é essa, para já, a realidade. A generalização do BYOD terá vantagens para todas as partes envolvidas (escolas, alunos e famílias). A tendência segue a linha da visão da geração atual de alunos como sendo constituída por nativos digitais. Se estes já possuem e usam a tecnologia desde sempre (se calhar antes de começarem a andar), faz todo o sentido que a usem na escola. Trata-de de algo que já faz naturalmente parte da vida como sempre a conheceram. Proibir o uso de telemóveis na escola ou barrar o acesso a redes sociais cada vez mais deixa de fazer sentido. Mas esta é a visão mais romântica e otimista do BYOD. Apesar das vantagens, a tecnologia é uma fonte de distração. Usar os mesmos equipamentos e tecnologias na escola e para o lazer torna mais difícil aos alunos distinguirem quando as devem usar para um fim ou para outro. Tudo bem se as usarem fora da escola para continuarem as suas tarefas académicas mas mais complicado quando na escola as usam para jogar ou para atualizar o Facebook com conteúdos que não tenham a ver com escola. Também há o argumento oposto: fora da escola também as usam para fins académicos. Este será provavelmente o grande desafio para a aplicação do BYOD: encontrar o equilíbrio certo no uso das mesmas tecnologias para aprender e para socializar e lazer. O "quando" e "como" usar as tecnologias será a chave deste desafio.

No dia 9 de julho terá lugar mais um dia aberto do Projecto Escolinhas Criativas, uma iniciativa da Tecla Colorida, a empresa promotora da plataforma Schoooools.com. Destaque para a participação de Graham Attwell. Ver mais no blogue do Schoooools.com.

by ruparajgo | Create your own Cartoon at www.toondoo.com The Instructional Designers Community of India is hosting its third meetup in Bangalore. Time: June 27, 2009 from 10 AM to 1 PM Venue: Adobe India Pvt Ltd, Salarpuria Infinity, 3rd Floor, #5 Bannerghatta Road Session Title: Managing Talent Through Informal Learning Session Objectives At the end of this session, participants will be able to: Distinguish between formal and informal learning Define various forms of informal learning practices in vogue today Recognize the value of informal learning in the current knowledge economy Explain the role of technology in implementing informal learning in the modern day enterprises About the Speaker Simhadri Ramarao has 14 plus years of experience in different spheres of learning. He has worked as a lecturer, instructional designer, e-learning product manager, ID Lead, and currently managing the delivery of technical curriculum in the IT organization of Cisco. He has done Masters in Science and M.Phil in Instrumentation and a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science. What you can do?  RSVP for the meetup here Share your knowlege about Social Learning during the meetup In case  you cannot make it to Bangalore The following will be made available after the meetup: Podcasts Minutes of the meetup Video recordings may also be available. However this fully depends on the camcorder that we are trying to get for the meetup. Note: The survey result here says that majority of you want to attend the meeting online via webex or adobe connect. Sorry we could not arrange an online meeting this time. This will definitely happen in the near future.

A propósito do post publicado aqui - "Bring Your Own Device" Trend - Graham Attwell, referiu ontem, no Dia Aberto do projecto Escolinhas Criativas, que teve lugar no UPTEC PINC, que considera o BYOD como uma das principais tendências com impacto na educação para os próximos anos. (Graham Attwell) Attwell colocou um post sobre o tema no blogue da organização a que pertence - Pontydysgu. Neste post, está incluída uma apresentação de Sam Gloksman (entre outras coisas, fundador do website iPads in Education) que apresenta um plano tecnológico para as instituições de ensino onde realça as vantagens do BYOD. (ver aqui os slides da apresentação) As vantagens económicas para as instituições de ensino são óbvias e este tipo de estratégia vai ao encontro daquilo que se pretende que sejam os ambientes de aprendizagem do século XXI. Ver também este post de Sam Gloksman.

The third Instructional Designers Meetup was conducted by IDCI on June 27th, 2009. The meetup was sponsored by Adobe and happened in the Adobe office for around 2 hours. This time, there were some new participants, also a non-learning professional, with great interest to get into the field of learning and development. The participant list goes on like this: Ram Rupa Prem Kumar Mayank Puja Miriam Shameer Gaurav Maheshwari Hareesh David Christine Sharad Single Sadhana Malini Nilanjana The June session was about informal learning or social learning. Well, most of us keep hearing about informal learning or social learning. However how many of us actually know what it implies. Ram’s session was an instant hit with the participants because it was at the beginner level and threw light on what is informal learning and how does it work. Ram used a short interactive exercise to explain what is informal learning. He used some scenarios and asked the audience to choose the best response. For example one of the scenarios was : What would you do if your printer at office got repaired? The response choices were: Call technical support, Read the instructions next to the printer,  Ask a colleague etc The audience unanimously said they would try finding some written instructions or ask their colleauge for steps to fix the printer. Ram’s scenarios and the audience response drove the point home that informal learning is part and parcel of everyday life. Ram continued to talk about the different forms of learning and distinguished between formal and informal learning. He also spoke about the role of Web 2.0 in promoting informal learning. Why informal learning is relevant today was also talked about and discussed. Ram used a CISCO Telepresence commercial to explain how informal learning works very well using new tools and technologies. The participants completely enjoyed watching the commercial and the commercial was not just about technology. It was about how informal learning or social learning works. There were discussions on how difficult it is to measure informal learning,  challenges with respect to getting people to collaborate and some ways in which you can get people to collaborate in organizations. The session ended with feedback and suggestions. The participants showed lot of enthusiasm and asked for more such face to face meetups and knowledge sharing sessions. Here is a snapshot of the feedback cards:  The June session was recorded. Thanks to Hareesh for getting the camcorder. The video clippings will be made available soon. Watch out the IDCI site for more news on July meetup.

Artigo publicado na revista Computers in Human Behavior em co-autoria com Rebeca Redondo e Ana Vilas da Universidade de Vigo: Article title: A Social Gamification Framework for a K-6 Learning PlatformReference: CHB1881Journal title: Computers in Human BehaviorCorresponding author: Dr. Rebeca Díaz RedondoFirst author: Dr. Jorge SimoesOnline publication complete: 5-JUL-2012DOI information: 10.1016/j.chb.2012.06.007 Impact Factor: 2,293 Disponível em http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.06.007 Abstract: As video games, particularly, social games are growing in popularity and number of users, there has been an increasing interest in its potential as innovative teaching tools. Gamification is a new concept intending to use elements from video games in non-game applications. Education is an area with high potential for application of this concept since it seeks to promote people’s motivation and engagement. The research in progress will try to find how to apply social gamification in education, testing and validating the results of that application. To fulfil these objectives, this paper presents the guidelines and main features of a social gamification framework to be applied in an existent K-6 social learning environment. Versão estendida do artigo publicado na Tech Education 2012 (ver este post).

  China 2008 is a sport game. This game reminds you of Olympics where athletes participate in a series of events such as hurdles, javelin, long jump, high jump and so on. The athlete gets medals based on how he/she performs in each event. China 2008 gives you a feel of participating in Olympics. In this game you need to play a series of games, one after the other and you get scores based on your performance. You can choose to undergo training before you actually play the real game. You just need to use X and Z keyboard keys to play the game. It is really challenging to use the keys effeciently. But then its fun to play even if you do not fair so well. What I liked about the game 3D Graphics and animations Background score Training The concept Easy game controls Play the game now and share your experiences by leaving a comment.

Três vídeos com Constance Steinkuehler em conversa com John Seely Brown(ver este link). Nestes vídeos, Constance Steinkuehler responde às questões seguintes: Por que é importante investir em saber mais sobre jogos e educação?  De que forma os jogos podem afetar a socialização? Como saber o que é um "bom jogo"?  Estes vídeos defendem a importância da Aprendizagem Baseada em Jogos e por que é que vale a pena apostar nesta forma de educar. Outra visão, que vai no mesmo sentido é a do Professor João Mattar que no vídeo seguinte faz uma apresentação sobre a Aprendizagem Baseada em Jogos ou Game-based Learning. Na sua definição sobre o que consiste a aprendizagem baseada em jogos está presente a possibilidade usar elementos de game design na educação que não é mais do que a aplicação de gamification na educação. O vídeo inclui vários exemplos de como usar jogos em sala de aula. Uma extensa lista de vídeos e outros recursos sobre este tema podem também ser encontrados em Games in Education 2012 - SAGA. A partir da popularidade dos jogos sociais (Facebook games), Jesse Schell faz uma apresentação, muito polémica, sobre a generalização de game thinking: A terminar, um vídeo de Paul Andersen com o relato de uma experiência concreta de aplicação gamification em sala de aula (ver também este link que refere elementos de jogos que podem ser aplicados em educação):

 I do not think learning how to use a tool is a big challenge. But I guess you need to know how to work with a tool efficiently. Otherwise it might happen that you keep struggling to use the tool. When you are in an organization, you may not have a choice with respect to using the tool, you are comfortable with or you love to work with. You have to use the tool for which the organization has bought license. In such a situation it is best to get accustomed to the tool and quickly figure out how to work well with the tool. I have not worked with many rapid e-learning tools. I have tried Captivate and have always talked in favour of this tool because I have not faced many problems creating quick tutorials for software product using Captivate. When it comes to Camtasia vs Captivate, I always go for Captivate only because editing is very easy with Captivate. I have heard people say that Captivate generates massive slides and deleting all unwanted slides could be really painful. I have created only short tutorials using Captivate and I have found the tool effective and easy to use. I like Captivate because it is easy to adjust timelines and callout durations. You can also adjust mouse transitions. Recently I started using Camtasia and I must say I was flustered the first 2 days when I tried creating a tutorial video. I will not say Camtasia is a bad tool. I would rather say it is not easy to work with and I was not sure how to work with it. This is what I did I recorded all the screens I tried editing the video and adding call outs later Result  I had to split and extend frames leading to whole lot of items in the timeline.    I was not able to adjust the time frame of the call out after I split the frames. So I had to copy callouts onto the extended frames.   It was too much work splitting and extending frames. What I learnt I discovered that instead of spending so much time on editing, I must reshoot the entire video giving enough time for every call out and every text I was to put in the tutorial video. I wanted the call out with instruction to appear first and then the mouse action to happen. I kept this in mind and gave enough time for everything. Deleting portions of the video is easy in Camtasia. So I reshot the whole video giving 10 to 15 secs time for every action, keeping in mind the time the user would take to read text and see the actions performed on screen. You can estimate time by keeping an eye on timer as shown below: It was very easy after this because after I shot the whole video, all I did was delete portions of the video and insert call outs in appropriate locations. I did not have to extend or split frames because I shot the video in parts and not in one go. To sum up here are my two top tips to work with Camtasia: Always plan your video before you start recording Create a storyboard with every little detail including the time needed for each callout and each action on screen I am novice when it comes to Camtasia. I am sure there must be better ways to work with Camtasia. In case you are a camtasia expert, please share useful tips to work with the tool.

VoKi é uma plataforma que permite aos seus utilizadores expressarem-se através de avatares (voki's). Voki resulta da junção de "vox" (voz em latim) e de Loki, uma personagem da mitologia nórdica. O utilizador pode gravar a mensagem que pretender e o seu voki reproduz essa mensagem usando a voz. O tipo de voz é customizável, assim como a aparência do voki. A mensagem pode ser inserida sob a forma de texto, gravada usando o microfone do computador, fazendo upload de um ficheiro ou ligando a através de um simples telefone. O voki pode depois ser embebido num website ou num post de um blogue de forma a que a mensagem possa ser ouvida (ver exemplo abaixo; a mensagem foi definida através de texto). A plataforma disponibiliza ainda o Voki Classroom, um sistema de gestão escolar onde o professor pode inserir as suas turmas. Cada aluno tem depois a possibilidade de usar um voki para responder a actividades propostas pelo professor. A funcionalidade de criação de voki's é gratuita mas o Voki Classroom é pago (existe uma versão de demonstração válida por 15 dias). Nesta opção é possível definir mensagens de maior duração (até 90 segundos) e estão disponíveis diversas outras funcionalidades que permitem interacção entre professor e alunos. A plataforma é interessante quanto mais não seja pela possibilidade de criar e personalizar avatares que podem ser usados livremente. Os avatares são um dos elementos de jogos que podem ser usados na aplicação de gamification e esta plataforma disponibiliza um processo fácil para a sua criação com a particularidade dos avatares falarem. É possível escolher entre 25 línguas (ver o segundo voki abaixo). O Voki é editável e a mensagem pode ser alterada. Ver também este post.

Manish Mohan has launched a salary survey for e-learning, content development and technical writing jobs in India. I personally think such salary surveys are very useful because it helps you learn where you stand in your career. I have already taken the survey. Now it is your turn. Participate in the survey now. 

Foi publicado pela Gartner o Hype Cycle para 2012: "Big data, 3D printing, activity streams, Internet TV, Near Field Communication (NFC) payment, cloud computing and media tablets are some of the fastest-moving technologies identified in Gartner Inc.'s 2012 Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies. " Na zona "Peak of Inflated Expectations" estão algumas das tecnologias e tendências abordadas neste blogue como a gamification (que é a tag mais usada nos posts publicados), BYOD e realidade aumentada. Relativamente à curva publicada em 2011, a gamification não sofre alteração, mantendo-se no mesmo ponto da curva. Segundo a Gartner, ainda serão necessários 5 a 10 anos para esta tecnologia/tendência atingir o "Plateau of Productivity". Ver o Gartner Hype Cycle de 2011 publicado aqui.

Papa’s Pizzeria is a time management game. The game is set in a pizzeria. The objective of the game is to help Roy run the pizzeria in Papa Louis’s absence. You need to help roy take orders from customers and deliver the kind of pizza they want. The customer order typically contain the kind of topping, the position of topping,  the baking time and the cutting style. For every successful delivery of pizza, you get tips. The game proceeds in levels and you need to achieve the target for each level. You have to play the game only using your mouse. Here are some screenshots of the game: Arranging the topping as per order Baking the Pizza to the customer’s desired time Cutting the pizza as desired by the customer Delivering the Pizza The challenge of the game is to deliver the right pizza as fast as possible without making the customer wait. What I liked about the game The game introduction The graphics The simple interactivity model The background score Roy Play the game now and let me know how you liked it

Um projecto em que estou envolvido - schoooools.com - procura um investigador brasileiro (ou residente no Brasil) que esteja na área de aplicação de badges em contextos de gamification. Como este blogue tem muitos leitores no Brasil, se algum deles estiver interessado ou conhecer alguém que esteja, por favor deixe os contactos num comentário de resposta a este post. A project with which I am involved - schoooools.com - is seeking for a Brazilian researcher (or resident in Brazil) working in the ​​application of badges in gamification contexts. As this blog has many readers in Brazil, if there is someone interested or know someone who might be interested, please leave the contacts in a comment in reply to this post.

Technical Writing and Instructional Designing are never considered one and the same. If you go for a job interview, the hiring manager asks you for relevant experience in Instructional Desiging or Technical Writing. If you are applying for the post of a Technical Writer, only your experience in technical writing is considered. If you are applying for the post of an Instructional Designers, your experience on paper is considered and salary is fixed accordingly. Till some years back I was also under the impression that Technical Writing and Instructional Designing are varied professions.  Today I do not think so, especially when  I have tried my hand at both of the professions. In fact, these questions come to my mind now: Why is Instructional Designing and Technical Writing treated separate? Why is it debated whether Technical Writing  is better than Instructional Designing or vice versa? Do these job functions require completely different skill sets? Is it really difficult for a Technical Writer to get into Instructional Designing or vice versa? Let me now try to define the role and responsibilities of a Technical Writer and an Instructional Designer and then come back to my thoughts on the questions I raised. Technical Writer Skills Coordination skills Research skills Good writing skills Aptitude for Technology Knowledge of one or more authoring tools such as Dreamweaver, Framemaker or Robohelp Presentation Skills Communication Skills Creative Skills Job Create help manuals, installation guides and related manuals for applications or tools Create marketing  materials such as white papers, blogs, video tutorials and demos Tasks Has to understand why people need the product or application Has to understand who will be using the product and for what purpose  Has to understand the technology  before writing about it Has to decide what kind of information will appeal the users (in case its for evangelizing, marketing material needs to be created or if it is to help users work with the features in the product, step by step instructions are required) Has to interact with SMEs (developers) to get  the right information Has to structure content in a logical fashion Has to follow or fix standards and guidelines for writing Has to write concisely and precisely Has to present information using visuals and text Has to make sure information is useful to the users Has to do a pilot testing and check if people are finding the information useful and the presentation appealing. Instructional Designer Job Create e-learning courses or any training material. Skills Coordination Skills Research Skills Aptitude to quickly grasp any subject Presentation skills Visualization skills Creative Skills Analytical Skills Knowledge of graphic design tools such as Photoshop, Flash  (optional) Communication Skills Tasks Has to understand why the client needs the training program or e-learning course Has to understand who will be taking the course and their expectations Has to understand the subject thoroughly Has to decide what information to present Has to decide how to present the information (visuals, audio, interactive exercises ) Has to interact with SMEs to get the required information Has to logically structure information Has to find out how to assess if learning has happened Has to do pilot testing to check if the course is useful and appealing Whatever I listed above, gives us a clue that the basic skills and also to some extend the tasks are more or less similar for both these professions. So why these two professions are considered different? Common points to support the difference would be: Technical Writing Is a support function Requires familiarity with technology Requires working with technology Might be a high paying job Has got to do with information architecture and design Industry - software, telecom, anything that deals with applications, tools Instructional Designing Is a main stream job Requires more of creative and visual skills Has got to do with course architecture and design Industry - varied The differences I listed above are not convinving enough to makes these two professions poles apart.  In my opinion, what differentiates these two professions is : The kind of solution you come up with How you  implement it The reason why these two professions are not considered same is also because of popular myths as follows: Myths about Technical Writing You need not be creative You need not innovate Myths about Instructional Designing You need not understand technology You need not learn any graphic design or authoring tools Today I am not sure if any writing professional can avoid using or knowing about technology. Technology has become part and parcel of life. If you do not know technology, then you are missing out on something really important. Also you need to be creative in any profession. Your creative skills set you apart from others, no matter what you do. If you ask me if  Technical Writing is better than Instructional Designing or vice versa, I will not have an answer. I have worked on e-learning courses and also user manuals. They are different solutions altogether, but the skills that was required was almost the same. Is the transition from Technical Writing to Instructional Designing or vice versa a challenge in itself? I would not say the transition will be a cakewalk. I would say it is not difficult. It is just the matter of understanding what you kind of solution you need to provide. I think a mix of both Technical Writing and Instructional Designing skills is definitely an advantage. You get a broader perspective about content/documentation/learning solutions. What is your take on this? Please share your thoughts!  

Edheads Design a Cell Phone is a highly engaging and interactive learning game. The objective of the game is to design a cell phone that appeals to senior citizens. The game is about gathering client requirements, designing  a cell phone to meet the needs, testing the design with a small group of elderly people, getting the design out to the market and checking sales results. The sales results determines how successful your cell phone design has been. The game has different phases. The first is the research phase where you check survey results and understand the requirements of senior citizens with respect to cell phones. The research data give you information about their expectations in terms of usage, usability,design and so on.   The second phase is the design phase where you design a cell phone. You need to make sure that you design the cell phone in such a way that it appeals to senior citizens. After you design your cell phone you can do pilot testing and get feedback on your design. Based on the feedback you can choose to redesign or get it out to the market.   Once you are convinced with your design, you get it out to the market and the sales results determine your success.   What I liked About the game I like the way the game brings out the significance of research, pilot testing and sales results when it comes to product design. The game clearly conveys that every phase in product design is critical and has to be taken seriously. The game has a simple storyline and needs no help to play. There is guided assistance throughout the game. The game has great visuals and voice over. The interactivity model used in the game is very simple. You just need to play the game by clicking your mouse. The game encourages trial and error. Even if you fail to design the right cell phone, there are words of encouragement for you. This motivates you to play the game again and again Try designing a cell phone for senior citizens and let me know how you enjoyed the experience Play the game now!

Meal Masters II is a task based game. The objective of the game is to prepare a complete meal including starters, main course and dessert. The game gives you step by step instruction to cook a complete meal. The game controls are fairly simple. You play the game by simply clicking away using the mouse. The game has no audio and is a little buggy too.  The game also does not indicate when you make a wrong move. However there is something interesting and fascinating about the game which might be relevant to any learning activity. Let me quickly list the interesting elements in this game: Orientation Before you begin with the tasks, you get a chance to explore the kitchen and see where things are located. The arrows located at the sides of the screen allow you to move to different sections. I appreciate the fact that the game does not begin instantly and  there is some kind of orientation that happens before you get started. Attention to Detail When you are cooking you need utensils, food stuff, vegetables and spices. I have played other cooking games too that capture cooking processes well. However this game is slightly different from the rest of the cooking games I have played. Not only is the cooking process end to end in this game but also every little detail of cooking has been captured so well. For example, apart from the usual vessels, there are measuring cups, grater and many more stuff that you might use while cooking in daily life. The knives, spoons and related stuff are arranged in drawers. When you hover over any utensil, the utensil name appears in the yellow banner at the bottom of the screen. Every item in the fridge and cupboards are also labelled. There is everything that you need for cooking - cutting board, the cooking plate, mixer and oven.This  indicates attention to detail. I also like this idea of labelling objects. The player is never lost or never groping for the right object. Precise Instructions and Visual Representation As mentioned earlier, this game has no voice over. There are instructions that appear in a static callout.  There is also visual representation of the utensil or food item that you have to look for.  This is certainly a very creative idea. This saves your time from guessing and hunting for the objects. The game does not lack voice over because the instructions are so precise and clear. No Redundancy If steps for a task are being repeated, you get to perform the steps the first time with instructions and the second time, you do it by yourself. So the instructions are never redundant. When you play the game there is lot of silence. Yet you are engaged and engrossed in the game. If a game succeeeds in engaging you, then nothing else matters. What do you think about this game? Play the game now!