Business is under constant change and competition is ever-increasing. It is imperative that creating and sustaining a competitive advantage be a high priority and training is one area where organizations can do so. In comparison to traditional training methods, the use of 3D serious games, 3D training simulations, and virtual worlds offers greater flexibility, higher retention rates, more efficient use of training resources, and more. With over a decade of development experience,Designing Digitally, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of a white paper focused on the importance of utilizing immersive 3D learning to carry out critical training operations. Download this white paper to learn:     The differences between 3D training simulations, 3D serious games, and virtual worlds     The benefits of utilizing 3D in training     The challenges with implementing 3D learning     The industries and topics where 3D learning is most effective     The future of 3D learning

While serious gaming and gamification of learning companies like Designing Digitally, Inc. have been working hard to develop serious game models for several years now for business, industrial and even military applications (visit our Portfolio Pages for yourself to see examples of some of these great E-Learning and 3D training simulations serious games we’ve created), many of the bigger companies who helped to create I.T. in the first place have seemingly not been as vocal in promoting this fascinating technology. A 2009 newsletter from IBM we discovered is decidedly for serious gaming, going so far as to proclaim it to be "the future of learning." The newsletter included some potent facts from many sources about this milieu - pretty convincing material when it comes to proving the worth and value of gamification as a tool for all manner of education. Among the stats and facts IBM reports in-support of serious games are these gems: "Students remember only 10 percent of what they read; 20 percent of what they hear; 30 percent if they see visuals relatedto what they hear; 50 percent if they watch someone do something while explaining it; but almost 90 percent if they do the job themselves, even if only as a simulation." - Federation of American Scientists The average age of gamers today is 35. 67% of the U.S. heads of households play games, with a higher percentage in Asia. - Entertainment Software Association 2008 report From a higher academic perspective, there’s a "near-universal antipathy to the undergraduate lecture experience, showing that 98 percent who leave science and engineering majors cite ‘poor teaching by faculty’ as a major concern and that even 86 percent of those who stay say the same." - The Kauffman Foundation What these disparate statistics say together is that many, many post-collegiate individuals play gaming systems long after their college years, students in college are not satisfied with a purely lecture-based form of education, and the most efficient form of education (training for those after college) is a hands-on model that requires interactive experience.   Or as IBM explains it in their newsletter, "serious games can help today’s and tomorrow’s organizations work smarter by providing a broad understanding of business and organizational dynamics. Games acclimatize individuals to synthesize information in real time and to collaborate on developing solutions, thus making them a superior learning vehicle."   We couldn't have said it better ourselves. Learn more about serious games from Designing Digitally, Inc. here.

Designing Digitally, Inc. at DevLearn Conference & Expo 2012! Designing Digitally, Inc. is excited to announce our attendance at the Devlearn Conference & Expo 2012 - to be held this year in beautifully sunny Las Vegas from October 31st to November 2nd. DevLearn Conference & Expo 2012 is a conference devoted to E-Learning development. As you can imagine we’re pretty enthusiastic about being there and meeting lots of other professional E-Learning designers and developers, and seeing what they’re working on in the industry. As the Home Page of the conference explains it, DevLearn is "the world’s leading event for anyone dedicated to embracing technologies for training & development." That sounds great to us! Designing Digitally, Inc. will be showcasing some of our work in booth #513 in the Expo area, so we invite you to stop by and meet us. We will have our Microsoft Kinect Serious Game (Air Marshalling) with us, and will be awarding a $100 Amazon gift card to the fastest time at the end of the conference*. Come play the game and see if you can guide the plane through the obstacle course while learning how to maneuver a plane from the ground! The Aircraft Marshalling Serious Game is just one example of the serious games and simulations Designing Digitally, Inc. is creating for the Web, iPad, iPhone, and Android devices. Considering our passion for serious games and the gamification of learning, are you surprised that we’ll have this great skill game with us? Come and take the game for a test-ride during the following times: Wednesday, Oct 31: 12:00pm - 12:30pm 2:30pm - 2:45pm 4:00pm - 4:15pm 5:15pm - 6:00pm  Thursday, Nov 1: 10:10am - 10:30am 12:00pm - 12:15pm 1:45pm - 2:30pm - LAST CHANCE TO WIN! Don’t forget about the other exciting things going on in our booth from 9:30am-6:30pm on Wed Oct 31 and 9:30am-3pm on Nov 1: Spin our prize wheel to win one of many gift cards, a water bottle, or a can coolie…everyone’s a winner! Get your Expo Passport stamped! And, of course, learn about our educating, engaging, and entertaining E-Learning, 3D Training Simulation, and Serious Game solutions! Be sure to download the DevLearn mobile app before you get there! We are excited to see you there! *Person with the best score at the end of the conference wins! Gift card will be mailed to winner within 7 days of conference end.  

Entry Level Full-time Web Programmer In-House Hourly Position Paid Vacation & Bonuses This is an on-site position only Designing Digitally, Inc., located in Franklin, Ohio (between Cincinnati & Dayton), seeks a full-time Web Programmer to collaborate with the creative team to create industry-leading Web sites, Web 2.0 social networking, HTML5 E-Learning developments, and custom built CMS sites. Do you want to work with the latest tools and hardware? Do you want to work for a company where innovation is a top priority?  Do you enjoy a casual, yet professional atmosphere?  Do you have a passion for creating engaging, interactive and user friendly developments?  Are you a clever problem solver with an enthusiastic and positive attitude?  Do you thrive in a fast-paced, ever-changing, and stimulating environment?  Are you a self starter who is able to work in a team environment? If you answered "yes" to these questions, then you will make a great addition to our team. Essential Skills Understanding of Drupal and Wordpress Proven ability to develop, create, and update theme templates Knowledge of PHP, ASP, HTML, CSS, HTML5 and Javascript MySQL knowledge Willingness and ability to learn new technologies To apply for this position, please email your resume and PORTFOLIO EXAMPLES to: JOBS@DESIGNINGDIGITALLY.COM NO THIRD PARTIES, RECRUITERS, FREELANCERS, OFF-SHORE COMPANIES, OR PEOPLE WHO REQUIRE VISA SPONSORSHIP.

In-House Hourly Position Paid Vacation & Bonuses This is an on-site position only. Location: Franklin, OH (between Cincinnati and Dayton) Designing Digitally, Inc. is looking for a creative and innovative Instructional Designer who enjoys working in a fast-paced team environment. The Instructional Designer will turn ideas into a working storyboard that the multimedia and design teams can easily translate into the final product. Candidate needs to possess the following skills: Strong verbal and written communication - must be comfortable working directly with SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) Ability to work independently with little direction Researching and documenting task analyses Creating design documents that describe business needs, audience needs, high level tasks, delivery content, supporting materials, and evaluations/assessments Writing learning objectives and modules of content that ensure mastery of learning objectives, including but not limited to exercises, scripts, storyboards, simulations, games, and web-based training Working with graphic designers and programmers to style learning content with graphics and animations to maximize impact of learning Evaluating the effectiveness of training design through the creation of assessments and evaluations before, during and after training Collaborating with team members to execute a shared project plan and meet deadlines High level of organizational and time management skills Keen attention to detail in grammar and punctuation, visual design and layout, audio accuracy, and effective presentation Required Experience: Applicants should possess strong writing and instructional design skills. Specifically: One to two years of writing training material Performing needs assessments and job, task, and/or content analysis Gathering data Writing, sequencing, and prioritizing objectives Specifying instructional strategies Developing performance measurements Developing participant evaluations to determine satisfaction, effectiveness, achievement of learning objectives, and job-performance impact Conducting pilot tests, revising curriculum, and implementing necessary changes Required Computer-Related Skills The applicant should be proficient in PC environments and MS programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) Understanding of what the following applications are and what they do: Articulate, Adobe Captivate, Adobe Flash, Raptivity, and Storyline  Required Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Education, Adult Education, Creative Writing, Instructional Design/Technology, Management, Curriculum Development, Marketing, Business, or related degree OR equivalent combination of education and experience. Work samples required (Storyboards, Learning Objectives, Course Outlines). Please submit resumes and samples of your work to jobs@designingdigitally.com

The staff at Designing Digitally, Inc. would first like to extend a personal thank you to all of our existing and future clients. Thank you for allowing us to work with you in designing E-Learning programs, virtual world tools, game-based training, and so much more. Without you we wouldn't be able to provide the high quality work we are recognized for. As we’re all coming back to reality after the holidays, it is time to turn thoughts to plans for 2013 and beyond. You may be racking your brain as to how to do things differently in 2013. Maybe you’re tired of hearing employees complain about attending those mandatory trainings and meeting those professional development hour requirements. Moving from traditional training or online courses to fully interactive E-Learning simulations or virtual worlds for meetings and information exchange needs to be high on the list of things to do. Not only will this satisfy your employee base, but it is sure to delight your boss. New hires and existing employees will love to attend training online, preventing that age old problem of getting people to participate. During these cold month of February we can meet to discuss your E-Learning needs and help you to design a spectacular online training program. This is definitely the time of year to take a serious look at your current programs and how you can develop exciting and unique ways to focus your training in the upcoming year. Incorporating a professionally designed and developed E-Learning training program can also provide you with more free time to get on with the multitude of tasks you have to complete while we handle the development process. Give us a call and let us help you make your training program the next big thing in the company. It is always a collaborative effort and our professional E-Learning, Virtual World, Serious Game, and Simulation programmers can provide you with all of the training tools you have been looking for. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you in 2013 and beyond!

Quite often our employees are asked "What do you guys do?" Getting into a detailed explanation on how we develop innovative learning strategies in both 2D and 3D form with tangible returns on investment can sometimes be windy. So, we thought we would simplify things by providing our 2013 Capability Statement for download. Below you can click on the image to review a PDF of what we do. You can see our awards, clients, past projects, as well as our GSA schedules. So maybe next time we see each other at a conference, on the street, at the gym, or even out on the town you will now know what the team at Designing Digitally, Inc. truly does!   CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR 2013 CAPABILITY STATEMENT

It has been almost a decade since the last major SCORM update was introduced to the learning community. SCORM 2004 was a great evolution from 2.1, and now the members of Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) and Rustic have taken learner tracking another step further by Introducing Tin-Can API. Tin-Can API is a new type of tracking protocol for learning management systems that gives employers new options to see a more in-depth breakdown of their employees training within the Learning Management System (LMS). "So what?" you ask. "We have had SCORM for a long time now, and it tells me my employees have passed the course." You are correct. SCORM is able to bookmark, track time spent in the course, track if the learner has completed the course (pass/fail), and provide a score for their effort. This works great for traditional presentation style E-Learning developments we have seen for the past decade, but we are now seeing large demands for social learning, serious games, simulations, and virtual worlds to be used for training. The issue is that the old SCORM could only tell us if learners have completed their training, recommended courses, etc. SCORM does not tell us the effectiveness of the training, what the learner explored, what they interacted with, how long they were in a particular area, etc. So why do we need all this new information? As learning evolves from the traditional presentation style to a social and collaborative learning environment that uses 2D user engagement along with 3D environments, organizations will want to track more information regarding what a learner has done within these new learning approaches. Along with these approaches new technologies, such as gaming engines, HTML5, etc., are providing more possibilities of what can be done with employee training, which means more possibilities for tracking users. Tin-Can API is able to track a wide range of learning activities, including: Mobile learning Virtual worlds Serious games Social learning Training simulations Experiential learning Collaborative learning Watch this great overview video of what the Tin-Can API is capable of below: This information can be valuable to organizations as a whole. Tin-Can API can provide more definitive information regarding how well training is being perceived in your organization, along with comprehensive data about a realm that does not consist of linear learning instruction online. We are now seeing software applications such as Articulate Storyline allow for the export of Tin-Can API when publishing a course. In the future you will see more of the development software suits utilizing Tin-Can API. See how Tin-Can API works with Articulate Storyline: http://www.articulate.com/support/kb_article.php?product=st1&id=yhy5y6afimyc Now, one other thing to consider is that you must have an LMS that offers Tin-Can API. What does this mean? It means that, before trying to include Tin-Can API in your courses, you need to speak with your LMS administrator, to ensure it will work with your existing LMS. For more information about Tin-Can API view ADL’s website at: http://tincanapi.com/

Because we’re so passionate and committed to the arena of E-Learning in its’ many forms - virtual worlds development, 3D training scenarios, serious games, learning management systems and more - we wanted to revisit a subject we blogged about back in June of this year - The Gamification of Learning - otherwise known as serious games. At a recent conference we attended - DevLearn Conference & Expo 2012 - many visitors to our booth were intrigued by the concept of serious gaming, as if this apparent contradiction in terms promised some magical experience outside of the realms of ordinary mortals. And while we do admit that the phrase is a little counter-intuitive at first, we think we can help our readers to come to a better understanding of what we’re talking about here, as well as what we’re designing in our offices and studio. The word games conjures up images of group fun and competition, as well as playful activities to pass the time. Games also connotes the idea of escapism - of forgetting oneself and one’s daily duties and just enjoying time spent in idle pursuits. Adding the word serious to the mix completely mystifies some people, since games by their very nature and design are the exact opposite of serious - unless of course you’re talking about the Superbowl, which is another kind of ‘serious game’ altogether! But if you put these two words together and think of them conceptually, the idea of serious games makes sense. Serious games are games that are played about serious, responsible, practical matters. Much like children first learn to count or to learn their ABCs through songs and gimmicks such as marbles or sticks, serious games arrive via the Internet and the digital world of computers to teach learners important procedures, processes and facts but in a playful, engaging manner. The main reasons these "games" are growing in popularity as training materials for companies and businesses of all types is two-fold. First, the almost-universal presence of computers in all households, schools and libraries ensures that every generation since about 1980 has the experience of using keyboards and mice and monitors for playing and engaging with technology. For these students and workers, using a computer is as simple and intuitive as tying their shoes or ringing a doorbell. It’s a tool-set they are completely comfortable and at-home in using. Computer games, search engines, website navigation... these design applications are examples of form following function and are all simple and convenient for IT-based learners. Secondly, now that technology has advanced beyond the printed word (Thank you Johannes Gutenberg!), our original learning mode practiced long before reading took hold of humanity can become a different modality for education. We’re of course talking about visual learning - something all humans use as their primary method of gathering information until they learn to read in about kindergarten or first grade. With the advent of highly sophisticated computer design programs for interactivity and graphics, visual learning can go to places undreamed of before the digital revolution. And so serious games are born - playful interactive experiences using monitors or handheld devices that communicate medical procedures, security protocols, manufacturing processes and more with moving avatars and sound - all executed from the safety of one’s desk or armchair until enough learning has happened to make the physical tasks being practiced safe for the new learner to initiate. Serious games - they’re here and they’re remarkable tools for training and education. Allow Designing Digitally, Inc. to show you how serious games can make a positive impact on your employee training initiatives - contact us today to get started on gamification for your company business. Or read our testimonials first from clients just like you who’ve seen what the future holds for businesses today. Want to learn more about serious games and simulations? You can download our 2012 White Paper - "Corporate Training Using 3D Serious Games and 3D Training Simulations"

As a business owner, trainer, human resource manager and busy professional you have no doubt toyed with the idea of getting some type of online training going within your company, organization or agency. You have probably also thought about saving money and doing it on your own after buying one of the many different software programs available that reportedly can give you all the support you need to develop a very professional looking e-learning module. While there are some good software programs out there, unless you have specific skills and experience in e-learning development is it virtually impossible to develop your own web-based learning that stacks up against those developed by professional companies. There are three very important considerations when trying to decide between a do-it-yourself web-based design program and hiring the professionals. At Designing Digitally, Inc. we have seen many people spend hundreds of hours in trying to create the perfect online learning experience for their audience. Before you spend time and money stop and consider these three reasons why it is best to let our professional e-learning developers use the virtual training tools we have developed to provide you with just the experience you want for your target audience. Hands On Experience with All Types of Businesses We have worked with nearly every type of company, agency, organization and business out there to create serious games, e-learning modules, virtual worlds, 3D simulations and gamed based training. This includes designing everything from virtual campus tours to simulations that allow the learner to practice protocols and procedures as well as management scenarios that stress problem solving and leadership abilities. This experience means that we have already developed a proven set of virtual learning protocols and designs that work without the need to keep recreating everything from scratch. The software packages that you buy aren't going to be able to give you tips, ideas, and expertise like our virtual world design staff and e-learning developers can. There are many different tools and techniques that can be transferred from one type of e-learning to another, but there are some that really don't transfer well. If you do not have the experience with different options you can find yourself spending hours in developing one aspect of the e-learning program that just won't work. In addition you may not realize the steep learning curve you will have just to use those software packages. In many cases this learning curve is going to drastically increase the amount of time it takes for you to complete your development in comparison to your expected completion time. This is time you have to take out of your own work schedule or put in on top of your existing 40 hour work week. Most people find that the pressure to get the program complete is overwhelming and extremely time consuming. Working with experienced professionals that can give you an overall design, modify it based on your feedback and then implement the development is going to take all the pressure off you to try to work through the program with little or no experience. Team Based Approach There is much more to developing games-based training, virtual training tools or e-learning simulations than just adding some text, a few animations and some sound effects. It is important to incorporate three different components, the Three E's, into each and every online learning experience. The Three E's include: Educational - developing a gaming experience that incorporates the specific learning objectives required is not an easy feat to accomplish. It requires specific skills in understanding learning and teaching methodologies that can accomplish these objectives.   Engaging - the program needs to capture the attention of the learner and keep them interested in the learning process. This can be done through serious games, 3D simulations, game based training or the use of virtual worlds to allow the learners to participate actively in the experience.   Entertaining - if the web-based learning experience is not entertaining there is no benefit for the user to be engaged in the learning process. Entertainment value is what differentiates an e-learning experience from a traditional 19th century classroom based learning experience. Having a team of professionals that can address the Three E's of web based learning development ensures that your training requirements will meet the standards necessary. Since no one person can specialize in all aspects, the team approach really does make sense. The team approach also ensures that there is quality assurance, testing, high quality interface design and input from experienced professionals all along the development process. Time and Money Savings When you hire the professional team at Designing Digitally, Inc. to handle your e-learning development for designing virtual training that is customized to your company, business or organization you will be saving yourself both time and money. Time saving will occur because you don't have to do the work yourself; you can provide ideas and input, but the professionals will actually implement your plans to create the e-learning experience you want for the target audience. The finished product will also save you money since it will be ready to implement without the need for tweaking, changing and modifying. Testing is all done before the e-learning goes live online as part of the program development. If you use a software package you will have to pay for all that plus the cost of an e-learning developer to come in and tweak the program. In some cases you may actually find that the time and money you spent to develop your web based training ends up getting scrapped and you have to hire a professional anyway. Since our focus at Designing Digitally, Inc. is providing high quality online learning through virtual worlds, simulations and e-learning we can assure you that the final product will be just what you want. We can incorporate your theme, branding and the use of your particular learning objectives into the game so it is completely unique and customized to your specifications. You won't have to take time out of your already busy schedule and you can continue to focus on your job while we do ours.

Designing Digitally, Inc. is excited to see you March 13-15 at Learning Solutions 2013! We have a handful of exciting new learning projects we’re looking forward to sharing with you! Check out the information below to be sure you’re ready: Review the schedule for LS2013 - Use this to plan your day! Follow us on Twitter and follow hashtag #LSCON for conference news and updates! Like us on Facebook for updates on who the leader is of our Air Marshaller Serious Game! So where will Designing Digitally, Inc. be at Learning Solutions? Well, first you will see some of the team walking around with our company shirts on, but if you really want to see some of the innovative learning solutions we’ve been creating for customers please come see us at Booth 307! As a creative team, we make sure to bring our gamification skills to Learning Solutions. This year we are bringing back the Air Marshaller Microsoft Kinect Serious Game per the request of some past winners and other players of the serious game. The top performer at the end of the conference will win a $100 Amazon Gift card, and bragging rights of being the best serious game learner in all of Learning Solutions land! Don’t worry second and third place, you will get gifts as well! But we promote only the winners gift because as Ricky Bobby always says "If you ain't first, you're last."   Our schedule for the contest is below: Wednesday March 13th 12:00pm - 12:30pm (during lunch) 3:45pm - 4:00pm (during break) 5:15pm - 6:00pm (during welcome reception) Thursday March 14th 10:15am - 10:30am (during break) 12:30pm - 1:00pm (during lunch) 3:30pm - 3:45pm (during break) Come see us in Booth 307 of Learning Solutions 2013! We have free swag, cool learning solutions, gamification, and did I mention march madness stress basketballs - just to get the frustration out for you not winning your company's bracket tournament. We hope to see you there! And until you stop by be sure to stay creative!

Online Training & E-Learning Trends to Remember from 2012 It’s March, and it’s that time of year again when companies are analysing Q4 2012 and Q1 2013 data. Companies are analysing programming efforts on the past year’s accomplishments, and making adjustments based on lessons learned. While doing our homework on trends in 2012, Designing Digitally, Inc. stumbled upon a fascinating summary article written by Jessica Athey, 4 Trends in Online Training & e-Learning in 2012 for TrainingIndustry.com, concerning some of the more important trends to "emerge" into the public conscience last year in terms of digital training initiatives. However, we feel Designing Digitally, Inc. has been trumpeting these initiatives for longer than that, and we’re glad the world is catching up to us a bit! Mobile Learning Applications With everyone getting on-board the mobile/hand-held technologies train these days, it’s not at all that surprising businesses are scrambling to leverage the huge popularity of smart phones and tablet computers for E-Learning applications. With the almost universal accessibility to the Internet that mobile devices provide, as well as their ease-of-use HR pros, trainers, and teachers are using the convenience of mobile learning applications to help new hires, vacationing staffers, and traveling workers to develop new skills and get up-to-speed more quickly than ever before. As Ms. Athey writes in her article: "Mobile delivery makes it easy for employees to access just-in-time training, performance support, checklists and more at the most convenient times for them. This could be while waiting for an appointment, during lunch or any other time an employee is on-the-go. This type of functionality, convenience and ease of use is exactly what makes mobile technologies unique and powerful for online training." We couldn't agree more. Gamification Some businesses and sectors have had a bit of a difficultly grasping the nature of "gamification" since in some ways it seems contrary to the nature of the business world as they know it. That said, work styles and work life are changing dramatically as twenty-somethings enter the work world with very different ideas and expectations about what they want from their employment situations. With altruism, flexible schedules, and tele-commuting more popular than ever before, even the process for instilling knowledge and processes into new workers is changing, and gamification is one potent part of that new process. As Athey writes in her article: "The term 'gamification' has received a lot of traction in the E-Learning and training community. Some learning professionals imply that gamification means simply utilizing games in courses, but others note that it does not mean strictly using actual games but rather 'gaming mechanics,' according to Scott Lake from the Brandon Hall Group. Gamification 'plays' on our innate desire to compete and win by including game-like characteristics as a way to enhance training and motivate employee participation." Gamification is a fun way to learn and to teach on-the-job skills while speaking the language of the new workers coming into the workforce, who have been raised on digital games since their childhood. E-Learning: Bite-sized and A` La Carte Online learning is growing tremendously for stay-at-home students, distance learning collegiates, and for new hires and trainees needing to be instructed uniformly in processes and protocols at their new jobs. HR professionals recognize the liberating and empowering use of E-Learning to provide consistent, monitorable education, and training for all workers, and that the new method of providing E-Learning in smaller chapters and bite-sized bits that are easier to "digest" than voluminous coursework is being explored and watched by many educators and trainers. Some say  smaller-sized modules and training materials are just dumbing-down students and catering to shorter attention spans, while others cite new modes of communication such as mobile tablets and phones, as well as flex-time work schedules, as proof that the traditional 9-to-5 world is fading, and compact lessons accessible "whenever" make learning more convenient and thus more enjoyable for students. As Athey points out in her article: "In this 'information now' era where access to information is conveniently at our fingertips at any given time, learners do not typically want to delve into text-heavy or time-consuming E-Learning content; Learners want quick, bite-size pieces of information. It is much easier to progress through a course in smaller chunks and much easier to retain information when we can process and reflect on information in small sections." Designing Digitally, Inc. is committed to the new ways of learning that technology is allowing us to develop, yet we also believe in the quality and workmanship that has been the hallmark of production values in America since the Industrial Revolution began. We look forward to meeting and talking with you about your education and training needs in for Q2 through Q4 of 2013 - please reach out to us by clicking this link. You can also read Jessica Athey's complete article, 4 Trends in Online Training & e-Learning in 2012, here.

Administrative Assistant / Office Support In-House Hourly Position Paid Vacation, Sick Time & Bonuses This is an on-site position only. Location: Franklin, OH (between Cincinnati and Dayton) Designing Digitally, Inc. is looking for a self-starter who enjoys working in a creative and fast-paced team environment. The Administrative Assistant should be dedicated to making sure the day-to-day administrative tasks are taken care of efficiently, reliably, and accurately. Candidate may be responsible for, but not limited to, the following: A wide variety of clerical and general office duties (answering phones, typing correspondence, data entry, electronic filing, bill paying, ordering supplies, making travel arrangements, preparing shipments, scheduling meetings, taking meeting notes, and other administrative duties for one or more persons) Gathering data and creating/editing documents and spreadsheets, as well as a variety of other reports Supporting projects by assisting with building and maintaining project plans/schedules and proofing and editing of a variety of items Bookkeeping and preparation of payroll utilizing Quickbooks (Quickbooks experience a plus, but not required) Occasionally required to lift/carry materials weighing up to 50 lbs Candidate needs to possess the following: Strong verbal and written communication - must be comfortable working directly with managers, clients, and vendors Ability to work independently with little direction - shouldn’t wait to be told what to do High level of professionalism and integrity - maintains utmost confidentiality Enjoys multi-tasking - can organize and prioritize tasks with interruptions and flexibility Strong attention to detail - enjoys finite details and ensuring nothing is missed Valid Driver’s License Clear criminal record - subject to background check Required Computer-Related Skills The applicant should be proficient in PC environments and MS programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) Type at minimum 60 WPM Required Education and Experience Two years of post-secondary education in a related field and one year of related work experience. Please submit resumes to hr@designingdigitally.com

Presenting material to learners in a two dimensional format is common in most types of online learning programs. Most E-Learning companies provide this basic format, but at Designing Digitally, Inc. there is always the option to enhance this basic experience by adding virtual worlds and 3D simulation training to any online learning experience. Virtual worlds have several benefits over basic 2D types of E-Learning experiences and are very applicable to any type of training program. Experiencing The Training Rather than just learning about a specific technique, skill, protocol or procedure, virtual worlds and 3D simulations allows the learner to actually learn about and experience the learning objective. In a 3D environment the learner can have an avatar that interacts within the virtual world much like the experience of being in a video game. The avatar can try out different options in the game and, through correct and incorrect choices, have a much more complete learning experience. People that have the option to experience learning rather than just reading about the concept ultimately have a better understanding. The human being learns through the results of what the avatar does in the program. Adding Socialization Having the option to include multiple learners in an online training environment within a virtual world has benefits to all learners. Chat systems and interactive features between learners in the game provides opportunity to talk about the experience, reinforcing the learning. It is also a great way to allow people from all over the company, agency or organization to take the same training at the same time without the need for travel. Everyone can experience the training virtually through the environment created online. This immersion in the 3D environment has additional benefits. It is possible to provide some healthy competition by adding a scoring element in a game type of format. Serious games and simulations that are scored will allow co-workers to compare scores and continue to strive to become better at the skills and learning objectives built into the game. Adding a Sense of Space and Environment Virtual worlds are really a great option since they allow the learner to have a sense of space and environment in the learning process. It is not flat and abstract since the E-Learning developer can make an environment that is very typical of the environment in which the skill or learning experience will be carried out. This is also a great way to ensure that the learner is able to use the skills learned appropriately and within the protocols that are required by the specific organization or agency. The entire E-Learning module doesn't have to be part of the virtual world or simulation. It is possible to place a 3D element within the 2D training so traditional types of material is presented plus the learner gets to experience and practice the skills. This is a great combination of learning modalities that is sure to reach all learners and engage them in the training.

On behalf of everyone at Designing Digitally, Inc. we just want to give you all a heads up that there will be a bit of commotion during the end of April here at the Designing Digitally, Inc. office. As you may know Designing Digitally Inc. has steadily grown year after year into the innovative company that we are today. Due to our innovation and growth we have come to realize that we now have outgrown our current office location, as a result we will be moving our office headquarters to a new and larger location. If you are a current client, or have been in communication with our team, understand this will not affect your deadlines or meetings. Once the dust has completely settled, and our entire team has been migrated over to the new office location, we will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a social mixer at the new location. Stay tuned for more information on when the ribbon-cutting will take place! Please update your address book with the following address for Designing Digitally, Inc. Designing Digitally, Inc. 8401 Claude Thomas Road, Suite 30 Franklin, Ohio 45005

The Work World & Serious Games - What MyScienceWork Has to Say on the Subject MyScienceWork is an interesting website (www.mysciencework.com) chock-full of fascinating research, news and reporting an all manner of scientific studies and findings - ranging from agriculture, archaeology & astronomy to computer science, political science and psychology. We came across a very timely piece on their website not too long ago and thought we’d share a distillation of that article’s main points with our dedicated readers. Titled Gaming and Working: When Two Worlds Collide, the sub-title of the article is what first clued us in to the accuracy and understanding that these guys (just a phrase here dear readers - we’re not implying that only men are writing for this site!) are imparting via online reporting. Video Games as Training Tools is that sub-title, and it sounds like the kind of blog post we’d routinely write for our blog. Yes, yet another online entity out there that really gets it about serious games, and boy do they have some affirming facts and statistics to pass along to their readers! While the article starts out by pointing-out that children and video games can be a bad mix if overdone due to onscreen violence concerns, the writer quickly switches gears and explains that specialized professional skills such as surgical hand-eye coordination in adults can be enhanced with serious games, and from there the article really gets interesting. As the article goes, "This raises the question of the evolution of teaching and training, not only during formal education, but also in a professional environment. Nowadays, there is a real market for games called serious games whose primary purpose is not pure entertainment, but training, advertising, simulation, or education. They took off in the mid-2000s, when small game companies needed to find a new way to survive, as they couldn’t compete with their big competitors on the pure entertainment market. Several companies, public administrations and the defense department use these kinds of games." Some of the highly affirmative and exciting information in the article on serious games includes these details: In 2003, C. S. Green and D. Bavelier showed that playing action video games was able to radically alter visual attention processing. Since then, gamers have proven to have better reflexes, spatial attention and hand-eye coordination. On February 27, 2013, G. Patrizi, D. Giannotti, G. Di Rocco, A.R. Vestri and C.P. Semproni showed that a Nintendo® Wii™ training program had a positive impact on laparoscopic surgical skills. The doctors who regularly played three Wii™ games requiring visual concentration and hand-eye coordination for one month performed surgery more successfully. Scientists at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, led by lead author Dr. Sam Kilic, reported that teen gamers are "better at virtual surgery than medical residents." As the quoted Dr. Kilic observed furthermore in the article, "As we see students with enhanced visual-spatial experience and hand-eye coordination that are a result of the technologically-savvy world they are immersed in, we should rethink how best to teach this generation." At Designing Digitally, Inc., we couldn’t agree more, which is why we’ve invested a great deal of technology and staff hiring in the direction of serious games development, which we feel is the next wave of employee training and empowerment for the technical and digital age we find ourselves living within today. Give us a call or contact us using our form fields and get your company or business started in serious games for training and education. We can help you to understand their value and efficiencies for the 21st century workplace. Read the full MyScienceWork article on serious games here.

In the training industry the word virtual trainer is often used loosely. Some refer to the narrator as a virtual trainer and some see virtual trainers as actual people training online. But what does it mean to have a virtual trainer in an e-learning project according to Designing Digitally, Inc.? I know you all are very eager to hear our explanation, so let’s get started. In the realm of e-learning development, Designing Digitally, Inc. views the virtual trainer as a reliable replacement for the Instructor Lead Training (ILT) you will currently find in most classrooms. Often with ILT, lessons are planned consistently, but rarely delivered as planned. By using a real live instructor, there will be variables regarding how well the experience went for each individual. Much of ILT is dependant on the instructors themselves. Each learning experience will be determined by the instructor’s effectiveness in the classroom, their delivery of the lesson and their personal health and mood. These variables can lower the learning experience of each person in the classroom if the instructor is sick, grumpy or late to class. By using virtual trainers within E-Learning Designing Digitally, Inc. those variables and inconsistencies are blasted away. The virtual trainer will be there to present information, and guide you through the learning experience just as an instructor would, but without human error. The virtual trainer will never get sick, never get tired, and will never be in a bad mood. The virtual trainer is designed within the E-Learning environment using 2D or 3D animations and Artificial Intelligence (AI), providing dynamics to the virtual trainer never used before in our industry. The virtual trainer within the programs created by Designing Digitally, Inc. not only presents information, they determine what you have done right or wrong and suggests the best strategy to move forward in the learning experience. This is not an easily created linear e-learning program. Our complex systems such as serious games and training simulations incorporate AI technology to ensure it’s not the simple "hints and tips" brand of virtual training. AI technology provides a more true to life training experience using decision making capabilities to determine what the virtual trainer will do next based on your decisions. In conclusion, we’re not stating ILT is being replaced by our virtual training systems we build into e-learning. What we are stating is that you can have a development created with a complex AI driven virtual trainer that will never get tired, or have a bad day. This will keep the learning consistent for each and every learner throughout the organization. Overall, we are not suggesting the virtual training systems we build into e-learning are replacing ILT. We are simply stating you can have a program created using a complex AI driven virtual trainer that will never get sick, tired, or have a bad day, thus maintaining a consistent learning experience for every learner throughout an organization.

As more and more young people in high school and even middle school find themselves in possession of cell phones, tablet computers and notebooks, it’s not surprising that the more enterprising students among them are using their mobile technology for learning applications whenever possible. Like every generation before them, teenagers are adept at jumping onto trends at their onset and don’t require nearly the learning curve that older adults do when it comes to appropriating new skills and technology. A recent report we came across on Cellular-News.com highlights the growing popularity and zeal among young people to use their personal handheld devices for educational enrichment. The survey and report, created by the national education nonprofit known as Project Tomorrow as well as the learning management system company called Blackboard, reveals, among other details, that access to smartphones by American high school students has more than tripled since 2006. The survey report also declares that many students now consider their inability to use their own electronics devices in school as their primary barrier to a healthy digital education. According to the report, "’We are beginning to see mobile learning take shape in pockets around the nation where a small but growing number of innovative educators are finding ways to leverage the once-banned mobile devices for learning,’ said Julie Evans, Chief Executive Officer of Project Tomorrow. ‘Educators have an opportunity to help students learn more effectively and deeply by leveraging students' preferred learning tools and strategies.’" The survey report also goes on to discuss the shifting views of both parents and teachers when it comes to allowing the use of personal mobile devices for learning in the classroom, as well as the innovative edge some schools are developing as they make broader accommodations for Wi-Fi and technology-based education and enrichment. As Senior Vice President Brett Frazier of Blackboard explains in the article, "We see mobile as a transformative technology for engaging students. As these results show, educators and parents have an opportunity to leverage students' growing interest in mobile devices to engage them in a more personal learning experience that doesn't end when they leave the classroom." To read the entire article about high school students and mobile learning interest, please click here. You can also learn more about mobile learning development from Designing Digitally, Inc. - one of core areas of expertise, as well.

Due to rapid growth within the company, Designing Digitally, Inc. has recently expanded into a new office! Based right here in Franklin, we’re an award winning development company specializing in creating E-learning modules, 3D training simulations, and virtual worlds for businesses and government agencies. Our mission is providing top-quality services that ensure our clients’ goals are met. We invite you to join us for our Ribbon Cutting and Open House event on Tuesday, July 16th from 4:00pm-5:30pm. You will have the opportunity to see our new office firsthand and meet the team who made this expansion possible. Samples of our past work will be available for your viewing enjoyment, and we will provide alcoholic and nonalcoholic refreshment as well as light appetizers during the event. We look forward to seeing you on July 16th. If you know you are attending, please RSVP by the end of the day on July 11th. To RSVP, just follow this link (no registration required): http://www.evite.com/event/0077CIYT2I2JAACHKEPC3EATQLYWRQ. For more information, please call (513) 698-8142 option 8 to speak with our administrative assistant, Rae Niehaus. Our new location is: Designing Digitally, Inc. 8401 Claude Thomas Road - Suite 30 Franklin, Ohio 45005   For all of you that cannot attend. Please feel free to click to view some of the panaramas taken at the new location below:

Serious game and simulation developer Designing Digitally, Inc. will use HTML5 and the Unity Development Platform to design serious gaming to teach and expose students to home assessment skills which are difficult to teach in traditional classroom formats. Franklin, OH June 21, 2013 - Designing Digitally, Inc., a full-service interactive design company, has partnered with Rutgers University (formerly The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) to create an interactive serious game utilizing the award-winning Unity3D development platform that will allow learners to edit virtual homes to be barrier free. Rutgers Professor Dr. Karen Huhn is spearheading this effort in collaboration with the team at Designing Digitally, Inc. When talking about this effort, Dr. Huhn stated, "This serious game will provide the opportunity to practice a skill (home assessment) in several simulated environments in a fun, interactive manner." This effort will allow students to interact with elements within virtual homes so they can be converted into barrier free living spaces. The learners will be able to walk throughout the virtual homes and select features of the home that need to be remodeled to be fully accessible. For instance, in some of the homes learners will be able to change the height of the countertops or even change the width of the doorways to accommodate a person who uses a wheelchair. Andrew Hughes, President of Designing Digitally, Inc., indicated that they "...partnered to create this serious game because it is a skill that is difficult to teach in traditional classroom format. Using 3D gaming allows us to simulate multiple home environments in real time and allows the learner to test his or her strategy in a safe, cost effective way that could not be done in the traditional classroom setting." Once completed, the 3D serious game will be available for purchase from OpenSesame for integration into school's learning management systems. The game will be available sometime during the fall of 2013. About Designing Digitally, Inc.: Designing Digitally, Inc. is a full-service interactive design firm and serious game developer. Located in Franklin, Ohio, Designing Digitally, Inc. has developed a number of serious games and simulations, virtual worlds, and E-Learning solutions for companies around the country and the globe. Designing Digitally Inc.’s overall goal is to add value to the clients that they serve by creating engaging, educational, and entertaining learning solutions. Contact: Andrew Hughes Designing Digitally, Inc. 513.698.8142 http://www.designingdigitally.com About Rutgers (Formerly UMDNJ): Rutgers University is a leading national public research university and the state’s preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. Rutgers is dedicated to teaching that meets the highest standards of excellence; to conducting research that breaks new ground; and to turning knowledge into solutions for local, national, and global communities. Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) is the health care education, research, and clinical division of Rutgers University, comprising nine schools and their attendant faculty practices, centers, institutes, and clinics; New Jersey’s leading comprehensive cancer care center; and New Jersey's largest behavioral health care network.

When the Serious Game conversation turns to dollar and cents the chatter around the design becomes muted. Designing Digitally, Inc. knows the two are mutually exclusive and need to be addressed prior to investing some significant coin. We already know that stakeholders and decision makers must factor in the value of the investment with any learning programs created, and Serious Games are no different. We also know that we need metrics and artifacts to help inform our client of the true value of their educational product. However, the metrics we can glean from a Serious Game are far more data rich than what we could expect from just a regular E-Learning module residing in an LMS. This provides an opportunity to delve more fully into comprehending how the current design of a Serious Game is improving transfer of learning and where it may be hindering it. The goal of a Serious Game is to impart knowledge, facts, concepts, and processes in a contextually meaningful way. The design provides opportunities for the learner to move through levels and/or reach goals. This typically occurs through interactions with the game elements such as other players, the environment, and/or objects. The standard goal and hope is for learners to apply their newly acquired skills and/or information outside of the game and in appropriate situations. For example, a sales representative practices objection-handling techniques inside the game with various customers. The goal behind the Serious Game is to get the sales representative to actually utilize those techniques in their real-life sales calls. Are increased sales of the representative the only method of showing the game was worth the investment? It could be, but it wouldn’t be looking at all possible analytical options. So where can you go to gather data? You can start with their Learning Management System (LMS). Any LMS can show you a few things about Serious Gamers, such as the gamers’ start and end times for the game as a whole or levels within the game and what was achieved (passed or failed). This can provide you with a surface comprehension of game use, but it still doesn’t tell you if game use was meaningful towards achieving the goals of the Serious Game. Gathering additional metrics on social interactions, routes that users took to achieve a goal or how a user leveraged an acquired game item to reach a goal or level would inform designers and stakeholders about the value of the investment. These new data points move away from just showing achievement, by actually capturing how something was achieved. This additional information provides insight into the ROI discussion. Was the investment into this game worth it? Did the learners not only achieve what they should in the game, but did it also translate those achievements into actual accomplishments outside of the game? Given the previous example on objection-handling, what if the sales representative never used many of the techniques in real-life that they learned in the game? If you only had start and stop times and pass/fail information you might be at a loss for why the Serious Game did not yield the result you had wanted. On the other hand, having the extra data points may tell you that cues from the game to socially interact with a peer or manager did not occur. Another example may be that perhaps the use of a game item, such as a clinical study to support a sales approach to objection-handling, was not leveraged. Determinations can then be made on whether the design of the Serious Game needs adjustment. How can you get at this type of useful data? An upcoming option for gathering the more finite details from a Serious Gaming system is to use TinCan API which can be used in conjunction with an LMS. It does everything we just discussed with respect to data collection. It provides the ability to record any learning experiences of a learner or group of learners and their individual and collective learning paths. This translates into the ability to compare job performance to training data to determine effectiveness. When deciding whether or not to go with a Serious Game make sure the conversation includes a balanced discussion around ROI, first from the perspective of the learner and then the investor. Ask what defines success for the learner when using the Serious Game. Then outline a strategy that will engage the learner and provide the/an opportunity to achieve each identified "success" in the game. Within that strategy, flag all aspects of the learner’s engagements and interactions that will help to build a data set for analysis. For the investor side of the ROI, delineate what success looks like in a contextual sense. By this we mean, given the Serious Game, what do you expect the learner to be able to do with what they achieved? Is it to be more efficient, increase sales, heighten awareness, or decrease accidents? Revisit what was flagged for data collection and determine if more elements within the game need marked to ensure that all ROI specifications have attributable metrics. As a final point, our discussion here focused mostly on what could be quantified from the Serious Game and from future performance of a learner. However, much is to be said about gathering qualitative information on the experiences of the users in the Serious Game. Aspects of motivation, self-efficacy, decision making, and other components of human behavior are difficult, if not impossible, to quantify as they are subjective and tend to be individually driven. These facets may be just as vital to the design of the Serious Game and the future performance of the learner.

Due to rapid growth within the company, Designing Digitally, Inc. has recently expanded into a new office! Based right here in Franklin, we’re an award winning development company specializing in creating E-learning modules, 3D training simulations, and virtual worlds for businesses and government agencies. Our mission is providing top-quality services that ensure our clients’ goals are met. We invite you to join us for our Ribbon Cutting and Open House event on Tuesday, July 16th from 4:00pm-5:30pm. You will have the opportunity to see our new office firsthand and meet the team who made this expansion possible. Samples of our past work will be available for your viewing enjoyment, and we will provide alcoholic and nonalcoholic refreshment as well as light appetizers during the event. We look forward to seeing you on July 16th. If you know you are attending, please RSVP by the end of the day on July 11th. To RSVP, just follow this link (no registration required): http://www.evite.com/event/0077CIYT2I2JAACHKEPC3EATQLYWRQ. For more information, please call (513) 698-8142 option 8 to speak with our administrative assistant, Rae Niehaus. Our new location is: Designing Digitally, Inc. 8401 Claude Thomas Road - Suite 30 Franklin, Ohio 45005   For all of you that cannot attend. Please feel free to click to view some of the panaramas taken at the new location below:

"We will transform the way we train people by giving real-time access via their smartphone, tablet or laptop to this 'gamification' concept to heighten and speed up learning and training at all levels." That, according to technology forecaster Daniel Burrus, is one of the main points to ponder for the future of business and one of the big firework explosions in an amazing article we found on CNN about serious games and mobile learning. It’s a very exciting time for our industry, as the proliferation of gaming, the appreciation for mobile apps and all they can accomplish, and the ascendancy of technology in the workplace are all coming together and giving the collective business world an epiphany about what IS possible with the virtual world for the future of Business. And we’ve known it all along. When major news players like CNN are able to cover our industry and report on practical insights and potentials, you know that a tipping point has been reached. It’s taken a bit of time - since the 1930s in Russia when a war game was adapted for their business practices according to the article - but we’re seeing interest and enthusiasm from both the education and economic worlds about the use of serious games and mobile applications for E-Learning. People are experiencing the "light bulb" moment of insight that is needed for real transformation to occur. A few of the sparkling "revelations" in the CNN article include: "’Games can be an amazing leadership tool,’ says Steffen Lofvall, senior consultant at Copenhagen Business School (CBS). ‘And there are quite a few studies documenting that you learn at a deeper level when you add the digital element,’ he says." "At CBS, there is a focus on expanding the use of games in their masters and executive programs. Currently twenty games are being used or have the potential to be used; some are virtual strategy games while others are simple board games like ‘The Leadership Casino,’ which challenges the leadership abilities of the students. After the first semester of use the games resulted in an average class improvement of 14% and an 8% improvement in the perception of the leader, according to CBS." "In a study on the link between education and employment, global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company suggested that serious game simulations could become the apprenticeship of the 21st century. It says games and simulations can offer detailed, practical and real-world scenarios to large numbers at relatively low cost. ‘The future of hands-on learning may well be hands-off,’ the report notes." We are delighted and super excited to see serious games, E-Learning and mobile learning being reported upon with deep understanding and vision by vetted and respected news organizations like CNN. It’s a very exciting time to be in our industry, and we look forward to sharing our expertise with both academic and business organizations that want to take their organizations to the next level of evolution and efficiency. If you’re ready to get going with various E-Learning applications for your enterprise, please contact Designing Digitally, Inc. and we’ll answer all your questions succinctly and professionally. We’re here for you in the 21st century!

The adage "cart before the horse" seems appropriate in a few conversations that you can have around E-Learning developments, but there is purpose and value to these seemingly backwards conversations. In particular, Designing Digitally, Inc. prefers to discuss Return on Investment (ROI) during project initiation. Analyzing this prior to creating an award winning product means post-product deployment data collection and analysis should move along a bit easier, giving you those ROI answers you are seeking. However, two things must happen: 1) the initial conversation on what constitutes ROI for your company and 2) the administrative and logistical aspects of collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. One of the best ways to drive an ROI conversation in the beginning is to look at the objectives of the learning program. The objectives of the E-Learning development should culminate into one goal that the learner is to achieve. For example a company may seek to improve safety or yield better production numbers on the manufacturing floor. A learner that cannot reach the objectives will impact the projected ROI. This means the design of the training must ensure that the objectives are being met during design and development and after implementation. To achieve success in meeting objectives, strive to create contextually meaningful scenarios and activities. Bedding the learning in a familiar manner improves retention and transfer of learning to an actual work environment. However, it’s important to make sure to align roll out to maximize transference. Deploying new training on Friday provides little opportunity for the learner to demonstrate application until Monday. Retention rates diminish after 48 hours, so make sure consideration is given to the timing of deployment. We would be remiss if we did not discuss the most popular form for gathering data: surveys. However, surveys are not just for post-implementation; they can be used while designing and developing the educational product as well. They do not have to be complex or overly in-depth. They can be targeted and simple and be just as effective. Let’s use our example of creating contextually meaningful activities. Say we have just provided you a prototype of your Serious Game and are encouraging you to have some of your SMEs or learners test it out. A basic question of, "Does this relate to the work you do on a daily basis?" with a scale of agreement (Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree), and a follow up text-based inquiry of, "Share up to three aspects of this training that relate to your job," will give insight into whether or not the objectives are being met through the design created, as well as if the learners are, in turn, identifying with this design. Even the design of the E-Learning development can incorporate a pre- and post-survey into the training to gather information on perception, value to the learner, established knowledge versus learned knowledge, and so on. Just remember, surveys do not have to look like surveys. They can be part of a storyline or in the form of a quiz or game among other things. Obviously a vital area to examine for ROI is skill development. After all, this is one of the main reasons for the investment to improve or enhance the learner’s capabilities to perform their job. We can have all of our metrics revolve around the creation, implementation, and post-learning, but we would be missing the mid- to long-term metrics that may tell us more than the immediate data we collect. However, much like our encouragement of starting early with gathering metrics, this aspect only provides as much useful data as what was put into it prior to the training. That’s right; we need baseline data on our learners so we can see the difference in performance post-learning intervention. Not just immediately after, but months after and even up to a year after. Lastly, as you begin to create your plan for ROI analyses, don’t forget other variables that may greatly impact your numbers. Some of the more key factors to consider are: the time of the year when the training was deployed, if the company has undergone any major changes or even within the learning group that will receive the training, the company’s culture and attitude, dynamics of teams and groups within the learning audience, and lastly, the economy. These factors can all have a positive or negative impact on the learning experience and on the ROI. For example, if the ROI was intended to measure sales growth and the economy is weak for this particular market it may be hard to expect the results that were intended. Another factor is timing the training deployment. Disseminating training after the high season for sales may only show marginal results as opposed to the project ROI. Even tension between colleagues and team members or the uncertainty of a company’s stability given changes can impact intrinsic and extrinsic factors of the learner and ultimately the ROI bottom line. So, even if you have your ROI cart selected, just be sure to pick the right team of horses to pull it through to success!