When you hear the term "game mechanics", what comes to mind? This phrase has evolved rapidly with new technology, and it now represents the rules and feedback systems that are in place to generate an accessible and enjoyable game. From driving the user's experience to every aspect of the way a game runs, the mechanics are the heart and soul of the design of a game. Good game mechanics are harmonious, engaging, and are in tune with the needs and wants of the targeted audience. Seems simple, right? In actuality, defining and implementing game mechanics can be difficult, as audiences and technologies are constantly changing. That being said, innovative, engaging, and detailed game mechanics are important, especially in today's society where there seems to be a new game or style of game coming out every day. From using the appropriate platform to pinpointing a targeted audience and developing a game that will have users coming back for more, there are a handful of things to remember when truly trying to understand what goes into the mechanics of a successful serious game. Defining Game Mechanics It may be helpful to look at game mechanics as a series of puzzles that are all connected. What we mean by this is that each and every step or action performed by the user is integral to the overall experience of the game. Whether the game requires users to beat a certain level before they can proceed or answer a question, the user is perhaps the largest piece of the puzzle. Basically, a user performs a prompted action, the action then causes some effect in the game (e.g. receiving tokens or points or proceeding to the next level), and then the user receives feedback which is used to perform another action. This cycle of action and feedback continues, and is in essence the mechanics of the game. This continuous cycle of feedback, or feedback loops, is essential to the overall operation and user experience. Additionally, the need for feedback throughout the various steps of the game shows that users are itching for information, especially when it will help them solve a problem or "beat" a game. Engagement, Engagement, Engagement So what is the most important part of game design? You guessed it, engagement. Without promoting user interactivity and captivation, a game will not succeed. And in order to get people interested and coming back for more, the game mechanics must be top-notch. Since it all begins and ends with the game users, having (and understanding) a targeted audience should always be the first step. Once you have an audience in mind, it is important to remember that easy games quickly become boring and repetitive, causing users to look for a more challenging (but not too difficult) game. Implementing incentives and new ways to achieve the goals of the game as well as constructing a game that requires a little bit of thinking and problem solving are the keys to a successful game. When it comes to the mechanics, remember that people are looking for a combination of entertainment, interaction, and challenges that tests their skills and knowledge.   Game mechanic design takes long-term dedication, planning, and knowledge. From understanding a targeted audience to having the capability to create a game that is both engaging and interesting, the mechanics of a game are integral to its overall success. With this, user feedback is another central part to a game and it is important to ask yourself time and time again, "why should people want to play?"  

E-learning opportunities have quickly become one of the most popular methods for people to receive an education or expand their knowledge in a particular subject area. Because people are now seeking more unconventional ways to learn new material, developers and industry experts are having to make adjustments to keep pace. Enter: game mechanics. Game mechanics are essentially the rules and mechanics of a game that are in place to encourage user engagement. In a sense, the mechanics of a game define how it is going to be played and what people are going to get out of it. When it comes to e-learning, the mechanics of a game are what make or break it. If the game is not well-designed with the user and end goal in mind, you are basically setting the user up for failure. Engagement Matters The primary purpose of game mechanics when it comes to e-learning is to increase overall engagement. If you focus on developing an e-learning game that users are set up to want and like, you are bound to be successful. Understanding your target audience and designing a game that is in line with their interests and learning objectives is key, but it all ties back into the mechanics of the game. Using game mechanics to provide clear feedback for users as well as something they can manipulate, interact with, and understand are all important factors when you are looking to increase engagement. With this, people respond well to an element of uncertainty with games. They get excited when they think they might have predicted something accurately and will more than likely want to go back and learn more. One way to do this is by developing user-centric games. In order for e-learning games to be successful and interesting to users, they should be as social as possible. From allowing users to create a personal profile to having various tasks or exercises that award 'bonuses', users need to be encouraged to become willing participants. The more the mechanics of the game motivate and reward users, the more they will learn and become dedicated. Creating a leaderboard or giving users the option to post to social media platforms such as Facebook or GooglePlus are other great ways you can set yourself up for success, and have users coming back for more. In a nutshell, game mechanics directly affect how individual engagement can be transformed through the psychological and neurological impact of e-learning games. Games Reward the Brain The mechanics of a game are crucial to the user's experience because they contribute to how much fun the user is having while they are learning. With this, games that are designed to reward and engage the brain, keeping users interested and searching for more, are what people are looking for, whether they know it or not. The tasks and elements of a successful e-learning game should always be supporting the learning process, and rewarding the user at the same time. So how, exactly, is the brain rewarded by the various game elements? Any time you are doing something that is encouraging your brain to work and you are simultaneously thinking to yourself, "this is fun", should be considered a reward. With this we mean that "rewards" aren't always tangible. You are rewarding your brain by interacting and participating in an action that is not only giving you more knowledge, but is capturing your attention and getting the juices flowing. We can see why e-learning games have become such a popular way of learning today, as game playing encourages people to take on challenges. People thrive off of collaborating with others, which is why games are so successful in e-learning scenarios. The bottom line is that game mechanics are the single most important element to whether or not a user will gain knowledge and find success with a game. By focusing on creating layers of goals and objectives with game mechanics, we are encouraging users to stick with the game and pursue knowledge in a way they may not even realize.  

Designing Digitally, Inc. will be at the Learning Solutions 2014 Conference this year in beautiful, sunny Orlando, March 19-21! You’ll find us in Booth #313. We are excited to have the privilege of sharing examples of customized learning games and simulations with you, including some of our 2013 work AND our Recycle Roundup game using Leap Motion Technology! Check out the information below to be sure you’re ready: Review the schedule for LSCON14 Follow us on Twitter and follow hashtag #DEVLEARN for conference news and updates! Like us on Facebook for updates on who is in the lead in our Recycle Roundup Leap Motion Game! If you are not able to attend the LSCON in Orlando, we invite you to visit our website to see some of our latest and greatest work! For more information reach out to us here!

When it comes to designing and developing a serious game that is both engaging and educational, the Designing Digitally, Inc. team understands what needs to be done. The goal of serious game design is to turn would-be boring content into something interesting, aesthetically engaging, and educational. While instructional game design strategy is dependent upon the content and client goals, there are a number of best practices we have found that will help contribute to your success. This list is far from exhaustive, but the tips below should give you a better comprehension of how we work and how we will be able to benefit you and your company. Know Your Objective When it comes to designing a learning game, it is essential for you to have an instructional objective or goal in mind. In other words, what is the exact message you want your game to convey to users? What do you want them to get out of it? By asking yourself those questions and other similar ones, you will have a better idea of what your goals are and what direction you are interested in going. Who Is Your Audience? The next step is to determine your target audience. It is best to have a general idea of your learners' educational background and specific needs before starting out. This will help you develop a game that not only captures and holds their attention, but also equips them with new knowledge that they will be able to retain and use in the future. Properly Embedding the Game It is important to embed the game using a specific structure for best results. An example of this would be to inform learners at the beginning of the game what, exactly, they will be learning. The next step is to allow learners to use and experience the game and then to educate the learners on the overall goal and important aspects of the game. Then let's start to look at the type of mechanics you want to add to the experience. These mechanics will make up the format of the learning game, so choose wisely and make sure it sticks with the audience. Keep it Simple A successful instructional game is not inundated with complicated rules and concepts. People respond better to simplified, to the point instructions, so it is important to keep the rules and scoring simple. Also, let them learn while discovering, rather than a large upfront load of instruction. Make Sure Your Learners Are Comfortable Before they begin the game, it is a good idea to make sure all learners are comfortable with the rules and understand what their role is. You may also want to provide them with a practice round that will not count, especially if the game seems a bit complicated. Be Smart About Your Focus Focusing your game on various learning outcomes instead of just winning will help keep users engaged and interested. Most people do not like to lose, so it is a good idea to center the objective around something other than strictly winning or losing. Group Learning Depending on your game and overall goal, it may be useful to implement group learning. Groups oftentimes better facilitate learning and keep people interested. This is becoming ever more popular, so adding group social competition will help drive the experience. Design For Multiple Sessions People typically want to play a game more than once, so it is essential to make sure your design is one that can continue on and keep the learners engaged. This does not mean developing a loop where users will perform the same actions over and over again. The game should allow learners to continue playing but with another strategy. Interactive Users respond well and retain more information with interactive games. Boring lectures or blandly presented information will cause learners to lose interest quickly, and more importantly, they most likely will not learn anything. Our team at Designing Digitally, Inc. understands how to create and implement an effective instructional game that will keep users interested and educate them at the same time. By following the 9 practices listed above and many others, we can help you develop a game that will be successful and well-received.

As with the education sector, corporate training is getting a major overhaul. Thanks to the rise in popularity of electronic devices, traditional training tactics are no longer the 'only way'. Using serious games for training purposes not only allows businesses to make the training experience more exciting, but it helps companies appeal to the growing number of millennials entering the work force. When it comes to creating and developing serious games that will prove to be successful in the work force, there are a handful of things to consider before starting. Having a clear definition of the game objectives is perhaps the most important step, as this will define every other aspect of the serious game. If a game is not developed with a particular objective in mind (whether it is to help increase sales, inform employees of a change in regulation, or solve a particular problem, for example), then chances are the game will not work as effectively as you would like. What is the Objective? Having a well-designed and thought out game is oftentimes not enough. If you’re looking to create a successful serious game that conveys necessary information in a manner that encourages user response and engagement, you’ll want to have a well-defined objective laid out. You should first decide what you’re looking to get out of the game. For example, are you going to be using a game to increase company sales and introduce a new sales strategy, or will it be teaching something specific to your employees? Once you have determined what purpose you have in mind for the game, then you can move on to the next steps. Having a clearly defined goal or objective in place will allow you to make better strategic decisions throughout the duration of the training, as well as deliver the right features and identify the most effective training methods. What Are the Best Tactics for Conveying Your Information? Once you have a clear objective in mind, you can work on deciding what the best tactics will be for conveying your desired information. Whether it's requiring users to complete simple puzzles or more complex tasks and activities, it is important to understand which will work best for your purposes and your audience. Matching the right experiences and tasks to your audience can be challenging, which is where the following tip will come in handy. Who is Your Audience? In order to be successful with a serious game in training scenarios, it is important to understand your desired audience. You could have the most effective and amazing game designed, but if you did not take into consideration your intended audience, chances are it could fall flat. Designing with your audience in mind will help keep user frustration at bay, and you will have a better chance of encouraging meaningful user engagement and interaction, leading to a successful game. Which Platform is Best? Now that you have your game objective and intended audience in place, it is time to look at which platform will be best. For example, can your audience only access the game through the web, or can they play it on a mobile device? Does the content need to be refreshed on a regular basis, and is there a time requirement or limit for the game to be completed in? Answering these questions and other similar ones will help you decide which platform will be the most effective for your particular game, and for your specific audience. As you are trying to encourage engagement and motivate your audience, it is a good idea to go over all of these different components. There are numerous factors that contribute to a game's success, and being aware of what these are will help you achieve your desired goal. Having a clearly defined objective, knowing your audience, understanding which tactics will work best, and using the right platform are all important things to consider when developing a serious game, and they will undoubtedly play a role in your overall success. These things all require research and an investment of both time and resources, but it will be well worth it in the end.

It is a very exciting time to be in the E-Learning industry, as computer and Internet use continues to grow and expand across all age groups & demographics, and businesses of all sizes and shapes are realizing the vast capabilities of E-Learning programs for education, training and corporate efficiencies. Serious Games and Gamification - once-arcane concepts that bubbled up only in the Tech and Geek worlds - are now being discussed and utilized for marketing, administrative functions, human resource evaluations, corporate and industrial training programs and more across a broad spectrum of industries. Serious games are of course the use of computer game-based systems and programs for purposes beyond mere entertainment. As Designing Digitally, Inc. has been trumpeting for quite some time now, younger workers and Internet-savvy individuals of older generations are quite used to computer-based operations and work. The use of computer-based gaming programs that can teach protocols and processes for the workplace as well as educate students of all ages on complex subjects is a natural progression and evolution of video gaming that started way back in the Seventies. Now, large corporations and Fortune 500 and even 100 companies are embracing gamification for their ease of use, adaptability, fairness & impartiality during evaluations, and safety for on-the-job training. Recent case studies on Samsung, IBM and Allstate help to show the efficacy of these great learning and training tools for the new millennium. For Allstate, serious games have enabled the insurance giant to receive innovative ideas from its employees around the country, thanks to a gamified social innovation tool from a company called Spigit. Since the employees of any large company are the ones "in the trenches" and doing the work, it makes sense that these individuals would be the ones to understand what is and what is not working in terms of company processes. Allstate wanted to tap into this large, collective awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the company, and serious games helped them do just that. According to the case study report in PC Advisor, "Allstate has been running blitzes for four years, and has generated more than 5,000 ideas and more than a million visits to the tool. In addition to coming up with the ideas, participating employees can vote other ideas up or down, or add their own comments to existing ideas….One successful blitz resulted in changing the process of how claims are scheduled in an office. ‘It sounds like a mundane process, but leadership didn't recognize how complex it was and how much stress it was causing employees,’ explains Matt Manzella, Allstate's director of technology innovation. ‘Changing the process saved the company $18 million a year in adjusters' time.’" You can read more about the success of Allstate in enlisting employee suggestions via gamification by following this link Electronics giant Samsung desired to garner more user-generated content and traffic for its global website - which often go hand-in-hand from an essential search engine optimization perspective for online marketing. The company, like Allstate above, also knew that their product users could have insights on Samsung technology that could help newer customers. To do so, Samsung created a social media-based loyalty program utilizing serious game principles. As the case study was reported on the Destination CRM website, "Combining work and play might sound counterintuitive, but companies that do so are already noticing real results. Samsung, for instance, mixed frivolity with serious business initiatives when it created…Samsung Nation through behavior platform Badgeville…Fueling competition, the game lets users level up, unlock badges, and gain subsequent rewards and recognition. Samsung, in return, saw 66 percent more users submitting 447 percent more product answers on its global Web site. Even more impressive, the user-generated content prompted 34 percent of users to put 224 percent more items in shopping carts." Learn more about the Samsung case study using gamification by clicking on this link. Lastly, Ignite Social Media has some fascinating coverage of the 8th annual Serious Games Summit (Yes, you read that right!), featuring IBM’s own Serious Games Program Manager, Phaedra Boinodiris. (Yes, you read that right too - IBM has a serious games program manager!) Ms. Boinodiris is a bit of a legend in the video gaming industry, and she presented IBM’s utilization of serious games for marketing purposes that explain business process management to college students and city planning processes to CEOs, presidents, COOs and other leaders. Quoting from the Ignite coverage, "IBM’s brand is difficult to understand these days. How do you help people understand these complex systems that IBM does? How do you explain something IBM helps with like business process management (BPM) and make sure the information is retained? To Phaedra, the answer was simple: you make a game. Innov8, a serious game created on the Vicious engine, was rolled out as an IBM academic initiative to explain BPM to students across the nation. To this day, over 1,000 universities use it. What does this mean for marketers? It means that IBM has a foot in the door with rising generations. Students going through college and learning about BPM learn it through an IBM product with IBM branding attached to it. This game gives IBM a presence in the schools, making an impression on the future leaders of the world and future potential customers. Moreover, Innov8 became the top brand for IBM within a few days of it going live in 2009. The number one lead generating asset for IBM became a serious game and it happened almost overnight. Please follow this link to learn more about IBM’s efforts and their success with serious games for marketing purposes. Clearly, huge enterprise companies are seeing great results by tapping into the creative communication and educational powers vested in serious games. We’re going to keep doing our part to share these successes with our readers, whom we hope will be interested in working with Designing Digitally, Inc. on your own serious games initiatives for your business. The future is here - are you ready to join us?

Please join the DDINC team on April 9 for the 2014 Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference and take a sneak peek at our amazing line-up of speakers, panels, workshops, sim demonstrations, poster presentations, and more. The online conference covers a wide range of subjects concerning virtual worlds and how we use these for education, virtual reality, smart games, arts and science, and the future of technology. We are very pleased to announce that our own President, Andrew Hughes, will be a featured Keynote Speaker at this year’s conference. Andrew is speaking about how utilizing Virtual Worlds and Gamification has enhanced learning and recruiting for corporations and universities. We look forward to seeing you all at the conference this year, and for more information please visit the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference website! Below is the detailed information about Andrew’s presentation: Featured Keynote: Using Virtual Worlds and Gamification to Enhance Learning Presenter: Andrew Hughes, CEO Designing Digitally Date/Time: Friday April 11th, at 7:00am PDT Location: Second Life - VWBPE Central Auditorium  

Think of any training project you have been involved in. Now, ask yourself, was it successful? Better yet, do you know what success for that particular training project should look like? If you answered no to either of those questions, or you answered yes by looking at how many people participated or received a passing grade, then you should take a closer look at needs analysis. Learning takes many different forms. The one most of us are familiar with is the passing on, or creation of, knowledge. This is the basis for traditional academic learning. However, most training, or at least successful training, isn’t simply academic in nature. We train because we are looking to do more than affect cognitive abilities. We train because we also want to affect behavior. This means that just measuring participation or passing won’t tell us if we were successful. Instead, we need to measure behavior, but not just any behavior. We need to make sure we are training to, and taking measurements of, the right behavior. This is where Needs Analysis helps out. What It Is In short, Needs Analysis is used to identify the gap between a desired behavior and the actual behavior, then map out how to remove the gap. Lots of different experts have come up with lots of different ways to perform a Needs Analysis, some even have helpful fill in the blank worksheets. But all of these variations have a few key points in common. The first is to start with a clear understanding of the problem or behavior you want to effect. Then, work out what is affecting it. How It Works Say you’re looking to reduce the number of back strain injuries at your warehouse facility. You have the behavior you want to affect, but to be successful, you still need to know why the injuries are happening. It could be that your employees don’t know proper lifting procedures. It could be that they do know but because of time or other pressures, they aren’t following procedures. It’s also possible that ignoring procedures has become a modeled behavior from more senior employees. Knowing which is your root cause helps ensure you can deliver the appropriate training, and deliver it to the appropriate audience. In a nut shell, you need to first define the problem and discover its cause, before you can build the right solution. What you need is Needs Analysis. Needs Analysis will help you take the gap between your employees’ current performance and your ideal goal for their performance and mold it into training that addresses and overcomes that gap. Perhaps your research reveals that the increase in back injuries is due to time constraints or pressures rather than lack of knowledge. You now know you need to create training focusing on ways your employees can manage their time on the job more efficiently. If you’d created your training without Needs Analysis, you might have assumed lack of knowledge was the reason for their injuries, and the training you developed from this would be less effective for them and more costly to you. Needs Analysis will fully equip you to create successful training for your staff. You’ll have a larger, fuller picture of your target audience and the steps you need to take to elicit improved behavior from them. You’re much more likely to get the results you’re looking for if you give it a chance to work for you.

The analysis phase of e-learning project development is perhaps the most critical as it helps you uncover information that is crucial for your project to be successful with your intended audience. There are several different types of analysis you should be aware of, all of which play an integral role in the overall operation and success of the project. Different Types of Analysis It is a good idea to perform the below types of analysis at various stages of your e-learning project. Some types of analysis require little effort and research, whereas others call for a more in-depth look at your organizational documents, audience surveys, and more. Needs Analysis Needs Analysis is used to determine the gap between where you currently are and where you’d ideally like to be. With this learning gap identified, you’ll be able to tailor the learning experience more effectively for your future users. You will get the information for a needs analysis from speaking with your targeted audience, managers, instructors, and human resource staff members. A great way to collect the information you are looking for is to conduct surveys and provide questionnaires to your users in order to assess their knowledge and skill-level prior to them engaging in your e-learning project. User Analysis User analysis is another important type of analysis that will help your developers better understand the audience. In taking a more in-depth look at the target audience group, you will then be able to design an e-learning project that they will respond to and be willing to participate in. It is helpful to identify the following in order to get a good idea of who your users are and what elements they will respond to and are looking for in an e-learning project: Demographics Education level Computer literacy Preferred type of learning Work responsibilities & roles Social characteristics The best way to get this information is to conduct interviews and provide surveys to your targeted group. Task Analysis A Task Analysis looks at the specific tasks your users will have to perform and what the intended learning outcomes of your project are. During this study you will be able to break down the tasks associated with a specific job role, skill, or learning outcome. This may include looking at task descriptions, difficulty of tasks, skills and equipment required, and the role of the environment in completing the tasks. In order to get this information you should speak with those considered experts in the field, look over relevant training materials, and observe those in the field. Important Analysis Questions To get a better idea of what you need to do in order to set your learners up for success with your e-learning project, it may be helpful for you to ask the following questions during the analysis phase: What do you expect users to be able to do once they have finished your course or training program? Have you found any specific performance mistakes that new users are making regularly? What resources or training tools do experts use to perform the specific tasks? Do you know the consequences the learner will experience if they fail to successfully complete your course? E-learning is a wonderful tool used for training and as a way to provide knowledge to interested individuals in a controlled and accessible manner. In order to ensure your project is successful and users are engaged, it is important to perform the above listed types of analysis. By taking a deeper look at the intended tasks, audience, and needs, you will better be able to control whether or not people are getting what you desired out of the course or module. Contact us today so we can help your organization with a needs analysis.

Drive Vermont has helped over 10,000 permit drivers learn the rules and regulations of driving in the State of Vermont. Franklin, OH April 15th 2014 - Designing Digitally, Inc., a full-service interactive design company, has partnered with the State of Vermont’s Department of Motor Vehicles to create an innovative learning experience for learner’s permit drivers in Vermont. This HTML5-developed free interactive program has been designed to help residents of Vermont learn to drive safely. The user-friendly system is visually appealing and accessible across multiple devices. The specifications for the project included accessibility features as well as access for users with low bandwidth or limited computer systems. With this in mind, Designing Digitally, Inc. built a fully HTML5 interactive learning experience that works on all major platforms and tablets. Logging in allows users to start back where they left off at any time, leaving them free to explore each 3D lesson at a comfortable pace. To reinforce what they’ve learned, users will encounter scenario-based questions that include multiple choice, drag and drop, matching, and even controlling a virtual vehicle through scenarios. At the end, learners will take a simulated drivers exam which prepares them for the DMV-issued exam they must pass to receive their driver’s permit. The HTML5 learning experience was developed with a web-based back-end learning management system to make it user-friendly for Vermont DMV’s administrators. By logging into the control panel, administrators can review all analytical data about students, groups, quiz questions, and the learning experience as a whole. They can also edit assessment questions at any given time. This allows the State of Vermont the freedom to update the system on their own as their policies and procedures evolve. Abby Hughes, Director of Business Affairs at Designing Digitally, Inc., remarked that, "Developing this tool for the Vermont DMV has been a great experience. It is always a delight to work with them." You can visit Drive Vermont at: http://drivevermont.vermont.gov/ You can read the case study at: http://www.designingdigitally.com/portfolio/elearning/drivevermont

What does it really take to have a strong, instructionally sound serious game? This is the question everyone is trying to answer in the training industry. With over a decade of experience we have perfected this approach to developing sound Instructional Design for Serious Games and would like to share with you our expertise. So rather than just tell you about it, we’ve created a HTML5 interactive infographic explaining the proper steps that will ensure you are following the Best Practices for Instructional Design of Serious Games. Click the image below to review these best practices and contact us today about having your serious game developed!  

An important aspect in serious game development is the use of analytics. Analytics, and more specifically learning analytics, signify the measurement, compilation, and analysis of data for the purpose of optimizing learning outcomes. Analytics are basically "actionable insights," which means they allow you to take a deeper look at the overall performance of a serious game and determine whether or not it is meeting your game objective. Understanding what, exactly, analytics are and why they are important to serious game development will help you in the design process and also in assessing the educational gain of your game. Why Analytics Are Important You may be wondering why it is a good idea (or necessary) to go the extra mile and perform an additional analysis. The answer is that learning analytics and assessments give you the data and information you need to measure how effectively the game is achieving your intended goal. There is also an additional benefit in that analytics provide you with detailed insight into what adjustments you can make to improve your results further. Analytics collect data and information about the user's experience throughout the game. This information indicates which tasks, rewards, and challenges are helping the learners accomplish the overall objective of the game and which areas they might be struggling with. There are various methods that can be used to collect data, all of which will give you a clearer perspective about how your game is performing and how your audience is interacting with it. The more data you have at your disposal, the greater your ability to make decisions that will ensure success. There are numerous ways developers can collect the necessary data, including the following:   Logging into the game as soon as the user begins, quits, or finishes - This will allow you to notate how many people played the game, how many actually finished it, and how many quit before completing Notating phase changes - This applies to games that are divided into phases or levels By recording when a user finishes a phase, you will be able to determine how the user is distributing their time within the game Logging user performance - This is done by recording when a user hits a certain milestone or level, which will help you establish the user's performance in the game Recording user interaction - This information can be used to determine whether or not a user understands the game mechanics   Learning analytics in serious games are imperative to the success of the project. There are many different methods that may fit best with your specific needs, and you must align the analytics to the goals and the learning outcomes. By making a point of collecting data and tracking user progress and other key points throughout the game, you should then be able to determine what is working and what isn't. Once you have a good understanding of how well certain objectives are being met and which are falling short, you will be better informed and able to adjust the game as necessary.

You may be thinking about investing in a serious game, or you may have a serious game already. We’re excited for you either way! Designing Digitally, Inc wants to help you along the way. We have a few questions for you once you have your serious game complete. So now that your serious game is built, what are you going to do? Go live with it and wait? Tell your coworkers? Make a blog post about it? Create a case study? Also, how are you measuring success and failure? What analytics are you tracking? More importantly, how are you marketing this to become a success? These are some of the many questions left to answer after the project is complete. Often times, when we are approached about a serious game, the focus is on the development of the game, and not so much how it is going to be utilized by client’s employees. The industry has the mindsets that once you build a serious game, people are just going to play it and reach your learning objective. This is called the Field of Dreams mentality; and it has failed our industry many times over. To ensure your serious game is a true success, you must have an integrated marketing plan in place. Our team at Designing Digitally, Inc. creates award winning serious games that have been proven to provide a positive return on investment. Companies that realize a high ROI from serious games do so because of a three reasons. First, creating an interactive and effective learning experience. Second, the serious game is engaging and entertaining; keeping the learner coming back to play. Finally, companies that realize a high ROI implement internal marketing strategies to encourage learners to play. To help with your internal marketing efforts, we have provided a list of five suggestions we hope you find useful. 1. High Score Board - Provide people with free lunches or bragging rights if they are a top performer at your game that week. Put the scoreboard on a TV or digital board so it is visible every day. Also, give employees reminders in emails of their scores, and use the board as much as you can in your existing marketing efforts. 2. Badge Awards - Provide individual awards for completing particular achievements. Such as, improving their rank on the leaderboard by 10 places in a month, or having the most cross sells per quarter within the game. 3. Make it a part of your Integrated Marketing Offerings - Encourage a culture where employees want to become top performers. Send people home as new hires with your game and inform them all top performers get to choose where they sit after their ninety day trial period. 4. Use more than money - Money goes a long way, but status is more important to people. For instance; why are we hesitant to tell people how much money we have in the bank, yet we splurge on luxury vehicles? It shows status. Use the leaderboards to show status to low performers and present them with just a few people above them that they can surpass with little effort. 5. Be a key player - Nothing encourages employee involvement like executive involvement. Imagine how much fun your employees would have trying to top your executive team’s scores. What better way to show the benefits of the skills the game reinforces than by having your executive staff also participating? Leading by example is one of the fastest ways to encourage greater morale and more active participation. Even though your serious game was built, there is much work to be done once it’s complete. Work that is often times overlooked by the industry. The team at Designing Digitally, Inc. hopes this educates our audience on what happens after the serious game is built, and how you can get the most from your game. For more information on how Designing Digitally, Inc. can help you develop and implement your serious game, contact us today!

Learning is an ever-important aspect of workplace training that has been transitioning to more informal methods over the last few years. The rise in the popularity of tablets, smartphones, and numerous social media platforms has changed the way organizations train employees and relay important information and policy changes. By embracing a learning culture and being open to change and adaptation across the board, businesses are not only setting their companies up for success, but are creating a more positive and effective environment for employees. Informal Learning Explained Informal learning is typically defined as "learning that takes place independently from instructor-led classes or course-specific work such as self-study programs, performance support materials and systems, coaching, mentoring, and/or online community-based learning through social and business networks." Informal learning approaches are seen as extremely useful and effective, largely because they are opening the door for social and interactive ways to soak up information. Examples of informal learning practices include team-building sessions that are comprised of employee/supervision collaboration and brainstorming. Yet another example of effective informal learning techniques includes "lunch and learn sessions," which offer the opportunity for employees to receive training while having lunch catered in or going out of the office for the meal. Other suggestions for developing a supportive and successful workplace through informal learning practices include the following:  Reward learning champions Have employees write book reviews Recognize learning achievements Use technology to share knowledge Encourage supervisors to become mentors and coaches Develop an informative self-instruction manual Share articles, books, and websites that leaders find useful Using social media as an informal learning technique can be a very effective tool if used correctly. Social media resources enable employees to seek out information and ideas on their own, which will allow for more resources and areas to get information from. Once again, social media also encourages employee collaboration and serves as a great platform for sharing ideas and mingling.  The Positive Impact of Informal Learning Informal learning methods promote the idea that working and learning are intertwined. Even though learning takes place at an individual level, by creating a learning environment that uses alternative techniques and supports collaboration and self-designed learning, businesses are changing the workforce. Informal learning methods give a better measurement of how employees are responding to training and help determine what should be changed in order to be more effective. This ability to evaluate reactions and attitudes towards the information that is being conveyed is hugely important to the overall success of a business. In the end, informal learning is impacting the business world on a social level and showing that it is important for companies to encourage curiosity and continue to come up with new methods and solutions for workplace issues. Creating a workplace where employees can collaborate easily, share ideas, and bounce information off of one another is a great way to establish a more positive work environment where individuals want to learn and be a part of the bigger picture. Through informal learning techniques and practices, you will be able to encourage employees to get involved and have more stock in your company. By establishing a climate that fosters learning, you are making positive steps for your company’s future and the future of your employees.  Contact Us today to learn more about ways we can help your organization create a successful informal learning program. 

Designing Digitally, Inc., a full-service, interactive E-Learning and Serious Business Games development company, has been selected for the 2014 TrainingIndustry.com Content Development Companies Watch List. "The strength of 2014 Content Development Companies Watch List demonstrates the growth this segment has been experiencing," Ken Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Training Industry, Inc. "The selected companies offer superior custom content services for all in-demand training subject areas." "This year’s Content Development Watch List showcases an expanded list of companies that are striving to provide their clients with quality, inventive, custom content to fully maximize their training investments," said Doug Harward, Chief Executive Officer, Training Industry, Inc. Regarding the nomination, President Andrew Hughes, of Designing Digitally, Inc. said, "We are honored to be selected for the 2014 Top Content Development Company watch list for the second year in a row. We look forward to enhancing our clients’ online learning experiences during 2014 and for years to come." You may view the 2014 Content Development Companies Watch List by clicking here. About Designing Digitally, Inc.: Designing Digitally, Inc. is a full-service E-Learning development firm and serious game developer. Located in Franklin, Ohio, Designing Digitally, Inc. has developed a number of serious business 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. Interested in learning more about Serious Business Games and our development process? Read what our clients say about us and contact us today!  

In the 1989 cult classic Field of Dreams, mysterious voices instructed Kevin Costner, a struggling Iowa corn farmer, to build an elaborate baseball field amidst his crops. As the soft whispers on the wind told Costner, "If you build it, they will come," he felt an overwhelming desire to blindly construct his ballpark…even though the act would almost surely bankrupt him. Modern-day software developers often take on the same type of "Field of Dreams" mentality when they design Serious Games, 3D Simulations, E-Learning and other titles, simply because they believe that consumers will come out of the woodworks for a chance to play them. While this is true in a select number of cases, the vast majority of software titles end up never taking off for a number of reasons. We have listed some of these shortcomings below- An Abundance of Smart Marketing Have you ever noticed that epic blockbuster movies coming out of Hollywood are often advertised months in advance of the initial screenings? That’s because a smart marketing campaign will try to build up tremendous hype by the time release day comes around, so that consumers will work themselves into a frenzy with anticipation. The exact same concept should be applied to Serious Games, 3D Simulations and E-Learning, but only a handful of companies take pre-launch marketing strategies to heart. In fact, it is often only an afterthought due to tight budgets and inadequate planning, with developers expecting word of mouth to flood their online servers right from the start. It simply does not work this way. Gameplay that Exceeds Consumer Expectations It is also vital for Serious Games developers to make sure that the titles being created are in-line with what consumers are currently searching for. While it would appear that the main goal would be to create a title that’s extremely entertaining, the client will also expect a great learning experience that will empower his employees for years to come. At the end of the day, both traits need to be delivered because today’s brand of gamer is extremely unforgiving when it comes to even minor glitches, confusing gameplay and/or storyline issues. In today’s gaming world, "pretty good" is no longer good enough. From having a polished feel to implementing a simple user-face, developers have to ensure that their software titles can deliver a wow factor straight out of the box. At the same time, however, it is also important to keep in mind that over-developing a game is also a sure-fire path to failure, since it will be extremely difficult to become profitable. Enticing Player Rewards & Incentives Likewise, a great 3D simulation or E-Learning module will not only deliver fantastic content, it will also keep players motivated to advance. The easiest way to make this happen is to create very clear objectives and incentivize them with rewards, advancements or some type of prestige. Be forewarned though; the incentives have to present actual value to hold the gamer’s attention. Take Google News, for example, and their "News Badges" that were handed out for reading different types of content. This campaign started in mid-2011 to give readers a feel of an extra accomplishment for getting their daily doses of world news from the Internet giant, but the campaign ultimately backfired. Nobody cared that they had an extra icon next to their name because it was meaningless, and some even took offense to the obviously shallow marketing tactic. While it may seem like our staff at Designing Digitally, Inc. has Jedi-like powers due to our proven track record, our success has come from understanding what motivates the end-user to have fun and strive towards victory. Feel free to contact us to see how we can educate and inspire your organization.

Serious educational games have changed the way individuals learn, obtain information, and develop various skill sets. Serious games are more than just a form of entertainment; they are a strategic tool that educators and business owners alike are using. Games not only promote increased learning and give people realistic scenarios that work to improve their overall skill set and understanding of a specific subject, but they do so in a way that is entertaining and engaging. Integrating game-based learning practices into classrooms and businesses allows for information to be delivered in a way that is highly interactive and accessible to users 24/7. Learning Through Engagement Serious educational games are immersive and require a higher degree of engagement than traditional training and learning tactics. Games provide rewarding, safe, and relevant learning environments that allow users to put into practice what they have learned. Users are motivated and encouraged throughout the duration of the game, typically through a reward system that helps them advance while learning new skills. The high level of interactivity that is a characteristic of game-based learning is both fun and effective. Serious educational games are often games of strategy that help develop excellent problem solving abilities and other skills that can be used in the workforce and everyday life. Because these games require engagement and use thought-provoking tactics, they work to deepen an individual's knowledge, skills, and competencies. Personalized Learning Paths Another bonus to game-based learning and a reason why serious games are, in essence the future of learning, is the ability to individualize each and every experience. Smart phones, tablets, and laptops allow for online learning that can be pursued at a different time and pace for each person. The Internet gives students and employees the option of playing whenever is convenient, as long as there is an Internet connection available. This is important because, as everybody learns differently, serious games give individuals a way to personalize their learning path. Additionally, game-based learning is effective because it promotes learner control, allowing people to go back and redo a complex task or portion of the game that they may have struggled with. Promotes Necessary Knowledge Skills Lastly, game-based learning is important because it uses and promotes technologies that are shaping the future. Because of the velocity in which technology has become such a huge part of virtually every aspect of our lives, it is no wonder that the skill sets and problem-solving abilities of employees and new graduates must change. These changes mean that people must now work smarter, understanding the global implications of technology and learning new ways to communicate, make decisions, and address larger societal problems. Serious games promote these new skills by serving as an intelligent and practical way to train individuals on what is most current and relevant. As this is ever-changing, the role of serious games will continue to play an integral role in how knowledge is obtained. A study performed by the University of Colorado Denver in 2010 showed that individuals who received classroom or workforce training through games not only were able to perform their jobs better, but they had a higher retention level of information. This shows the positive effects of serious games and that people respond better in scenarios that actually require them to put theory into practice. It is no secret that playing often translates to learning, which is why games have become such a significant learning tool. Games allow individuals to play smartly through connecting, engaging, strategizing, and problem-solving, all of which are necessary, important skills in everyday life. Contact Us today for more information about serious educational games. Or, get a Free Quote.

 Designing Digitally, Inc., a full-service, interactive E-Learning, Serious Game, and Simulation development company, has been selected by elearningindustry.com as one of the Top 10 eLearning Content Development Companies of 2014. The CEO of elearningindustry.com, Christopher Pappas, announces the list to inform the industry on top companies. Christopher stated on the website, "The 2014 Top 10 eLearning content development companies were selected based on the following 7 criteria: eLearning Content Development Quality. eLearning Expertise, eLearning Industry Innovation, eLearning Company’s Economical Growth Potential, Customer Retention, Employee Turnover and Company’s Social Responsibility to the industry." Regarding the nomination, President, Andrew Hughes of Designing Digitally, Inc. said, "On behalf of the entire team at Designing Digitally, Inc. we are honored to be selected for the Top 10 eLearning Content Development Companies for a second time. We want to thank Christopher and the entire team at elearningindustry.com for recognizing the effort and dedication we have to our clients’ training iniatives." You can view the entire Top 10 eLearning Content Development Companies list here. About Designing Digitally, Inc.: Designing Digitally, Inc. is a full-service E-Learning development 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 large fortune 1000 companies, and government agencies around the world. Designing Digitally, Inc.’s overall goal is to add value to the clients they serve by creating engaging, educational, and entertaining learning solutions.

Getting your employees to go along with a new program, initiative or behavior often depends on how your management team communicates the change. While it may seem like people are resisting change, it is more often the case that employees actually have a positive view of change, just not the way it is being imposed on them. The first step to implementing change and establishing a workplace environment that fosters creativity, positivity, and success is to help your employees feel a sense of ownership in the change process. It is no secret that people want to feel important and like they are involved in major decisions. Recognizing this and coming up with a plan for how you are going to present the change is integral to the outcome. So, what exactly does it take to create and maintain successful change? Here are some tips for changing behavior in the workplace. Determine Readiness Before you can create successful change in the workplace, you should determine your company’s organizational readiness. You will be able to do so by asking yourself some of the following questions:  Has this organization gone through any changes in the last several years? How was this change received? Does the organization have the necessary resources to take on more change? How will your employees perceive this change?  By asking yourself these questions right off the bat, you will be giving yourself an advantage and a better idea as to whether or not your enterprise is truly ready for change. Whether you are looking for a change in behavior or altering the way employees receive training, the above listed questions apply. Once you have taken a deeper look at the history of your company and have an idea of what has worked (and what hasn’t) in the past, you will be better prepared to move forward. Communication is Key It is important to remember to communicate the change often, as well as why the change needs to occur and how it will affect your employees. Perhaps the main reason organizations are met with resistance when it comes to implementing change is a failure to communicate. Communicating the change often and frequently will help keep you from losing good employees, and it will give your employees a sense of inclusion. With this, it is also important that you use all the communication mediums available to you. From e-mail and voicemail to visual aids during a presentations and online resources, be sure you are mixing and matching mediums and methods so that people are being reached. Plan Ahead It is safe to say that no lasting positive change will ever come without advanced planning and thinking ahead. Organizations should plan for change as a way to minimize risk and encourage success. Do your research and look into what barriers or hurdles other companies have had to overcome with implementing change, as this will give you an idea of what you are up against. By eliminating possible obstacles right from the start and keeping communication lines open, you will have a better chance of success. In order for companies to keep up with the fast-paced and ever-changing business world of today, they must embrace and implement various changes. Change should be embraced by all levels of your team and made a core part of your organization. Company leaders need to show employees how the new behaviors or the changes will help improve performance, and in turn, how this will help grow the company. For more information on how we can assist in helping create behavoir change at your organization contact us today!

Are you thinking about converting to E-Learning as a new training strategy? If so, there are a few things to consider. Coporate E-Learning can come with a few nuances, but if you’re aware of them beforehand, you’ll stand a much better chance of working around them. What Are The Benefits of Corporate E-Learning? E-Learning is beneficial because it allows you to train a large number of employees within a relatively short amount of time. For instance, it wouldn’t be feasible to schedule a classroom training session for your entire sales force. Why? Because you would need to accommodate each one of their timelines and hectic schedules. Corporate E-Learning provides both improved training costs, as well as decreased material costs. Few can argue that producing learning content, be it online or not, can be a time intensive process. However, the time spent upfront to develop the training modules, far outweighs the time and money spent on classroom style training. Also, E-Learning courses generally don’t require travel, as they are accessed online, which can ultimately save you time and money. In addition, E-Learning reduces training material costs. For instance, the cost to develop and print employee handbooks and training materials will be nullified by online learning. Also, training that would typically involve expensive equipment or dangerous situations can be done in an online simulation in the web based training. Simple Solutions for Overcoming Pain Points Overcoming these issues is not a daunting task when you take the time to work through them up front. For starters, utilize an internal marketing program to notify your audience of the new training and keep them involved. Also, providing incentives and rewards for their performance is a great way to keep engagement high. Utilizing gamification elements, such as badges and leaderboards, will additionally help keep learners engaged and excited about your training. Another issue to think about is when the learner will be doing the training. If the learners are to complete the training at work, it may be a good idea to set aside time for them to do so. However, if employees are to do the training on their own time, from either home or office, it is important to provide incentives to keep them engaged and working through the training. As a learner works through an E-Learning module, interacting with virtual scenarios and simulations, they may have questions or clarifications regarding the training material. To ensure your learners get the most of your web based training, a blended learning program may be a good method to help learners work through the course or answer any additional questions they may have. Also, in a blended learning environment, group discussion can occur following a simulation or experience in the E-Learning module. Below are a couple more challenges that you might encounter when attempting to implement your E-Learning course: Unfamiliarity: One challenge you might face is employees and managers being resistant to this new form of learning, seeing "nothing wrong" with the current classroom style training and/or being unfamiliar with E-Learning. Also, there may be unfamiliarity with technology. To mitigate this, ensure your E-Learning doesn’t require users to learn the software, only the course material. Furthermore, by using scenarios and modeling them after a real environment, you make the modules familiar with your learner, and thus, easier to comprehend. Lack of Motivation: One advantage to running a classroom-style training course is that you can provide accountability and supervision. Therefore, a big challenge with E-Learning programs is learning how to keep employees focused while they are completing the course. Some simple solutions for this include offering incentives (like certifications or accreditations) and using gamification to engage and reward the users for their efforts. Also, utilizing internal marketing programs and project champions can get employees hyped about your E-Learning project. Launching an E-Learning course comes with unique nuances that you should be aware of. If you follow the tips and advice presented above, it should make the transition into E-Learning much smoother for both you and your employees. Contact us  today for more information about our corporate E-Learning solutions or get a Free Quote.   

Designing Digitally, Inc. is proud to announce they have partnered with Auburn University Food Systems Institute to provide a 3D animated, HTML5, web-based E-Learning simulation that teaches learners how to perform standard practices for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Gel Electrophoresis within a lab. To help students better understand the PCR process and lab etiquette, Auburn University requested an E-Learning simulation that would walk users through each step of the procedure. Breaking the simulation into three separate rooms, each with a specific task and focus and representing important phases in the course, students are guided through the PCR and Gel Electrophoresis processes. Students first start the simulation by entering the Antechamber, where they must ensure they are wearing the proper safety equipment before entering the Clean Room. Once in the Clean Room, students are guided through the process and proper lab techniques of gathering their samples and preparing them for PCR. Finally, they enter the PCR Room, where the actual procedures of PCR and Gel Electrophoresis take place. Students are required to go through each detailed step, including safety equipment, sanitation, and proper disposal of used equipment. Detailed 3D animations and custom designed interactivity give students the ability to experience the lab and the technique of performing PCR before entering the actual lab. Repeated exercises help ensure students are familiar with each important aspect of work inside the lab, reducing likelihood of mistakes. Students are also able to see detailed animations of what happens during the PCR process itself, providing them with a better understand of what PCR is and how it works. The simulation is provided to students by professors and is an integrated part of their lessons. Bookmarking and scoring allow professors to easily see when a student has completed the course and are ready for the next step in their education. Team Leader Elizabeth Barger states, "We are very proud of this project and how well the use of animation and interactivity has allowed for an educational experience for learners. This type of learning experience is where the E-Learning industry is headed, and we're glad to be on the forefront of this movement. We strive to provide clients, like Auburn University, with a product they can use and are proud of." Auburn University Food Systems Institute will be providing this 3D Simulation within their Canvas Learning Management System. You can read about the project in detail by reviewing the case study here.  

Game based learning has revolutionized the way CEOs and professors teach their employees and students. Below, we will discuss some of the reasons why game based learning is so effective. But first, what is game based learning? Game based learning (GBL) is using game style play while working toward a specific learning objective. Not to be confused with gamification, game based learning is using a game to teach, whereas, gamification is incorporating game elements (badges, points, achievements) in a non game setting. Offers Greater Challenges Studies have suggested incorporating challenges into the learning process can offer a great deal of motivational benefits. Hence, why people can play games for hours on end and not get bored - they’re forced to adapt, learn, and grow their skills in order to reach the next level (which in turn, builds up cognitive function). These challenges lead to greater satisfaction when the time comes that they are able to proceed to the next level. Same goes for challenges in education. Game Based Learning Engages Emotionally Have you ever wondered how, after participating in something that you really loved, time seemed to move so quickly? It’s because you were emotionally engaged. When people play video games, the same phenomenon is occurring. When you’re emotionally engaged, you’re more focused, which in turn, can help you learn more efficiently. Using game based learning for your corporate training can have the same benefits; engaging and entertaining the audience, while educating them as well. Provides Freedom for Failure In the real-world situations, experiencing too much pressure can dampen your performance, sap your confidence, and cause you to lose touch with your ability to think critically. After all, events in life can never be "reset" if you’ve failed. Fortunately, those who play video games don’t experience this problem in games - they can simply start a level over if they do not succeed. This encourages them to take more risks and make more mistakes, which is essential to the learning process. Using game based features in your online training works in the same fashion, allowing learners freedom to fail, and thus, grow. Game Based Learning Caters to the Learner If two people were to play the same video game, each would have a different experience. Like video games, learning in a classroom requires personalization for each individual person. After all, not all students absorb information at the same rate, or even learn in the same way. Game based learning provides a way for users to experience the results of various actions and learn as they go. Ways People Learn When someone is motivated, they are able to focus and learn nearly anything. But the reward needs to be significant and relevant enough to that person to make it worthwhile. For someone to effectively learn, frequent and consistent practice is also required. Additionally, giving properly-timed feedback can reinforce their confidence when learning something new. Game based learning incorporates these factors into a learning process that is sure to reach your objectives. To discover more about how game based learning can improve your online training, contact us today.

In 1956, an educational psychologist by the name of Dr. Benjamin Bloom, along with a committee of other professionals, developed a system of classification called "Blooms Taxonomy," which was designed to measure learning in the education industry. What Are The Three Types of Learning? Bloom and his team recognized three major areas of learning (called "Domains"), which are listed below. However, for this piece we will focus on Bloom’s most noted work, the Cognitive Domain.   Cognitive: Critical thinking and understanding (Knowledge) Affective: Growing in emotional sectors (Attitude) Psychomotor: Physical or manual skills (Skills) Cognitive domain involves mental operations. These operations can be basic, like recalling a simple fact, or difficult, like using prior information to build something new. For example, employees who are asked, "what are the company’s three most important policies?" are being tested on the most basic recall level. If an employee is asked to explain in their own words the importance of these three policies, then they are being asked to understand the material, not just repeat it. Bloom’s Taxonomy is a universally-accepted representation of how cognitive learning can vary. It also describes cognitive learning objectives from easiest to achieve, to more difficult as you move up the levels. Bloom’s Taxonomy was later revised to create a more dynamic description. The levels were changed to the following: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating. Looking More Closely at the Cognitive Domain The cognitive domain includes information and the expansion of intellectual skills. This includes one’s ability to recall specific patterns, facts, or concepts that relate to the development of their intellectual skills or abilities. There are six levels of learning that originate from the cognitive domain. According to Bloom’s Taxonomy, they are: Remembering: Recalling previously learned information in order to determine right or wrong answers. For example, the learner can recite a policy or quote prices using only their memory to a customer. Understanding: Understanding the meaning of information. The learner would need to explain, in their own words, the steps involved with completing a specific task (such as an equation into a spreadsheet). Applying: One’s ability to apply information (knowledge) that has been previously learned. For instance, quoting a price on a custom project based on previously learned factors. Analyzing: Refers to the breaking down of material into smaller parts. It can also refer to the examining of information in a specific organizational structure. For example, a learner could troubleshoot specific equipment problems using logical deduction. They could also gather information from a department or select the tasks that are required for training. Evaluating: When synthesizing information, the learner would be expected to design a plan, propose a set of operations, or place various parts or procedures together to create something new. For example, an employee could be required to develop a new company policy based on ones that already exist. Creating: Compared to judging or deciding on something based on pre-specified criteria. There are no real wrong or right answers here. Here, the student would basically choose the most effective solution to a problem, which could mean hiring the most suitable candidate or justifying a budget change. Bloom’s Taxonomy describes different levels of learning, breaking down the cognitive domain into sections. At Designing Digitally, Inc. we use this to determine where your learning objectives fall and how we will reach those goals through web based training. Lower levels of learning involved in your learning objectives means a less complex scope of work. As your objective moves to higher, more complex levels, the scope of work grows more complex as well. To learn more about Bloom’s Taxonomy and how it is involved in our process, contact us today.    

These days, game-based learning is being increasingly utilized in the corporate industry and educational sector. Both classroom and corporate training are not exceptionally engaging, and can be quite expensive. Given the millennial generation and older adults already have a lot of experience with technology and games, an E-Learning project would be a perfect way to engage them. In the following sections, we’ll discuss some key ideas to keep in mind when having an E-Learning project developed. Defining an E-Learning Project’s Objective Just because an E-Learning project is well-designed, doesn’t mean it’s going to succeed. The best way to create an E-Learning project that is going to be successful is to make sure the objective is clearly laid out. What are you trying to teach? What is it that you want your learners to walk away with upon completing the module? A clearly defined objective for your E-Learning project will ensure that you deliver the right learning experience that will reach your learning objectives. How to Convey Information That Will Engage Learners Once you’ve developed a clear objective for your project, you should start working on what will be the most efficient tactics for engaging learners. Whether it be providing more in-depth questions, or having a learner give a more insightful answer, questions that engage on a deeper level will most likely succeed at helping them learn. Through multiple choice, drag and drop, and other interactive knowledge checks you can engage your learners and increase knowledge retention. Outline Your Target Audience Similar to starting a business, you need to define your target audience for your E-Learning project. In order to provide the best web based training possible, you need to understand who your audience is. To be more specific, what are their job roles? Are they familiar with the technology you are using? How old are they and what level are they within your organization? One should consider this because a 55 year old Senior IT guy will learn a lot differently and have a different understanding of the technology than a part time, 24 year old college student. Choosing the Best Platform for E-Learning Project After defining your game’s objective, layout, and target audience comes another important step: choosing the best platform for your E-Learning project. For instance, will your target audience be able to access this game based learning program through the web? Will it be available on mobile platforms? This also relates back to your audience and project content. If your employees are doing the training at the office, then a mobile module would be unnecessary. However, if your project can also be used a resource for sales people, then a mobile solution would make sense. The delivery method for your E-Learning project also has technical implications. For instance, the nuances of programing in Flash when trying to make an iPad deliverable module. These are critical issues because you need to figure out the best way to deliver the project to your target audience. Each of the Above Tips Contribute To a Successful E-Learning Project There are dozens of factors associated with the success of a game based learning program. But those mentioned above - defining a clear objective, determining your target audience, choosing the right platform, and knowing how to effectively convey information - are fundamentals to keep in mind. These factors all contribute to a well-planned E-Learning project. When followed, you ensure your time and money were not invested in vain. To learn more about factors involved in E-Learning projects, contact us today.