110 Using Simple Game Mechanics to Increase Retention
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Wednesday, November 16
111
Learners are distracted with daily competing priorities and struggle to retain information presented through digital learning. Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve shows that retention rates are abysmal. Educators and instructional designers are pressed for time and resources to deliver learning that maximizes retention and desired outcomes.
What’s the good news? You can leverage neuroscience and seven fundamental game mechanics to combat the forgetting curve! In this session, you will learn how to apply seven simple techniques in your eLearning projects to naturally boost your learners’ dopamine and enable them to learn more effectively. Explore how to leverage scientific knowledge of the neurochemical dopamine, which is linked to the reward centers of the brain. Research shows that higher levels of dopamine enhance confidence, memory, and learning. Prime your audience for success. Give your learners a turbo boost!
In this session, you will learn:
- How to apply game mechanics to your eLearning projects
- How to increase learning retention
- How to improve learner confidence and accuracy in applying learned information
- How to dramatically increase engagement
Audience:
Novice, intermediate, and advanced designers, developers, project
managers, managers, and directors.
Technology
discussed in this session:
Articulate Storyline, Twitter, LMSs (in general terms), and mobile
devices.
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Ken Murray
Chief Learning Experience Designer
Honeycomb Institute
Ken Murray lives by the mantra, "Design is not simply about making things beautiful. It's about enhancing clarity, credibility, and usability." He is the founder and chief learning designer at the Honeycomb Institute. He carries 15+ years of experience in LX design. Ken has led the development of over 900 innovative and award-winning learning experiences using gamification, microlearning, and performance support for Hudson's Bay Company, the Hospital for Sick Children, Lord & Taylor, Home Outfitters, CARA Foods, and General Electric. He brings to the table strategic thought leadership on best practices to ensure training and support solutions lead to better outcomes.
209 Secrets of Effective Serious Games and Gamification Approaches
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM Wednesday, November 16
112
Many eLearning professionals are attempting to use gamification and serious games to spark employee engagement and drive learning retention; it seems everyone is working to make the best serious game that will enhance learning objectives and retention. The biggest setbacks for some have been little to no planning, tough-to-pinpoint metrics, little to no implementation strategy, and insufficient or nonexistent post-deployment support.
In this session, you will learn about planning, developing, implementing, and supporting serious games for companies that have never gone down the route of serious games and gamified learning experiences. You will learn what makes a serious game a success or a failure. This session will also address the proper steps to take throughout each phase of a project to ensure success, as well as the pain points you will have to deal with when going down the route of gamification and serious games. You will walk away with knowledge of best practices, what not to do, and how to support serious games at your organization.
In this session, you will learn:
- Why serious games work
- The best practices to ensure a successful serious game implementation
- The best practices learned from other organizations in different phases of this effort
- What not to do, and how to support serious games at your organization
- How to approach a serious game
Audience:
Novice, intermediate, and advanced designers,
developers, project managers, managers, and directors.
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Andrew Hughes
President
Designing Digitally, Inc.
Andrew Hughes is the president of Designing Digitally, Inc. and has over a decade in the strategical planning and development of enterprise custom gamified learning solutions for government and Fortune 500 clients. Andrew is also a professor at the University of Cincinnati and prior to this was a contractor for the US Department of Education, Ohio Board of Regents, and General Electric. Andrew oversees a team of 30 employees and is focused on ensuring the clients’ challenges are met with engaging, educational, and entertaining learning experiences.
EME105 The Multi-device Game Engine That’s Changing the Learning Landscape
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM Wednesday, November 16
Expo Hall—Emerging Tech Stage
Gamification is here to stay, as more and more organizations are using learning games to help improve performance and achieve business results. Find out how Learning Pool’s multi-device, SCORM-compatible game engine is making budget barriers a thing of the past and placing rapid, customizable learning games firmly in the present. Game on!
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Georgie Cooke
Head of Learning Design
Learning Pool
Georgie Cooke, head of learning design at Learning Pool, has a background in instructional design and creative writing with years of experience designing innovative learning solutions for organizations. From immersive learning games to behavior change campaigns, Georgie is passionate about creating digital and blended learning solutions that dare to be different and challenge the idea of “click next” eLearning.
310 Busting the Myths Around Gamification
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Wednesday, November 16
112
Gamification is a multibillion-dollar business that has touched a wide variety of fields, but especially learning and development. At the same time, according to research from Gartner, approximately 80 percent of gamification projects fail. So how can you use gamification in a way that’s actually successful? You need to think like game designers and go beyond the buzzwords and definitions.
Come to this session to bust five of the biggest myths about gamification of learning. As you find out more about these myths and play an interactive game, you’ll clarify the differences between gamification, game-based learning, and game thinking; uncover why points, badges, and leaderboards may lead to disappointment; and explore the mindset of a game designer. You’ll also find out more about player types and their motivators, a piece of knowledge that can make or break your design.
In this session, you will learn:
- The truth behind five key myths about gamification
- Why there is serious confusion about gamification and game-based learning
- About common player types and motivators and how you can use them to avoid design mistakes
- How to shift from content-driven to action-driven thinking
Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, developers,
managers, and directors.
Click here for the session trailer
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Zsolt Olah
Sr. Learning Technologist
Amazon
Zsolt Olah is a sr. learning technologist at Amazon with 20 years of corporate learning and development experience in the intersection of technology, digital learning, and data. In this role, Zsolt is responsible for the full life-cycle of learning data projects from the strategy document to data storytelling. His motto: "Less Content, More Impact." He’s a frequent speaker at national (DevLearn, ATD International Conference & Expo, TechKnowledge) and international learning conferences; blogger at elearningindustry.com. Zsolt is an advisory board member on the Workforce Development Edtech Board along with a group of chief learning officers, practitioners, and academics looking at where L&D is heading in the future. Previously, he worked as a digital learning & experience manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS). In his free time, Zsolt has also published a book, written two screenplays, completed the HarvardX Data Science certification, and played mostly mediocre soccer.
416 BYOL: Building Learning Games in Storyline 2
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Thursday, November 17
123
“Gamification,” “learning games,” and “serious games”: These are trendy buzzwords in L&D right now, but how can you actually create these experiences yourself if you’re not a game designer? Designing your first learning game can be a daunting task, and it’s quite common to think you don’t have the skill set or tools needed. But in many cases, you actually do have a tool for creating games, and it’s one you likely know well: Articulate Storyline. That’s right: With a few tips and tricks, you can actually create rich and engaging learning games using Storyline.
In this session, you’ll learn the basics of Storyline game development through looking at a real game developed with this tool. You’ll learn a bit about the game’s background and the gaming elements used. You’ll then spend the rest of the session in a hands-on activity that will teach you how to create one of the main elements from this game: interactive panoramic graphics. This common gaming element allows you to navigate around a digital space and is found in many search games, adventure games, and virtual tours. With a little creativity, it’s also easy to replicate in Storyline. You’ll leave this session with a better understanding of what game experiences you can build into Storyline and the practical skills to implement them.
In this session, you will learn:
- Tips for getting started designing a game
- How Storyline can be used to create learning games
- About gaming elements that can be created in Storyline
- How to create interactive panoramic graphics in Storyline
Audience:
Designers and developers with intermediate experience developing in Storyline 2.
Technology
discussed in this session:
Articulate Storyline 2 and interactive panoramic graphics.
Technology required:
Laptop running Articulate Storyline 2.
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Ken Haas
eLearning—Senior Instructional Designer
Sodexo
Ken Haas is an eLearning senior instructional designer and developer at Sodexo. With more than a decade of professional experience in the eLearning field, Ken’s background includes instructional design, multimedia, eLearning, learning games, gamification, web design, and video. Ken thoroughly enjoys learning and sharing with others, and he strives to learn new design techniques and technologies to apply to his work. A learning game that Ken created was featured in the DemoFest event at Learning Solutions 2016 Conference & Expo.
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John Kostrey
Multimedia Coordinator
Sodexo
John Kostrey is a multimedia coordinator at Sodexo with experience in the creation of eLearning training programs, gamification, video development, web design, graphical user interface (GUI), graphic design, animation, and audio recording and editing. Over more than a decade of professional experience, John’s goal has always been to push the boundaries of both the graphical and technical capabilities within the eLearning industry.
ELT202 Got Game: Getting Started with Gamification
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM Thursday, November 17
Expo Hall—eLearning Tools Stage
The task of incorporating gaming into an organization’s learning solutions can seem overwhelming. The lack of understanding as to what gamification and gaming are confuses the issue, and many of the off-the-shelf vendor solutions offer only rudimentary gamification techniques. No wonder organizations tend to discount gamification and associate these techniques with “playing Jeopardy” and not meaningful learning.
This session will address how learning professionals can develop a gamification culture in their organization. Through exploring the difference between gamification and gaming, you’ll learn how to incorporate gaming techniques into traditional eLearning designs. You’ll also find out how to use existing rapid development tools, such as Articulate Studio and Storyline, to develop engaging gamified learning solutions, allowing you to incorporate gaming elements in your projects even if you don’t have a large budget. Finally, gamified solutions work best when your whole team is on board, so the session will give you strategies for how to help your team learn to design and develop simple gamified solutions.
In this session, you will learn:
- The difference between gamification and gaming
- How to identify gamification elements that you can add to your learning solutions
- How to develop simple gamified solutions using your current rapid development tools
- How to teach your
team to develop simple gamified solutions
Audience:
Novice designers, developers, project managers, and managers.
Technology discussed
in this session:
Articulate Storyline.
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Stephanie Daul
Learning Consultant
Independent
Stephanie Daul, an independent learner consultant, researches new learning and knowledge technologies and techniques. She also designs performance-improvement solutions for traditional classroom instruction, eLearning, and virtual sessions. As a consultant for global Fortune 500 companies, she creates synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences from analysis through implementation. Stephanie has designed and implemented over a dozen gamified learning experiences. She authored “Game Design for Learning” in ASTD’s TD at Work. Stephanie educates others on new technologies including mobile, QR codes, and xAPI. She holds an MA degree from Roosevelt University in T&D and a BA in education from Northern Illinois University.
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Mira Mendlovitz
Instructional Designer
Medline Industries
Mira Mendlovitz, an instructional designer with Medline Industries, has been in the learning and development field for over 25 years. She has been involved in strategy, analysis, delivery, design, and development of learning. Mira works with internal clients to develop a range of learning solutions with a focus on how to blend learning to ensure stickiness. Through the years, she has led the implementation of many new learning technologies at a large Fortune 500 company; and she currently works with Medline, a multibillion-dollar manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies.
509 Zombie Sales Apocalypse: Using a Learning Game to Reinforce Sales Competencies
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM Thursday, November 17
108
It’s harder and harder to catch the attention of learners, especially field sales representatives. It is also difficult to encourage them to practice important skills like sales techniques and how to speak with customers in different situations. While they need to practice these critical skills to succeed in their roles, they don’t always take the time to do so. What could engage this audience?
The solution was Zombie Sales Apocalypse: a game to reinforce key sales skills. This serious game made practice easier by creating an exciting and immersive experience using the popular genre of zombie games. In this session, you’ll discover how a branching story simulation combined engaging game activities—such as fleeing from zombies, moving furniture, and smashing through walls—with sales-focused challenges like choosing the right response to customers, bringing the right materials to a sales call, and properly diagnosing customer issues. Through examining Zombie Sales Apocalypse, you’ll find out more about the key elements and influences you’ll want to consider when creating your own games for practice and reinforcement.
In this session, you will learn:
- About three key elements that are required in any serious learning game
- Why the use of fantasy was a critical element in the design of this learning game
- How immediate feedback changes learner behavior
- How learner input was used to drive engagement with the sales model
Audience:
Intermediate and advanced designers and senior leaders (VP, CLO, executive,
etc.).
Technology
discussed in this session:
Unity game platform.
Click here for the session trailer
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Karl Kapp
Professor
Commonwealth University
Karl Kapp, EdD, is a professor of instructional technology at Commonwealth University in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania who teaches instructional game design, gamification, and online learning design. He keeps busy internationally consulting, training, coaching, and counseling established companies, academic institutions, and startups. He co-founded L&D Mentoring Academy, which helps midcareer learning professionals move to the next level. Karl has authored many books and created several LinkedIn Learning courses. In 2019, he received the ATD Distinguished Contribution to Talent Development Award. His YouTube series, "The Unauthorized, Unofficial History of Learning Game," is his current passion project.
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Deborah DeNure
Learning Manager, Instructional Design—Employer Group-Sales Training
Humana
Deborah DeNure manages a team of learning and instruction designers for Humana. She is also a motivational speaker and team-building consultant. As a thought leader, Deborah offers professional and personal leadership insights and designs a variety of educational programs that sustain positive relationships through respect, reward, and recognition. She is also the founder and chief learning officer of DB Associates (DBA), Training and Consulting.
601 Gaming Away the Leadership Gap
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Thursday, November 17
113
Poor leadership is a significant drain on organizations, with some estimates claiming it costs the US economy billion of dollars a year. That’s why leadership development remains a top priority for many companies. But while organizations want to invest in this training, in many cases the training they offer doesn’t fully meet the needs of the leaders taking it. So where should you look for inspiration on how to make your leadership development more effective? Games!
In this session, you’ll examine a number of ways to build leadership experience through gaming. You’ll uncover the psychological benefits derived from games like Candy Crush. You’ll then explore the ways adults build leadership capabilities by looking at how chess players master their art. Finally, you’ll discover the advantages of practicing high-stakes skills in game-like environments, much like pilots do in flight simulators. And throughout this talk, you’ll find out how organizations are already using gaming mechanics successfully to develop leadership capabilities. By the end of this session, you will understand not only how games are effective for learning, but also how serious gaming can close the leadership gap in your organization.
In this session, you will learn:
- What behavioral science reveals about how complex capabilities such as leadership are developed
- About the psychological forces that make gaming a powerful learning mechanism
- Why games can be particularly effective for teaching leadership
- How you can incorporate serious gaming into your learning and development plans
- About four best practices for using gaming in leadership development
Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, developers, and managers.
Technology
discussed in this session:
A game created specifically for leadership
development.
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Cary Harr
Director for the Center of Immersive Learning
Deloitte
Cary Harr, the director for the Center of Immersive Learning for Deloitte, is a senior manager in human capital, with expertise in instructional technology, simulator development, game design, and project management. He has over 20 years of experience in the field of education, has managed the development of highly engaging training interventions for over a decade, and has had products recognized by both Training Magazine and the Brandon Hall Awards. Cary has a special interest in how emerging technologies can enhance human performance through immersion and just-in-time application.
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Kelly Monahan
Research Manager
Deloitte
Kelly Monahan is a research manager and subject matter specialist at Deloitte’s Center for Integrated Research. She focuses on cross-industry themes and trends, specifically behavioral economics and leadership implications within organizations. She works with other thought leaders on understanding how these behavioral insights impact leadership development and decision-making. Kelly holds a PhD in organizational leadership with an emphasis in human resource development from Regent University, an MS in strategic leadership from Roberts Wesleyan College, and a BS in business from Rochester Institute of Technology.
707 Designing the Right Game for Your Instructional Goal
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM Friday, November 18
112
Many instructional designers would like to incorporate games into their projects but aren’t sure how to get started and often find the prospect of designing a game to be intimidating. What are the various approaches to instructional game design? How do you determine which approach is most appropriate for your instructional need, taking into account your budget and timeline? And how do you get started designing a game?
This session will explore several approaches to instructional game design and, using real-world examples, discuss how to determine which approach is most appropriate for your specific situation. Finally, once you’ve selected your game design approach, this presentation will help you get started designing your game experience.
In this session, you will learn:
- About several approaches to instructional game design
- How to select a game design approach relative to need, time, and budget
- How to get started designing a game experience
- How to determine whether a game experience is right for your instructional goals
Audience:
Novice, intermediate, and advanced designers, developers, and managers.
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Joe Totherow
Senior Learning Technologist
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Joe Totherow, a senior learning technologist for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, has been an instructional technologist for 10 years, leveraging technology in creative ways to provide quality instruction to learners. He holds a PhD in philosophy.
809 Sales Enablement and Beyond: Using Games to Drive Performance
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Friday, November 18
109
Yesterday’s sales enablement strategies are no longer enough for the “new normal” that most L&D professionals face. The marketplace grows more competitive each year, and the regulatory landscape is always shifting. Trainers must help reps become trusted partners to their customers, and that means moving beyond just features and benefits selling.
In this session, you will explore several examples in which a game-based solution was used to both engage sales reps and help them retain critical knowledge. You will learn how to identify various learner personas, create the right game-based learning experience for the learning need, and implement games effectively.
In this session, you will learn:
- Which kinds of sales enablement learning objectives lend themselves well to a game-based approach
- How to use a planning worksheet to identify learner personas and plan a sales enablement program that targets those personas
- Seven best practices for implementing a new learning technology such as game-based learning or gamification
- How to identify attributes of effective game design based on examples shown in session
Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers, managers, and
directors who have a basic understanding of the
training needs specific to sales reps.
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Sharon Boller
President and Chief Product Officer
Bottom-Line Performance
Sharon Boller is president and chief product officer of Bottom-Line Performance (BLP), a learning-solutions firm she founded in 1995. Sharon has grown BLP from a single-woman sole proprietorship to a $3 million+ company with 30 team members. Under her direction, BLP created the Knowledge Guru learning game platform, a platform that has received numerous industry awards, including the coveted Brandon Hall Gold award for best innovation in gaming and technology (2014). Sharon co-teaches Guild Academy’s Game Design live online course.
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Steven Boller
Marketing Director
Bottom-Line Performance
Steven Boller is the marketing director at Bottom-Line Performance. In this role, he gathers industry intelligence from organizations interested in improving the performance of their employees through instructionally sound learning solutions and innovative approaches such as game-based learning and retention-driven learning strategies. He has authored more than 100 educational articles both online for eLearningIndustry, Bottom- Line Performance, and Knowledge Guru and in print for the Life Science Trainer and Educator Network’s Focus Magazine. He assists with product strategy for the Knowledge Guru game- based learning platform, which has won four Brandon Hall Excellence Awards, including two "Gold" distinctions.