1 of 29

The Right Tool for the Right Job:

Best Practices for Virtual Worlds

John Lester

Chief Learning Officer

ReactionGrid Inc.

​

​

​

Glyndŵr University

Virtual Enterprise Conference

Feb 23, 2012

These Slides:

http://bit.ly/VirtualEnterprise2012

​

2 of 29

ReactionGrid Inc. Services

  • Creating 3D Simulation and Virtual World platforms for general purpose use.

​

  • Developing desktop and mobile applications.

​

  • Helping clients with best practices for developing successful immersive learning projects.

​

3 of 29

ReactionGrid Inc. Clients

  • Government: NASA, NOAA, DOE, GovGrid, Veterans Administration

​

  • Enterprise: IBM, Microsoft, Xerox, Siemens, Raytheon, Novonics, Emdeon, American Cancer Society, Aspyr Gaming Studios

​

  • Universities: Boston College, Cedar Crest Academy, Chanchung American International School, Colorado Mountain College, George Mason University, Georgia Tech, Hong Kong Polytechnic, Future University Japan, Purdue, Rutgers

​

4 of 29

Immersive Learning

and some Best Practices

  • "Emotional Bandwidth"

​

  • Building new tools to increase it.

​

  • Learning how to use existing tools better.

​

5 of 29

Bound by our Biology

  • Our brain is designed to thrive in a 3d environment full of embodied people and places.

​

  • We forget the importance of social cues that build empathy and trust.

​

  • What we experience in a virtual environment feels real because our brain fills in the gaps.

​

6 of 29

7 of 29

8 of 29

Common Pitfalls

  • Pattern Matching

​

  • The Tiger in the Grass

​

  • Lost Opportunities caused by using a new tool like an old tool.

9 of 29

10 of 29

11 of 29

12 of 29

Creating Engagement

  • We tend to recreate the familiar.

​

  • We do this because the familiar feels safe.

​

  • The deepest learning happens not when we feel safe, but when we are fascinated with and challenged by our environment.

​

13 of 29

14 of 29

15 of 29

16 of 29

17 of 29

18 of 29

RSU3 Virtual Learning Center (Adult Education, Maine)

Challenge: Reduce Rural Isolation

19 of 29

My Favorite Best Practice

  • Define and Remember your Strategic Goals

​

​

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory.

​

Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.

​

-Sun Tzu

20 of 29

More Best Practices

  • Engage people Easily and Everywhere (3Es).

​

  • Make sure your tools work with each other.�
  • Use industry standards whenever possible.

​

  • Focus on Augmenting, not Replacing.

21 of 29

The Jibe Platform

  • Jibe is a multiuser 3d virtual world platform created by ReactionGrid using Unity3D technology.

​

  • A Jibe world can be embedded on any web page, with mobile support in progress.

​

  • Jibe integrates and communicates with web portals, LMS/CMS and industry standard databases.

​

22 of 29

23 of 29

Visit this Jibe world

24 of 29

Visit this Jibe world

25 of 29

26 of 29

Visit this Jibe world

27 of 29

Visit this Jibe world

28 of 29

Visit this Jibe world

Fish where the Fish Live

29 of 29

Thank you

pathfinder@reactiongrid.com

​

twitter: @pathfinder

​

contact: about.me/pathfinder

​

Jibe-Unity3d Discussions:�bit.ly/Jibe-Unity3d-Discussions

​

slides: bit.ly/VirtualEnterprise2012

​

www.reactiongrid.com