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Get Virtual! Evolution of Learning into Virtual Worlds Virtual Worlds are here and growing. There are dozens of virtual worlds and the most mainstream of them all, Second Life, is still growing quickly with over 18 million users already onboard. Both Gartner and Forrester have predicted Virtual Worlds will become prevalent and important business tools. Learning teams are perfectly set to lead the way towards leveraging Virtual Worlds as a business tool. Session will include examples of training activities in Second Life and provide a model for designing in this new medium. The ability to create immersive interactive simulations and learning environments is ripe for the learning professionals of today to leverage new, innovative training programs. The beauty of virtual worlds is the combination of their ability to create a learning environment producing real results, while also engaging their participants on a deeper level than conference calls and webinars can hope for, while also keeping costs down by reducing the need for long-distance travel and 800 numbers. Literally, these virtual worlds/realities are going to be essential tools for all learning professionals, even beyond those of us training Millennials (Gen-Yers). The wonderful thing about implementing training in Second Life or other virtual worlds is that you don’t always need to be a programmer to make it happen. These tools have been designed to enable non-programmers to design an environment, a program and then deliver it without hardcore programming expertise. These skills are learnable by people at any technology level with just a bit of education and practice. Michael Abrams, VP Learning & Performance Technologies at TBD Consulting, has been in the Technology and Training industries for more than 17 years, holding executive positions in large Fortune 500 corporations in both the Learning departments and Web Application development teams. Holding an MBA and M.Ed in Learning Technology, Michael’s focus has been to explore how technology can be leveraged to bring better learning experiences to learners and drive stronger long-term retention. Michael was listed by InfoWorld Magazine as one of the top 100 innovators in 2001. He is past president for the ASTD Valley of the Sun chapter and hosted the first-ever simulcast of a Second Life™ and real-life event with an ASTD national speaker and 60 participants. Michael presents weekly webinars and courses in Second Life on various aspects of leveraging technology and virtual worlds for learning. Check out his blog on Learning Technologies at http://tbd-consulting.typepad.com/learningtechnology. His background includes expertise in training technologies that support all aspects of the Learning function, such as LCMS, LMS, Online Collaboration, e-learning and many others. Experienced coach and facilitator. Certified in Ken Blanchard Situational Leadership II and Wilson Learning Sales. |
Lunch Session
