Games and Simulations applied to learning and training

Understanding to overcome prejudices

Renato Berlim Fonseca 10 March 2010

Context
Social globalization Risk society Technological advance Educational Criticism toward the content or teacher-centered model New requirements over students Change in the studentsprofile Demand for change
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Criticism
game" a term overused and ambivalent (Jones, 1995)

Prejudices
pointless, casual, a childish activity, distracting, amusement
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Interactive Learning
interaction for educational purposes. central concept in interactive learning is event teacher becomes facilitator Uncertainty Theories of play Experiential learning

Obs: Unclear techniques conduct to confuse results

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Games - definitions
a system oriented to accomplish clear goals and based on competitive activities (Anetta, 2008) a rules-based representation and oriented to interaction (Bogost, 2007) a competitive activity that is creative and enjoyable in its essence, which is bounded to certain rules and requires certain skills. (Prensky, 2007:4).

Games formal elements

Participants or players Objective: clear objectives acknowledged and accepted by players Rules: defines the game concepts and proscribe participants behavior. Procedures: allowed by the rules involves the action and methods of play resulted from the interaction between game and participant. Competition: the conflict inside any game. The procedures, rules and even the competitor, guide and limit participants behavior, preventing him of accomplish the goal directly . Outcome: is uncertain. As an interactive event the performance of the player against the objective will define the outcome.
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Simulation
a quantification (numeric description) of features and behavior of a system Interactive event with professional intents In training context aim to simulate a reality of function Can be best understand as a verb than a noun

Simulation - advantages
Offer contextualized learning Good cost x benefit
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Gamesims
An overlap between games and simulations Combine motivational features of games and professional intent of simulations

History
The blue box Edwin Link (1930)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_Trainer

Wargames - objectives
to evaluate behavior of people and systems develop decision-taking skills test and develop doctrines and patterns of behavior

Source: www.fieldofglory.com/ introduction.html Source: www.aereo.jor.br

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Harpoon Game and Simulation

Wargame, with versions of training and fun

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Bottom Gun - Gamesim

Developed to allow the participant to estimation of contact range, bearing, course, and speed based on repeated periscope observations. ( NAWCTSD, 2003) blast the boats and enhance score!

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Source: NAWCTSD

Conclusion
The boundaries between fun and work are more porous than before The same software can be used as game or simulation with few modifications. The difference lies in the intent Games and Simulations are not the same thing. But the overlap, gamesim is quite possible and already in use

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Crane simulator Oniria software September 12th - Pacifist game or simulation?

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