It's time for the Next Step in Learning

The last two years has seen a significant growth in the recognition that traditional education and training has a lot to learn from the world of digital games. More educators and trainers are now incorporating the use of 'games' into the activities they offer to their learners. We believe this is a good step.

But we believe there is another step to take. Unfortunately, the tendency is too often to just "bring" games into the classroom; putting them in as another element of our otherwise traditional methods. There is no real change to the overall learning experience...we just add games as another "device" to "engage" learners. We envision more.

Rather than play games (though we LOVE to play games), we believe the next step is to understand just what it is about a good game that makes it so engaging and that makes such a connection with the game player that they expend significant time and energy to learn and master it. It's not the "game"...it's the "experience" we want to recreate.

We are excited to announce the beginning of our latest learning experience from ImagiLearning, Inc. Our new "Next Steps in Learning" course is a 12 week experience in which participants bring a specific learning or training experience and completely redevelop it using the same theories used in developing great games. The goal is not to create "games", but to design learning experiences that create the same engagement and immersion as those games.

We have blended our background and experience in professional game design, higher education, and corporate training, to develop a new approach to instructional design. The ImagiLearning "Next Steps in Learning" course introduces that approach, and walks participants step by step through the process of redesigning a learning experience they bring to the course.

Because of the intensity of the course, Next Steps in Learning is limited to 15 participants, involves one "meeting" each week for one hour in the environment of Second Life,and will offer a wide range of other learning activities for participants to choose from. Participants will have access to space in Second Life to work and collaborate, as well as to a wide range of virtual and non-virtual resources.

More importantly, the Next Steps in Learning course has been designed using some the same theories it will present, so when we say there is a weekly "meeting"...it may or may not be what you call a "meeting". And when we say there are "learning activities"...they may or may not be the things you would expect in a traditional "course".

We at ImagiLearning, Inc. believe it is time for learning to take the next step, and beginning in August...we are going to take it!

Registrations are now open. Contact us for details.