Rating:

In a hurry?  Recommendation   

I am a biased reviewer.

I met Clark Aldrich several years ago at the eLearning Guild's annual gathering. He graciously agreed to sit down for a recorded interview about developing educational games and simulations.

I know Clark and have flirted with working on projects with him. If you have read his blog, you, too, know him and have probably concluded he is an expert: interesting, albeit complex, "good guy." A consummate self-promoter and prolific writer, Clark has attracted a strong group of followers, while garnering guarded animosity from the academics he rarely cites in his writings.

It is this dichotomy that intrigues me personally as it hints at the question of whether one can be simultaneously a practitioner ("to be and do") and an academic ("to know"). By writing The Complete Guide to Simulations & Serious Games, Clark does indeed show his intellectual chops while keeping his eye on the target of assisting those of us in private practice who are designing and developing educational games and simulations. (For a video interview with Clark on simulations, use these links: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.)

The first and biggest question is: How does a busy professional trainer or HR professional tackle this epic read? How do I write a review that covers a 500+ page reference-coffee table book?

Sensing me as procrastinator, Clark shot off an email saying: "Honestly, I would read the introductions to each section and then to each chapter, read the concluding essays where they exist, and then bounce around for a while. Think of it as a simulation to engage--you don't have to experience every branch in a branching story!"

It is Clark's wit that I appreciate most about him and it often comes through in this book, ("I mean New York Times and 'serious games' should get a room" or "the spread of Starbucks on every corner equals pandemic" is quintessential Clark Aldrich.) This humor and the ample examples make the book an (almost) easier to read than one might think. So I set out to do as he commanded, speed read-scan and ultimately provide you with a quick reaction to what I consider an important book.

The book is organized into five main sections:

1. Genres
   
2. Simulation Elements--Actions and Results
   
3. Simulation Elements--Systems
   
4. Building Interactive Environments
   
5. Formal Learning Program

I think the book could use tabs or page indentations like those encyclopedias use.

Woven throughout is an appeal to change the way we look at instruction. Clark Aldrich believes the world of teaching and learning is out of balance (since cavemen communicated and showed each other ways to hunt) but believes simulations and serious games will correct the imbalance between "learning to do" and "learning to know."

Clark suggests replacing the current traditional passive presentation of content ("learning to know") with "learning by doing." Most people reading this review will agree with that goal. So the next question I needed to ask myself is: Does the book achieve the goal of contributing to this transformation? The answer is in the details, and this book has a lot of them.

In his discussions of genre and type, Clark adds to the body of knowledge by clarifying terminology and the difference between say "practiceware" and a "virtual lab," although sometimes his finer distinctions only serve to encourage academic arguments. He does make a distinction between commercial video games and educational games and simulations.

When it comes to hard core computer video games, he takes on the First Person Shooter genre: "Expecting them to become a model for education is like asking a brilliant surgeon to do your taxes." Clark does suggest that Real Time Strategy (RTS) games and Tycoon Games show the greatest promise as models for educational simulation design.

I particularly like the fact that he weaves traditional classroom education back into the discussion. He admits good classroom instructors incorporate interactive exercises into face-to-face teaching (case studies, role-playing). This is a helpful bridge and works to encourage educators to reflect on current methods to create interactivity and engage the learner.

He contends that the gateway to common acceptance of educational computer simulations will be the extensive use of them in a face-to-face instructional context. A not-so-subtle tip here for educational administrators: talk with your faculty/trainers about using simulations and serious games in the classroom. Position them as an important part of the syllabus.

Too often opposition arises because trainers view simulations and serious games (like online learning) as competition for the classroom instructor. Again, he encourages you think about teaching and learning strategically: Will he stir up trouble for his comment that "Books [are] 'white bread' for the mind"? He hopes so.

Recommendation
See Part 3.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SIMULATIONS & SERIOUS GAMES, PART 1 Rating