Games and activities

Work ready

For online training to work effective, the learner must see clear value to them in undertaking your training. For the Department of Education, Science and Training we built an interactive game to teach mathematical techniques to apprentice carpenters as they undertake the computations necessary to build the deck. The learning object goes beyond simply asking mathematical questions to creating a need, interacting with “the boss” and “the client” and ultimately seeing a finished built deck as the reward. A popular feature of this learning object is the drag-able measuring tape which adds fun and thus engagement to the activity.

Exploratory learning

In this example, Rebus records, you role play the part of an expert called in to undertake business analysis of a recording company. By walking through the complex and interacting with key stakeholders the learner develops their theories as to the causes of the decline in Rebus’ sales. Starting with a meeting with the board your travels eventually lead to the computer room (where you type up your notes as a report), the object takes you back to the board room at the end where you present your findings.

A popular feature here is your “PDA” which not only acts as your notebook, allowing you to capture your observations, but which receives SMS messages as you undertake your learning. In this way we can direct tasks, hints and suggestions to the learner to guide their learning in a way that is entirely consistent with the virtual environment.