Games and Simulations -- Client Definition

Hi there,
I see the overlap as an opportunity to engage with the client in the process of clarification by simply asking something along the lines of: "We in the profession see simulations and games as different for training purposes, and I'm wondering how you would articulate the difference from your point of view?"

this would have the client begin to discern how they might be different themselves, and also at the very least plant the seed of that difference for reflective purposes.

Quite simple really.
A puzzle is a problem that has only one solution, e.g., a crossword puzzle.
A game is a competition with rules, for moving and for winning, in which the participants are opponents. A game is not necessarily fun and is not about anything (e.g., baseball). One participates in the game for the satisfaction of trying to win.
A game is not a puzzle since there are many ways of winning.
A simulation is a model of a system that exists in reality, e.g., a flight simulator. It is not a game as such, needing no competition and no winning, and it is not a puzzle (reality does not have one solution).
A game can be a simulation of something, e.g., the hundreds of wargames published.

Well I guess I will add my two cents for what it is worth. Back in the l970s I wrote a book called "Handbook of Simulation Gaming in Social Education" In my book I presented a model of what I called Autotelic Learning Techniques. This model was an attempt to show how simulation gaming combines aspects of other more simple experientail learning techniques. If you are interested, let me know and I will email the model with definitions. Ron

Hey Ron,
I'd be very interested in any info that you can shoot my way. In order to keep clutter off of the list, you can feel free to send it to jeremykoester@gmail.com
Thanks in advance for the info,
Jeremy

Hey Dan,

I manage design and development for our Interactive Learning Development team at CCE. Our team creates both simulations (real life scenarios presented in a safe practice environment so there is no customer impact) and games (a fun and interactive way to present scenario or topic based content with the intent to elevate our employee’s motivation to learning).

Sims are great to teach a repeatable process or procedure but don't appeal to the learners motivation the same way games do for our folks. I guess it depends on your purpose and the audience you are facing but I can tell you from experience, our agents will play games over and over again until their name is on the leader board (we have a leader board like the old arcades for each game) which could be 15 or 20 times! There aren’t too many sims our agents will take two or three times much less 15 times :)

I’d be happy to talk offline if you’re interested and give you some more specific examples.

Good luck!

Hi Ron,

I would also be interested in your Autotelic Learning Techniques model. If it is not too much trouble could you send it to me at bob.bissett@mentoric.com ?

Many thanks,
Bob

Hello Ron,
Please send me a copy of your Autotelic Learning Techniques model: gpardi@tecnobiz.com.ar. Thank you, Gabriel.