Games+&+Simulations

Description | Purpose | Features | Strengths | Weaknesses | Considerations | Leading Tools | Open Source Options = Description =

In **__//Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds//__**, Clark Aldrich places //**Highly Interactive Virtual Experiences**// (HIVEs) into several categories and explains the types of activities, goals, successes and technology associated with each. The table below includes the major categories. The **Example** column uses the content material “blood transfusions” to illustrate the differences between the categories.
 * **// Type of HIVE //** || **// Activity //** || **// Example //** || **// Goal //** || **// Successful if... //** || **// Technology required //** ||
 * Frame game || Questions, associations || A Jeopardy-style game for high school students testing knowledge about blood typing || Provide content review || Game is fun and relevant || low ||
 * Serious game || Situation analysis || An interactive game for high school students that gives them a chance to perform virtual blood typing || Increase awareness || Student experiences high level of engagement || Medium to high ||
 * MMOs || Collaboration, communication, problem solving || The Sims or World of Warcraft are both good touchstones. Any game that brings players from around the globe together to collaborate and problem solve. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Collaborate with a variety of different players || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Develop or gain new skills for the player's character || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Medium to high ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Simulation || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Imitation, practice, scaffolding || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">An experience for university medical laboratory technology students in which they can practice blood typing and transfusions in a realistic virtual lab || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Teach deep skill or influence real-world behavior || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Task accuracy is demonstrated upon completion || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Medium to high ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Virtual world || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Role playing || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">A “day in the life of a blood bank technologist” immersion experience for university medical laboratory technology students || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Identification with real community || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Immersion is achieved during play || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">High ||

= Purpose =

Games, simulations, and virtual worlds provide educators with an opportunity to engage learners in an immersive and interactive environment that requires knowledge, decision making, and information management skills. However, the use of immersive learning environments can be controversial; their association with play and fun is often considered noneducational. Even so, games, simulations, and virtual worlds are gaining increased cultural acceptance. Research suggests that these environments can play a significant role in facilitating learning through engagement, group participation, immediate feedback, and providing real-world contexts. []

Games are contests between players following rules to achieve a desired result. Simulations provide an environment and interaction that mirrors a real-life situation, with the purpose of providing participants with some insight in the situation.

“Simulation” is a set of **techniques** – not a technology per se – to replace or amplify real experiences with planned experiences, often immersive in nature, that evoke or replicate substantial aspects of the real world in a fully interactive fashion. – David Gaba

Corporations are finding use for serious games in high-level training and learning, for introducing products and services and promoting corporate initiatives. Simulations provide training in a variety of on-the-job scenarios like using tools and resources or making cost-related decisions. Marketers make use of games to engage potential consumers and encourage loyalty. The book //Serious Games: Games that Educate, Train and Inform// (Michael & Chen) explains how games are being used beneficially by the military, government, education, corporations, health care, politics, religion and the arts.

3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) modeling can be used to simulate parts, assemblies, and operations for manufacturing and construction. Finite element analysis can be used to simulate associated stresses.

= Features =


 * Gives students opportunities to practice a concept in a fun and more engaging manner
 * Can improve overall understanding of a topic
 * Makes learning fun
 * Students do not know that they are learning, they think they are playing
 * Simulations effectively allow for students to make real-world connections
 * Simulations are, in essence, "knowledge visualization"
 * Promotes interaction and collaboration in a fun way.
 * Physical simulation
 * Interactive simulation
 * Computer simulation
 * Encourage the students to accomplish their goals through getting higher and higher scores

= Strengths =

= Weaknesses =
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Allo w for virtual “real-world” experiences
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Allow for participants to practice skills and strategies in a risk-free environment
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Allow for group learning dynamics – practice social interactive skills, team building based on collaboration and problem solving
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Allow participants to empathize with the behaviors and responses of other
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Build leadership skills
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Improve collaboration and mastery of material being covered
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Increase employee interest in training, improves retention of the training material and improves the overall learning experience
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">F or simulations – especially when used for equipment that may be expensive to access or pose certain occupational hazards (e.g. use of Computerized Axial Tomography scanning / other related X-ray equipment, even flight simulators) - having a clear and practical demonstration, with good visuals, and virtual “hands-on” capabilities, offers training that is more convenient and inexpensive than paying for live or real instruction. Most importantly, effective simulations reduce the potential for major equipment or health issues.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simulations allow for learners to receive highly efficient stimulus-response feedback, which effectively accelerates the learning process
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simulation training allows for natural human error to be non-critical, within professional fields such as the medical industry
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simulations have been shown to facilitate positive changes in user's attitudes toward the subject
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simulations can "concretize" concepts that are otherwise inaccessible to the learner, such as atoms or quasars
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simulations can provide opportunities for users to manipulate data ways not possible in a non-virtual environment.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simulations allow users to collect data and experience processes that would otherwise take significant amounts of time.
 * Simulations teach problem-solving skills through trial and error
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Games and simulations can help foster a wide range of non-cognitive skills such as communication, interpersonal and decision making skills.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Serious" games add value to an organization because learners are more engage. This translates to, not only improved completion rates, but also an improved learning pace.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simulations significantly decrease the cost of "real-world" training by creating an environment that can be adjusted to the training circumstance. Real-world training, those situations are not consistent.


 * The perceived over-simplification of the desired learning experience / objective. Unlike “Game Theory”, which “… attempts to mathematically [or rationally] capture behavior in strategic situations….” (“Game Theory”, Wikipedia), gaming may be employed to reproduce a less than perfect example / model of the targeted behavior. An ID designer needs to be very cognizant of integrating enough gaming parameters to ensure a proper learned response without having the participants get off topic. A better alternative may be to rely more on role-playing to reproduce the desired response. This way the instructor can still lead the process while enabling the participant to engage in the targeted behavior.
 * Simulation training can be very expensive for industry
 * Games may be used as 'time fillers' or diversions rather than for true educational purposes.
 * According to a Harvard University study funded by the National Science Foundation called "River City", games and simulations can fulfill some state-mandated concepts within schools' curricula, but there is as yet no clear way to incorporate simulations-based science inquiry into standards-driven, high-stakes tests that have become part of the political climate of the 21st century. National Science Foundation. (2011) Empowering the Nation through Discovery and Innovation: Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2011-16. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. and Ketelhut, D., Nelson, B., Clarke, J., & Dede, C. 2010. A Multi-user virtual environment for building higher order inquiry skills in science. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41 (1): 56-68. The Harvard study also discovered that science games and simulations have more of a positive impact upon students of average and below average intelligence than they do for students of high intelligence, as these students are typically succeeding in the regular classroom

**Considerations**

 * Audience characteristics - a younger audience will often gravitate more readily to games and simulations. Older audiences will gravitate towards games if they are highly engaging.
 * Tools must be perceived to be engaging and fun, or they will be ineffective. "Invest in game design." (Purdy, 2007)
 * Be sure the tool you select conforms to standards such as SCORM
 * Be sure the tool has the capability to run on your platform
 * Can the tool run in various modes such as test, demo, or guided?
 * Introduce and gain "buy in" from leadership before introducing the gaming concept as a component of an e-learning strategy
 * "Design experiences, not content" (Purdy, 2007)
 * Check that game/simulation directions are appropriate for the user.
 * Decide if a game/simulation is enhancing the learning or replacing existing, hands-on experience that were more appropriate and beneficial

An October 12, 2009 online article titled “[|Newest Professions, Growing Salaries - 12 Jobs That Didn’t Exist Until Recently”] states: //. . . Big employers like Microsoft and Electronic Arts snag a large chunk of new designers, but smaller companies are starting to offer competitive wages and career tracks as well. Designers earn $50,000 and $80,000 annually, and the highest reported salary was $200,000, according to the International Game Developers Association. . . . “//
 * Job Market**
 * // “Video game designers //** //have been around for a while, but as the $9 billion interactive entertainment industry matures, new specialties are emerging, such as ** user experience designer **, which focuses solely on improving the user interaction. . . .//

With the job market for video game design growing, the need for designers is continuing to grow. In 2009, $52 Billion were spent on video games, and it is expected that close to $86 Billion will be spent in 2014. Because of the potential boom in video game sales, more and more colleges are starting to offer majors in video game design. Out of college, most designers make between $35,000 and $40,000 per year, with the potential of making an average of $70,000 a year with enough experience. As games continue to expand into the simulation area, thanks to the Microsoft Kinect or the PlayStation Move, the demand is expected to only grow, creating more unique and interesting jobs in this field.

If you are interested in learning more about this field, every spring and fall Harrisburg University offers the ‘[|Careers in Video Games’ forum], featuring experienced designers from leading companies. The next one is April 9, 2010 from 10:00 am to noon. (This event fills up quickly, so you must [|pre-register].)

Consideration #2:
Other considerations when deciding whether to use games in a classroom could include **//why should the teacher consider using games as a teaching tool//**? Using games PRIOR to direct instruction can provide important data as to the level of student understanding on the concept being taught. Also, well designed games are a great asset in helping students engage and explore the core concepts in a safe learning environment. **//How should a teacher use games and simulations in their classroom//**? Students who are familiar with the gaming concepts will find the learning experience exciting, challenging and rewarding as they make their way through the various level of skill development. For those students NOT familiar with gaming, even failing at the challenge placed in front of them can be a safe and fun way to get over the fear of making mistakes. The common experience of gaming enhances the entire class's experience to learning.

__**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Military Applications and Uses **__
====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Gaming and simulations have long been a useful tool used by militaries to assist in training, analysis, and mission readiness. These concepts began as far back as 5,000 years ago with colored stones and a system of grids and have evolved into complex state of the art computer simulation systems that allow users to customize their experiences based off of real life events. ====
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Introduction **

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">The purpose of using games and simulations in the U.S. Airforce is for real life preparation, planning and execution processes. This type of training has historically been time-consuming and expensive, yet critical in preparing and keeping warfighters ready to battle. The Air Force Medical Modeling and Simulation Training(or AFMMAST’s) mission is to develop and use advanced learning technologies and methodologies to improve medical education and training for healthcare teams and patients, for the purpose of improving healthcare outcomes. ==== Vision: In 2015, the AFMMAST program improves patient outcomes and builds clinical skills better than traditional learning systems, and has the evidence to prove it.
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Air Force **

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 1.066em; line-height: 1.5;">More effective weapons fielded by potential adversaries and new developments in cyber and information war fighting are creating a more complex environment for the US Navy. The Navy/Marine Corps team, therefore, needs to be more flexible to successfully counter increasingly sophisticated enemies. Many gaps were exposed when sea service officials held a synthetic war game dubbed Expeditionary Warrior in 2012. The war game was geared to threats and situations that might be expected in 2024. The game highlighted a number of problems, particularly in the command-and-control area, that need to be addressed. Gamers used several advanced concepts still under development, including Air-Sea Battle and the Joint Operational Access Concept from the Pentagon, and analysis from the Corps’ Amphibious Capabilities Working Group. The application of at least a dozen other concepts also was studied, all under the umbrella of the anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategy — the effort to penetrate a defended area and deny its use to an enemy. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 1.066em; line-height: 1.5;">However, an unclassified assessment of the war game by Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC) noted that “Expeditionary Warrior exposed numerous gaps and opportunities in doctrine, concepts, capabilities and capacity for joint force operations in an A2/AD environment.” But while “potential solutions are as complex as the problems themselves,” according to the assessment, game results also reflect “a golden opportunity” for the Corps and its Navy partner to shape themselves into a “responsive, agile and lethal force.” With 200 participants, the game’s “main event” took place in a Washington hotel in March and was preceded by 10 months of conferences, workshops and planning events, as well as a “classified excursion.” Gamers included members of all five U.S. armed service branches, the Joint Staff, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command and 14 partner nations. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 1.066em; line-height: 1.5;">Therefore, games and simulations in the U.S. Navy expose a need to reconcile Marine Corps and Navy operational doctrines. Assessments completed after such simulations noted “interoperability challenges” among Navy, Marine and special operations forces, including the need to clarify command relationships. ====
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Navy **

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Simulations have been part of the Marine Corps since 1995. The usage and number of simulators has increased each year, and it has become a powerful training tool. The great enthusiasm for simulators in this branch came in 2001 after a research project from the Training and Education Command. The two main simulators and games that have been used since 1995 and have grown are called Operation Flashpoint which is now known as Virtual Battlefield System One, as well as Close Combat. Virtual Battlefield System One is a shooter game designed for newer non-commissioned officers. Close Combat is designed for higher-ranking officers. The Marines find these games and simulations to be helpful because logistics, weather, and financial constraints do not impact their use. A situation can be run through several times compared to the time it would take for one live situation. The Defense Department embraces this training outlet for the Marines, and are greatly important to all branches. ====
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">Marines **

====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Official Mission: To field and support an Army-wide, game-based training system that provides our Soldiers with a platform to train small unit tactics, techniques and procedures in Decisive Actions. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Army simulations started its history in 1983 with the United States Simulation and Training Technology Center was created from the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency. It devised the need for simulation technologies and systems to run these games for support for various training methods. ====
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Army **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">There are many different types of simulations and games used to provide training for the military:

 * ====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">VBS2 is a 3-D training program that runs the “player” through actual and fabricated geographical areas. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Bilateral Negotiation Trainer allows participants to be engaged in “real-life” situations that may be encountered where bilingual capabilities may be needed. Here, officers could conduct meetings and practice using negotiation skills to work out problems with native groups. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Operational Language and Culture Training System is a rapid learning program to quickly immerse students in typical communications in foreign areas. It starts with beginners to advanced players and provides information in a way that just after a few hours you are able to communicate with common terminology. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">UrbanSim is a training application that puts players in real situations they may encounter in battle. Practicing these training modules will allow players to understand the complex effects of battle and difficult situations they may encounter. This recreates more on the person to person combat. ====
 * ====<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Virtual Battlespace 2 training program is the UrbanSim to artillery, mortars and “gun to target” simulations. This programs allow coordinators to integrate other programs in for a more realistic approach. ====


 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Conclusion **

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Possible careers for Harrisburg University graduates to design virtual military simulation game: **
====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you can design a medical simulation or other medical device that uses a microcontroller, a pot of money awaits you. The U.S. Army’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) is offering $25,000 to encourage innovative projects that use microcontrollers, tiny computers often used in electronics. July 31 is the deadline for the contest, which is sponsored by TATRC, Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center, and Parallax Inc., a California-based manufacturer of microcontrollers. “The contest is for any medical project. It could be a device prototype, a simulation or another application,” said Thomas Talbot, chief scientist at TATRC’s Armed Forces Simulation Institute for Medicine. So why the emphasis on microcontrollers? They’re cheap, small, and can be used in a variety of applications when paired with a few additional electronics and some ingenuity. “Some of the items being prototyped may not be as sophisticated as those on the commercial market, but might have Third World applications,” Talbot said. “More important than microcontrollers themselves is the increasingly influential maker community that innovates with them. This contest is about citizen innovation and creativity.” ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Examples of potential simulation applications listed on the Parallax site include simulated medical instruments, a casualty tracker, adjustable vital signs simulator, and augmented reality medical training. They could also be used for procedural training, such as an airway intubation or needle insertion trainer. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Prizes will be awarded to 14 educational winners (including universities and public schools, as well as home-schooled students) and 10 winners from the general public. Besides a chance for prize money, applicants can get a free microcontroller kit valued at $300 to $400. The award ceremony will be held in September at TATRC’s Prototyping, Integration & Testing Lab at Fort Detrick, Md. Talbot said there have been about a hundred entries so far, including simulations, medical training devices, non-invasive diagnostic equipment, smart exercise equipment that use physiology sensors, rehabilitation and prosthetics applications, and robotic equipment. ====

= Leading Tools =


 * Tools to Create Games**
 * LearningWare
 * Raptivity
 * Adventuremaker
 * Sploder
 * Game Templates-make common TV game shows with your class content. (Link goes to examples)
 * [|Blender] - 3D tool used for modeling, as well as a Game Engine of it's own right.


 * Favorite Games**
 * TimezAttack
 * [|Free Rice] (Note that although it defaults to English Vocabulary when you first enter the site, you can switch to Art, Chemistry, English, Geography, Language (French, German, Italian, Spanish) and Math. The questions grow progressively harder as you answer them correctly. Warning: this game is addictive for both young students and adults! On the site's About Us page it says "//FreeRice is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program. Our partner is the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. FreeRice has two goals: (1) Provide education to everyone for free. (2)Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.//"
 * Tips on Tap
 * [|Web Arcade]
 * [|Yahoo games]
 * [|Coolmath Games]


 * //Games directed to primary grades//:**
 * [|Starfall]
 * [|Abcya]
 * [|Coolmath]
 * [|Professor Garfield]
 * [|My Dinos]
 * Dance Mat Typing
 * [|PBS Kids Games]
 * [|Math playground]
 * [|fire safety for kids]
 * [|Electrical Safety for Kids]
 * [|FunbBrain]
 * [|FunSchoolgames.com]
 * [|Primarygames.com]
 * [|Sheppardsoftware.com]
 * [|Schooltimegames.com]
 * []


 * Games directed to intermediate grades:**
 * [|Poptropica]
 * [|Free Typing Games] These games are part of [|Sense-lang.org] typing tutor program.
 * [|Multiplication Interactive Games]
 * [|Neuroscience For Kids: Brain Games]

//**Games directed to high school grades:**//
 * [|Powerup]


 * Simulations**
 * [|Studio 8]
 * [|Stock Market Game]
 * [|e-missions]
 * [|explor"e"learning]
 * [|social studies simulations] great source for free social studies simulations (enter "simulation" in the search)
 * [|science simulations] great source for free science simulations (enter "simulation" in the search)
 * [|Learning Simulation Software]This project simulates the Design and Test process through the development of a virtual paintball catapult. The student must build catapults capable of performing a variety of tasks, stay within the allotted budget, and interpret test results to fine tune their design.
 * Flight Simulators- used as a starting point to learn basics of flying (stick control, flight surface controls, intrument reading)
 * X-Plane - offers desktop and mobile simulations, from single engine small aircraft, to airliners and military aircraft. The higher end ones are certified by the FAA for flight training.
 * Microsoft Flight Simulator - Offers a desktop version to fly aircraft for amateurs.
 * NASA's Vertical Motion Simulator - Used by NASA to test flight characteristics of almost any flying craft, from helicopters to space shuttles.
 * Real Lives 2010
 * PBS Learning Media Simulations and interactive across many subject areas and grades. Includes OERs as well.


 * Object based tools for creating interactive instructional simulations**
 * Adobe Captivate 8
 * Udutu Authoring Tool
 * Viewlet Builder 8
 * SmartBuilder
 * Adobe Flash professional CC
 * Articulate Storyline 2
 * Easy Generator
 * Elucidat


 * Other Games Used in Education**


 * ======[|Civilization 4] - Shawn Graham, University of Manitoba did a distance learning class with a custom made scenario. Please visit [|The Higher Education Academy] for more details.======
 * [|Sim City] - Visit [|Brown Univeristy] for an article on the use of Sim City in the classroom.
 * [|Edheads]

= Open Source Options =

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because of the brief life cycle of most games, open source options are not as rampant in the gaming community as they are in other technologies. Open source options do exist, although it is important to understand that sometimes the game content itself is not open source, only the game engine. Some game building options for multiplayer environments are World Forge and Multiverse. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">According to the February 15, 2010 issue of TECH.BLORGE Technology news, the top ten open sources for gaming in random order are //[|Tremulous], [|Netrek], [|LinCity], [|FreeCol], [|The Battle for Wesnoth], FlightGear, [|Crimson Fields], [|AssaultCube], [|Armagetron Advance],// and //[|Nexuiz].// This list contains both old and new titles. Development communities and support structures are available on the major platforms of FreeBSD, Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, and NetBSD. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simulation open sources often overlap with gaming. //FlightGear// is one example. Some simulation open sources include [|TORCS] (The Open Racing Car Simulator),[|OGRE] ( Object- oriented Graphics Rendering Engine ), Collision Dectection, [|Linux gaming], [|Unseen forces], [|Bullet], [|Irrlicht Engine], and [|OpenSceneGraph]. Most of these are available for GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, Solaris, and Windows.

Resources/Publications
Aldrich, C. (2009) The Complete Guide to Simulations and Serious Games. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.

Aldrich, C. (2009). //Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds: Strategies for Online Instruction (Online Teaching and Learning Series (OTL))//. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Annetta, L. A. (2008). Video Games in Educa <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">tion: Why They Should Be Used and How They Are Being Used. //Theory into Practice,//, //47//, 229-239.

Beal, T. (2006). Getting Real Results: How to Add Dramatic Power to Your e-Learning. //Learning Solutions Magazine//, //March 20//. Retrieved February 2, 2010, from []

Bennett, S., Maton, K., & Kervin, i. (2008). The â€˜Digital Nativesâ€™ Debate: A Critical Review of the Evidence. //British Journal of Educational Technology//, //39// (5), 775-786.

=
Bohanner, U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Donald. "Simulations Prepare Marine Corps for War - U.S. Department of Defense Transformation Story." United States Department of Defense (defense.gov). N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.defense.gov/transformation/articles/2004-12/ta120204d.html>.=====

Bolch, M. (2009). Games People Play. //Training Magazine//, //XX//(October/December), 53-56.

=
<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Cavas, Christopher. "U.S. War Game Finds Gaps in Navy, Marine Amphibious Ops." Defense News. A Gannett Company. N.p., 10 Sept. 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2013. @http://www.defensenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012309100002 =====

Chuang, T., & Chen, W. (2009). Effect of Computer-Based Video Games on Children: An Experimental Study. //Educational Technology & Society//, //12//(2), 1-10.

Chen, C. -H, & Howard, B. (2010) Effect of Live Simulation on Middle School Students' Attitudes and Learning toward Science. //Educational Technology & Society//, 13(1), 133-139. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from http://www.ifets.info/journals/13_1/13.pdf

Foreman, J. F. (2003). Next Generation: Educational Technology versus the Leture. //Educause Review.// , //March/April//, 12-23.

Gee, J. P. (2007). //What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy: Revised and Updated Edition// (2 ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Gibson, D. (2006). //Games And Simulations in Online Learning: Research And Development Frameworks// (illustrated edition ed.). Hershey: Information Science Publishing.

Habgood, J., & Overmars, M. (2006). //The Game Maker's Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners//. New York: Apress.

[|Institute of Play] is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing gaming into classrooms and corporations. They are involved with the new Quest 2 Learn middle school in NYC, whose curriculum is based on video games.

Klopfer, E., Osterweil, S., & Salen, K. (n.d.). Moving Education Games Forward. //Creative Commons//. Retrieved February 1, 2010, from []

Liu, E. Z., & Lin, C. H. (2009). Developing Evaluative Indicators for Educational Computer Games. //British Journal of Educational Technology//, //Vol 40// (1), 174-178.

Mayo, M. J. (2007). Games for Science and Engineering Education. //Communcations of the ACM//, //50//(7), 30-35.

Marzano, R.J. Using Games to Enhance Student Achievement. //Educational Leadership.// February 2010 (71-72)//.//

Michael, David, and Sande Chen. //Serious Games - Games that Educate, Train and Inform//. Boston: Thomson Course Technology, 2006. Print.

[|National Institute of Play] - a non- profit organization founded by Dr. Stuart Brown. Watch Dr. Brown's [|presentation] at a TED conference.

Oblinger, D. G. (2004). The Next Generation of Educational Engagement. //Journal of Interactive Media in Education//, //May//. Retrieved February 2, 2010, from []

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"U.S. ARMY GAMES FOR TRAINING PROGRAM." US ARMY PEO STRI: Program Executive Office of Simulation, Training and Instrumentation. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.peostri.army.mil/PRODUCTS/

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"US ARMY PEO STRI: Simulation, Training and Instrumentation: Air and Command Tactical Trainers - PM ACTT." US ARMY PEO STRI: Program Executive Office of Simulation, Training and Instrumentation. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.peostri.army.mil/PM-CATT/PM_ACTT.jsp>.

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