Serious Games Conference 2010
Event Info
Description
Games are everywhere and their use outside of the entertainment industry is growing year on year. Serious games are making a big impact on how we educate, train and engage students or employees and provide a far more enjoyable and rewarding experience.
The new generation of learners expects a new level of interactivity, and games offer an innovative and exciting hands on experience which far surpass the dated methods of lectures and text books.
This is a great opportunity to experience the wide variety of sectors where serious games have been used to great effect, it’s a must for anyone who is considering using serious games and computer based training for their business or academic institute.
By attending the day you will get a fully rounded experience on the use of games and simulations across a whole range of sectors, focusing on real examples with real impact.
The Day’s Programme
Monday 22nd February/Thursday 25th March
8:45 - Arrival
Morning Sessions
9:30 – Serious Games for Police and Law Enforcement
10:15 - Serious Games for Health
11:00 – 11:30 - Break and Networking
11:30 – Serious Games for Government & Politics
12:30 – 1:30 – Lunch and Networking
Afternoon Sessions
1:30 - Serious Games for Defence (Military)
2:30 - Commissioning Serious Games and Game Based Learning
4:30 - 5:00 - Round off and refreshments
9:30 am : Serious Games for Police & Community Engagement
Aims of the session:
In this session we look at a range of gaming examples from the UK
dealing with subjects such as preventing violent extremism, drug use,
gang violence and drink driving.
- Experience a more in-depth view on how serious games are contributing to preventing violent extremism.
- Exploring the solutions and benefits of serious games on major campaigns such as knife crime, drugs and gang culture.
- Discover how gaming technology can help reach younger generations on key issues.
- Serious games for schools and how youngsters have responded to the recent release of the game choices and voices
- Discussions on the benefits games and simulations.
Preventing Violent Extremism (area example):
Image from Choices & Voices
Choices and Voices is an interactive simulation that encourages young people to explore and discuss the underlying issues and adverse influences, which can lead to divisions and tensions in communities.
10:15 am : Serious Games for Health Aims of the session: In this session we look at some of the leading examples on increasing physical activity, improving patient compliance, encouraging better personal health, improving hospital operations and providing more engaging training to healthcare professionals. Topics include the following:
- Experience the benefits of using simulations and serious games compared with standard e-learning.
- Discover clinical trials that demonstrate significant positive benefit in use of games for patients.
- Discuss and share ideas for more engaging approaches to patient and practitioner compliance.
- Find how healthcare training can be made much more effective through the use of simulations and serious games.
- See how gaming and virtual technologies can be harnessed to increase physical activity, encourage better personal health and improve hospital operations.
Improving Hospital Operations (area example):
Organized medical exercises and meetings were held at the Ann Myers Medical Center in Second Life. Now the e-Learning Faculty of Imperial College London has created a spectacular and useful Second Life tool in medical education.
11:30 am : Serious Games for Government & Politics Aims of the session: We’ll explore a cross section of areas where games are used to engage citizens on important policy and political points of view, these include:
- Citizen engagement.
- Public policy and procedure engagement.
- Elections & Budget
Public Policy and Procedure Engagement (area example):
Above – Gordon Brown joins a virtual Paris Hilton, a digital Alistair Darling and a simulated Keira Knightley as 3D characters in the SeriousPolicy Game, developed to demonstrate public engagement through
1:30 pm : Serious Games for Defence (Military)
Aims of the session:
In this session we look at a cross section of approaches and
interactive technologies used by the defence sector, looking at both
possible and proven strategies.
- Discover some of the most innovative and cost effective solutions for training using gaming and interactive technologies within defence.
- Experience how Flash 3D can be used for delivering accessible and trackable training on the defence learning portal (DLP).
- See how an Open Source Virtual World can be used for locational awareness training and how it may be used in future training developments.
- Learn and share ideas on simulations and gaming technology for training new recruits and refreshing old hands.
- Engage with a large variety of solutions in the defence sector.
Flash 3D Scenario Based Training deliverable on the DLP (area example):
Using Flash as the delivery media there is no need for any client side downloads with the user accessing the game through a browser; this is an exciting development for the MoD as it proves engaging 3D training content can be delivered to a wide audience without the restrictions when operating within a Defence IT infrastructure.
2:30 pm : Commissioning Serious Games and Game Based Learning Aims of the session: This session is invaluable for anyone considering hiring developers to create serious games and games for learning. We will focus on good practices on the entire life cycle of a product, getting buy-in from all stakeholders, avoiding gotchas, managing risks and delivering outstanding results.
- Key factors on briefing, developing, testing, deploying and evaluating serious games and simulations.
- A variety of real-life case studies which provides practical insight in delivering a successful product.
- Provide a comprehensive overview from the initial idea to raising funds, understanding gaming mechanics in context of learning and engagement, selecting and negotiating with developers, producing specifications, understanding the users needs and choosing the right technologies and methods for reaching the target audience.
- Showcase a large number of serious games and simulations in a wide variety of sectors.
Game Design – The Creative Elements
Engaging an audience means getting them thinking, reacting and actively involved. It transforms their understanding and learning experience. Every one learns about the world around them as children through play. When done right, playing with games and simulations provides some of the most powerful tools around for engaging an audience of any age.
