NASAGA - Games and Simulations

2007 Conference

Thursday, October 11

Concurrent Sessions 1
Beyond 1000 Words: Exploring the Magic of Pictures! by David Gouthro and Crystal Flaman
In this highly interactive session, explore the ways in which trainers and facilitators can use photos, pictures & images in their work. Design tips, sources of images, implementation guidelines and a healthy dose of laughing will characterize this workshop. David & Crystal will use their diversity of age, gender, amount of hair and perspectives in concert with their common desire to provide value and a fun-filled learning environment to challenge and inspire participants who dare to engage with them!
David Gouthro has been training & facilitating for over 25 years and has had to dig deep for useful and engaging activities. Having presented on four continents (only twice on each of three of them, mind you!), he knows the importance of creating games that work across a wide variety of organizations & cultures. Crystal Flaman has been facilitating for the past 8 years. Crystal's purpose is to inspire others to make a difference in the world using their own unique gifts & talents.
Exploring the Junkyard Metaphor by Bernie DeKoven
In this session he invites participants to play some games that are clearly, honestly, entirely for fun. In this session you will change some of the rules of these games to make even more games and discover what a powerful tool fun can become.
Bernie is a lifetime member of The Association for the Study of Play and the 2006 winner of the Ifill-Raynolds award from NASAGA.
Motivation Principles for Game Designers and Facilitators by Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan
Most training sessions are deadly dull and boring. But there is no reason why they should be. Participate in this walk-the-talk session and explore how to incorporate six critical components of motivation in your training session (connection, choice, competence, confidence, collaboration, and captivation) through the use of training games and activities. Learn how to begin and end your session to increase the motivation to learn and to apply what was learned. Do all this without sacrificing the instructional effectiveness of your training.
As the Resident Mad Scientist at the Thiagi Group, Thiagi has been has been designing and delivering training games for 92 years (including his previous life). His younger colleagues have currently locked him up in a basement where he designs interactive training products and procedures in return for a regular supply of mortgage money and all the books he can read.
Performance Management as if People Mattered - A Simulation Approach by Ken Spero
Like any other processes that organizations implement, it is easy to lose site of everything else and focus solely on the process itself. The “everything else” is more often than not the people in the organization. This session will describe how Dow Chemical chose to address this challenge by using a blended classroom and simulation approach to deploying their new Performance Management Process. In this session we will describe how Dow was able to deploy an engaging and comprehensive application that both presented the new process and placed it in a realistic context where it needed to be applied with people.
Ken has spent the last 17 years developing and deploying computer simulations. He is currently a founder and the CMO for Humentum which has developed a technology and methodology for the practical development and deployment of computer simulations either on or off line.
Concurrent Sessions 2
The Art of Misdirection: Magic, the Senses and Learning by Ken Bellemare
Intrigued by magic? Come and learn to do magic. In this hands-on magical experience learn the secret skills that make magic magical. Learn how one sense can often fool another sense and why we have different perceptions from the person beside us.
Ken Bellemare's quest is to help eliminate boring training and presentations. He is a message-based magician who uses magic and storytelling to engage learners. many of the principles of magic apply to business and learning situations.
Poverty Reduction in Molansa: A Simulation by Sonia Ribaux
The simulation Choices for Poverty Reduction was designed for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The goal was to help new Development Officers become more aware of the workings and complexity of poverty reduction, CIDA’s main mandate. A simulation was developed that simulates how a group of different stakeholders choose to invest their resources to help reduce poverty in a fictitious country and what the results of these choices are over a 20-year period.
Sonia has 20 years of expertise in the field of learning and performance and designs and implements learning solutions in a wide variety of fields. Her designs are highly interactive with a special focus on games and simulations. She is a NASAGA board member and hosted the 2003 annual conference.
Using Simulations to Capture and Deploy Best Practices by Ken Spero
Best practices can’t be read, they need to be experienced. The traditional approach to capturing best practices is via a knowledge management approach built on documents or slides created by practitioners and then saved to a knowledge management system. The problem with this approach is that it usually has no effect on actual behavior, and consequently, on the progress of the organization. Not only do employees fail to seek out best practices when they have a need, but even if they do, it is rare that the best practices directly apply to their real-life situation, much less result in a change in behavior. To address this challenge, we will explore an alternative approach that seeks to address the underlying behaviors and skills associated with best practices.
Ken has spent the last 17 years developing and deploying computer simulations. He is currently a founder and the CMO for Humentum which has developed a technology and methodology for the practical development and deployment of computer simulations either on or off line.
Theatre of the Oppressed by Stephanie Pollack
Issues of power are inherently included in all that we do. The Great Game of Power provides trainers/educators with an opportunity to work more effectively and creatively through the use of readily transferable, easy to facilitate, yet highly sophisticated activities that participants enjoy. This session will introduce two of Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed exercises that can be used in numerous training and education environments. (These games appeared in a recent issue of SIMAGES.)
Stephanie Pollack, M.A., founder of Creative Facilitations, is an interculturally and artistically focused experiential educator/ trainer. For 15 years she has developed and led worldwide innovative training and educational programs with ages 7-77 for universities, museums, non-profits, and corporations. Ms.Pollack has facilitated Theatre of the Oppressed activities in training since 1997.
Concurrent Sessions 3
The Magic of Games Simulation and Learning by Chris and Becky Saeger
Discover the three rings of the learning circus. This session will overview the field of simulations, games and interactive learning. Using experiential examples we will look at all three areas of interactivity. We will play and debrief examples of each and explore their components. You will come away with tools to be more effective as a facilitator and with basic design principles for creating your own activities.
Becky and Chris have been creating simulations and interactive learning experiences since1985. Their work has won awards from ASTD, Lakewood Publications, and the International Society for Performance Improvement—Potomac Chapter. They are regular presenters at ISPI, the North American Simulation and Gaming Association and other conferences. They are past board members of NASAGA and have chaired past conferences; They improve performance through learning in nonprofit, manufacturing, information technology, and health care organizations.
Presto! Activities You Can Do In An Instant! by Tracy Tagliati
In this highly interactive session, you will experience 90-minutes of activities that you can perform in 90 seconds or less. You don’t have to believe in magic to understand how these activities will increase your participants’ transfer of learning, provide an anchor for your key ideas, and make you and your presentations more memorable. Just bring your smile, energy, and a fun loving attitude.
Tracy is a corporate trainer for Mercury Insurance, a former high school teacher, and an active member of ASTD-LA. She is known for her energetic, creative and interactive training style that developed after years of trying to engage classrooms full of teenagers with limited attention spans. As she moved from the academic world to the corporate world, she discovered that while the age of her participants changed, their desire for interaction during the learning process was the same.
Looking@Leadership: Visually & Interactively by Fran Kick
Are you looking for a way that can interactively create deeper understanding in your programs? Want to inspire more meaningful metaphorical interpretations of what “leadership” really looks like? See and experience first-hand how our “minds eye” creates connections between people and ideas. Come find out how you can adapt further learning opportunities like this one which will enable participants to “look at” other conceptual and contextual models differently using a visually and interactively engaging approach.
Fran Kick is an educational consultant, author and professional speaker who knows how to KICK IT IN! Fran speaks at many conferences about What Makes Kids KICK and how they can KICK IT IN & TAKE THE LEAD. He has his B.A. in Education and a M.A. in Educational Psychology.
Simulating the Project Management Process by Jay Schindler
Come learn about project management the hands-on way. Time is limited, resources are available but costly, and you just can't seem to communicate effectively with your staff or the customer. Can you apply your project management skills and be the best contractor of them all? Participants will be active, groups may get rowdy, and teams will grow. Debriefing will highlight project management principles and application.
Jay Schindler has used games and simulations in academic, corporate, and adult education environments to help explore conducting needs assessments, the aging process, the evolution of cooperation, resource management, and more. Recently, Jay received his Project Management Professional certification and has taught Project Management for Public Health at Emory University.

Friday, October 12

Concurrent Sessions 4
Access the Magic through Photographs by Christine Martell and Peggy Pusch
Come explore what makes simulations magic. We'll start the process with a new technique that uses photographs, drawing on the visual to start a conversation around specific questions This session is about mining the wisdom in the room and this technique is about drawing on the wisdom that lies in any group. We will be exploring what we can discover individually and collectively when we activate approaches from both sides of the brain.
Christine Martell is the principal of VisualsSpeak, which creates tools and training to make it easy to facilitate with photographs. She has been designing and using art and creative processes with individuals and groups for twenty years. She has a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and a MS in Training and Development.
Margaret D. (Peggy) Pusch is the associate director of the Intercultural Communication and Executive Director of SIETAR USA. She is on the faculty of Summer Institute for Intercultual Communication, a cross-cultural trainer and consultant, and an author and editor. She was co-founder and president of Intercultural Press, Inc.
Make it Magnetic: How to Attract and Keep Unbeatable Volunteers by Matt DeMarco and Margee Wolff
Magnets attract objects, but they can also repel them. So it is with organizations and new volunteers. If we have great opportunities for involvement, communicate them effectively and provide people with fun and rewarding experiences, we can attract and keep volunteers. In this fun and interactive session, you’ll explore the principles that attract people to volunteer opportunities and learn the tools you can use to help new volunteers stick around for years to come.
Matt DeMarco incorporates active learning into his work developing grassroots volunteer leaders for the American Farm Bureau. He also serves on the NASAGA board of directors. Matt holds a MA in International Training and Education from American University. Margee Wolff, a fifteen-year veteran of the training field, has presented training programs to a variety of audiences, including business owners, managers, support staff and volunteers, in 48 states. She holds a BA from Penn State University and an MS degree in Organization Development from Loyola University Chicago.
Innovation in a Box by Rick Boersma
Innovation In a Box was designed with the following vision: "To design a self-facilitated simulation which will allow participants to develop ideas as they play a game. Rather than moving a game-piece around a board, they will move a problem statement around the board and through the innovation process. Rather then earning and collecting points, or money, they will develop and strengthen ideas - solving their problem as they play."
Rick Boersma has been working in the field of education and training since 1985. In the early 90’s he was a program manager with the Canadian Outward Bound Wilderness School, and through them began extensive work in the corporate arena. From 1995-2000 he was a lead designer and facilitator for Eagle’s Flight Creative Training and founded Floworks Simulations and Training design in 2000. Floworks creates simulations, which are used by clients in North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia.
2020 Hindsight: A Game to Help Your Games Meet Long-term Organizational Needs by Jay Clancy, Jr.
A distinguishing factor of “serious games” is that they meet an intended purpose, usually an organizational need. As consumers, designers, and providers of these games, we must be highly attuned to these organizational needs, and the specific needs of each customer within the organization. 2020 Hindsight is a game that will help you understand the long and short-term needs of these customers and ensure your game has the necessary components to meet these needs.
Jay Clancy has a Masters in Training and Development. Jay has designed and facilitated training programs for a variety of industries and taught classes for the University of Houston. He is Past President of ISPI Houston, Founding Director of IAL Texas, and past board member of ASTD Houston.
Concurrent Sessions 5
Impassioned Motivation by Kate Koski
A child bounces out of bed at 6:00 AM every Saturday. Yet on school days, her parents fight to get her up by 7:30. Why is her motivation so different on weekdays? What if you could tap into that Saturday spark, that passion, every day? In this workshop, you'll play games that illustrate the difference between external and internal motivators. You'll identify the negative effects of rewards and the benefits of internal motivation. Learn how to modify the games and put passion into your workplace!
Kate Koski is the best of the best. Having been around a long long time, she is old, mature and, well, a heck of a lot of fun.
Understanding Systems Thinking through Interactive Games by Ron Roberts
Understanding Systems Thinking through Games and Game Technology” will examine the ways in which games can provide powerful simulations of Systems thinking that, if taken advantage of, can allow massive improvements in the work place or educational setting. Professor Roberts will share some of the insights he has gained over the last 10 years of researching, inventing and applying game technology to Systems Thinking.
Ron Roberts, President, of Action Centered Training and ACT Games, has invented over 50 Big and Small games and holds 7 patents. Professor Roberts, who teaches management and communication at Penn State University, uses these games to teach corporations and educational institutions about teamwork, communication, leadership, strategic planning, change management, process improvement and Systems Thinking.
Games for Creating Remarkable Leaders by Kevin Eikenberry
Leadership skills apply to everyone, regardless of their job title. In this session we will explore ways to use games and activities to make leadership training more interactive and effective. How will we do that? By playing those games! We'll play, debrief and discuss how to modify at least two games to best meet your learning needs.
Kevin Eikenberry is an expert in converting organizational, team and individual potential into desired results, and a long time NASAGA member. Kevin has spent the last 17 years helping organizations all across North America. He is the author of two books including Remarkable Leadership, and a contributing author to more than 20 other books.
Management simulations. Principles and methods of designing situations in management simulations by Toutaev Peter and Vladimir Galkin
Like no other type of education, management education should be practice- and action-oriented. Activity management most of all means facing unpredictable and fast-changing conditions, inside which a manager should be effective. But the ability to analyze and predict a situation is not the only way to get successful result. This session will look at several different approaches.
Toutaev Peter represents a group of simulation designers, who design and practice simulations in the sphere of managerial education. The core matter of such type of simulation is not to demonstrate the characteristics of a well-simulated process and the way this process goes on, but most of all to put students (players) in a situation of a necessity to make a management decision.
Concurrent Sessions 6
Friend and Foe? Balancing Cooperation and Competition for Optimal Gameplay byDolly Joseph
Definitions of games often include the concept of competition, but may fail to mention the role and potential of cooperative play. What are the ways that cooperation manifests itself in games? How can we exploit the beneficial aspects of cooperation in our game designs, while maintaining the vigor and excitement that competition can bring? We will play a variety of new and familiar games, reflect on our own experiences, and apply these new understandings to potential training objectives.
Dolly currently teaches K-8 children how to use the computer to make beautiful graphics, interactive Flash animations, and exceedingly funny short films. Dolly was honored to receive a student scholarship to the 2004 NASAGA conference and the Rising Star Award at the 2006 NASAGA conference and always has an extraordinarily good time attending.
Dueling Building Teams by Debi Bridle
This engaging simulation puts teams in competition, as they race to build an assigned Lego structure. But, not only do they face the stress of competition, they also must overcome the challenges inherent in working with others.
Debi Bridle has worked in the field of adult learning for 25 years. She has a Masters’ Degree in adult education from the University of Toronto. In 2005, Debi was awarded the esteemed “Rising Star Award” by NASAGA for a simulation she designed as part of its Certificate Program.
Hammer It Home: A Metaphorical Toolbox for Trainers by Brian Remer
Want to jazz up your training, launch participants toward novel solutions, or analyze problems in greater depth? Try using metaphor! The most powerful gadget in your toolbox, metaphor can drive your point home and put your participants in the driver’s seat of their own learning. Come experiment with twelve metaphor generation techniques, learn why they result in better learning and increased creativity, and discover how you can adapt them for your own uses.
Brian Remer, creative spark of The Firefly Group, is a designer of interactive strategies for training and facilitation. He has led training for performance improvement in Egypt, Zaire, Ecuador, and the U.S. Brian is noted for his ability to create a low pressure, high impact learning environment.
Flip the switch, create light-a fast paced simulation by Judee Blohm and Chuck Needleman
Participate in a fast-paced team simulation requiring completion of a task through negotiating with others. “Living in a Global Age” is a versatile activity that can be used at various grade levels to explore important current topics such as stereotyping, communication, negotiation, team work, and global interdependence. After the simulation, discuss uses of games, simulations, and interactive activities in the classroom and receive resources for teachers.
Judee Blohm is a cross-cultural educator and training consultant who has taught and trained in the United States and overseas. She designs and delivers programs for youth, families, and adults working and living in multi-cultural settings. She authored Where in the World Are You Going? for children and Kids Like Me: Voices of the Immigrant Experience for teens. Chuck Needlman has been a management consultant, training manager, coach and facilitator over 25 years. Dedicated to interactive training, he has developed and implemented a broad variety of strategies and programs for training and development, business planning, diversity, team building, and cross-cultural issues for all levels of organizations and government.

Saturday, October 13

Technology Based Learning Day
Design Instant Online Flash Games by Raja Thiagarajan
We give away our web-game shells program (which we have been selling for 5k) and train you to use it. Learn how to create five different types of flash-based e-games by just typing on a template and clicking a couple of buttons. Integrate these games into your boring e-learning courses. Bring your laptop to this hands-on session and install the programs to use back home.
Raja specializes in the design of e-learning games and simulations. He is the designer of computer game shells and the programmer for the authoring system for web game shells. He has also designed and developed various cheap (but not tacky) approaches to online simulations, collaborative problem solving exercises, and interactive fiction.
Improving communication and collaboration via simulations: a NASA approach by Tom Cuddy and Tate Srey
After serving as NASA’s lead contractor for the Columbia accident investigation, Valador identified that NASA engineers could use game technology, to enhance their communication and collaboration over simulation results, which are key to identifying those potential disasters ahead of time. Valador and NASA created the (DON) to facilitate engineers collaborating over simulation results. The DON uses game technology to support analysis of simulation results as well as on-the-job training for engineers and analysts.
Mr. Cuddy joined Valador in 2004 as Director of Software Engineering, bringing with him over 22 years of experience. He began his career at the Boeing Helicopter Company where he worked on flight simulations for the Apache and V22 helicopters. Later, he moved to Ferranti International Simulation and Training where he worked on Anti-Submarine Warfare training simulators for the Navy’s P3 aircraft. He was one of the first engineers to join MapQuest.com. Tate Srey earned his B.S. Degree in Computer Science from George Mason University with a strong background in digital art and animation. In January 2005, he began working as a technical artist and software engineer for the modeling and simulation branch of Valador, where he worked with gaming technology for serious gaming purposes.
Simulation Training Using Flash and a Spy Thriller Storyline to Train Lotus Notes by Steve Riley
Steve Riley is the President, CEO and founder of echo11media, inc. His in-depth knowledge and mastery of eLearning techniques and tools enables him to guide echo11media’s development and deployment of highly effective eLearning solutions. His career, which includes over 16 years of eLearning experience, began with the U.S. Air Force, during which Steve both received his technical training and developed his skills as a training instructor.
Cyfun’s Cool Little E-Games by JR Mayhew
Cfun will tap into their extensive library and demonstrate some the games that allow you to easily add entertainment/educational value. These games are built in flash or shockwave and have puzzles or questions that can continually be added to them to tie into either seasonal or other marketing campaigns, keeping them fresh.
Mr. Mayhew has remained on the forefront of the design and technology industry advancements throughout his career. Having started in the desktop publishing industry in the late 80’s, he has followed the progression of the industry with several ventures using various new media and interactive mediums to create marketing and business solutions. Seeing this as a differentiation, in early 2000 he and two other partners founded their own interactive and traditional media agency – Cyfun Media.

For more information the Concurrent Sessions, please email Dave Matte.

For more information on NASAGA 2007, please call 404-966-2372 or email Deborah Thomas.