Year End Musings, Reflections, Predictions and Thoughts: Part Three

Lots of events happening in 2012. Here are a few places I will be visiting and activities I will be partaking in. If you happen to be at one of the events, please say “hi” I always like to meet blog readers and people at conferences.

Just around the corner is TechKnowledge 2012 is Las Vegas on January 25-27th. I will be speaking on the subject of “Gamification” and how to incorporate it into instruction.

I am speaking on Wednesday, 01/25/2012 11:00AM -12:15PM, Room Miranda 7/8. The description of the talk is below.

What Research Tells Us About 3D Avatars, Storytelling and Serious Games for Learning and Behavior Change

This decidedly unacademic presentation provides a broad scientific overview of what we know from research about the effectiveness of today’s technology for changing learner behaviors. We will discuss the use of 3D avatars to change learner behaviors; we will consider how playing a video game changes a person’s behavior and how storytelling helps learners memorize facts. We’ll answer questions like: Are two avatars better in an e-learning module than one? Does the appearance of an avatar impact the person when they’ve finished working with the avatar? Do series games have to be entertaining to be educational? This exciting session shows you how to use the existing research literature in your own design and delivery of online learning. You will be provided with tips and techniques for matching research findings to your own e-learning design. We’ll move the concepts from research to practice. The presentation ends with a practical case study outlining how the research tips, techniques, and practices can be applied in a real-life online learning situation. Discover how research-based practices really fit in with today’s fast-paced need for quick, effective online instruction.

Always a fun and exciting event, I am also involved in the Tech + Knowledge Scavenger Hunt, here is a short description. So get involved in the game and have some fun and learn some new things at the conference. Even if you aren’t at the conference, follow us on Twitter at #TKgame.

The game is designed to increase your learning and give you the opportunity to network with your peers or play solo. You’ll hunt for answers to questions supplied by speakers by attending sessions and viewing session slides online and on the mobile app. The game card of questions can be found online www.tk12.astd.org/materials and on the mobile app under session number Game 1. Answers to the questions will be found in the session slides identified by the icon: . If you’d like to partner with others, use Twitter hashtag #TKgame.
A debrief of the game as a learning experience will be held in the Tech Kafé on Thursday from 5:15-6:00 p.m. and moderated by Karl Kapp.

Starting this month for four weeks, I’ll be a guest blogger over at the Learning Circuits Blog. I’ll be talking about games, simulations, ARG and ranting a little about how to get learning and development folks to engage learners with more “doing”. It’ll be a lot of fun, stop by and comment.

In February, you can join me in an eSeminar with Adobe. I am joining Dr. Allen Partridge as we informally discuss simulations and games in eLearning. It is part of Adobe’s Master Class Interview series with industry thought leaders.
DATE: February 22, 2012
TIME: 1 PM US Eastern
COST: FREE so please come and visit

In May, it looks like, my newest book on the convergence of learning and technology titled “The Gamification of Learning and Instruction” will be released. Can’t wait for it to “hit the streets”. Of course, I’ll have another blog book tour (let me know if you want to be a stop on the tour). We’ll have book give aways, some great reviews by thoughtful people like Connie Malamed at The eLearning Coach. I’ll also be publishing an article in Training Industry Quarterly.

In March, I am serving on a panel for Future of Virtual Worlds Learning at 6:00 pm on March 16 that will be hosted by the students for their guests and families of a class taught by Randy Hinrichs of 2b3d.

The launch of the book will exciting, this book is one of my favorite’s to write because it is so focused on research-based evidence supporting the use of games and game elements in specific instances. I am really excited about it. You can see a sneak peak at the publisher’s web site (still with old title) here.

In May, I am doing an elearning class called “How to Avoid Death by PowerPoint®” , scheduled to be held on May 1, 2012 from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM EST. This one is a paid event and coordinated through Lorman Education Services.

Our annual Corporate Advisory Council meeting (CAC) where students and industry professionals mesh is being held April 18, 19 and 20th. My favorite event of the year, it is the time when the students I am coaching and mentoring because professionals in the field it is a great event for me and the students and then, the best part, they come back as alumni and surpass me in industry knowledge and the “coolness” of the projects they are working on. When they come back and present, its awesome!

Speaking of my “day job” I am doing a presentation for the PA State System of Higher Education’s virtual conference, “Transforming the Teaching & Learning Environment: the 2012 PASSHE Virtual Conference” during the week of February 13th. My presentation will be “Avoiding Death by PowerPoint.” A pet peeve of mine that I try to work on.

Additionally, I vow to this year consolidate my web page and blog in one spot, an ambitious process but I need one place on the web, I feel very spread out, so look for some changes to several of my web sites sometime this year, and if you don’t see or hear of progress, feel free to nag.

I am sure many more events. Also, new for 2012, I have updated by bio picture so you can see the updated (read older) me. This picture is include so I can point toward it when people request a bio picture and I don’t need to send via email.

Karl Kapp

So that’st what’s happening so far. I am sure I have forgotten something….