Steps for Designing a Virtual Learning World Experience

Here is a step-by-step process for designing and launching a virtual world learning experience within an organization.

Step One: Identify the learning objective and outcomes required of learners.

Step Two: Determine the content that must be learned to enable participants can achieve the desired outcomes.

Step Three: Determine if content is appropriate for learning within a virtual world environment.

Step Four: Determine the Learning Archetype most appropriate for the content (role play, treasure hunt,etc.) Consider if instruction should be synchronous, asynchronous or a combination.

Step Five: Create storyboards outlining environment and flow of the instructional sequence and map content to environment in a manner appropriate with the chosen Learning Archetype.

Step Six: Build or purchase the necessary digital assets for the virtual learning environment.

Step Seven: Determine method of evaluating the learning and map learning outcomes to business outcomes.

Step Eight: Ensure that technical obstacles such as downloads, open ports, firewalls and graphic cards have been addressed.

Step Nine: Create guidelines to inform facilitator and learners of what they will be doing in the virtual learning environment. Create debriefing exercises to ensure learning.

Step Ten: Conduct a pilot test of environment and a small group of learners to work out any issues or obstacles.

Step Eleven: Provide sessions to teach learners how to navigate in a virtual world if they are novices to ensure navigation issues don’t interfere with learning.

Step Twelve: Launch and conduct training.

Step Thirteen: Conduct debrief on learning experience.

Step Fourteen: Gather feedback on experience and modify virtual learning environment as required.

Step Fifteen: Measure learning outcomes against on-the-job performance to measure impact of learning.

Did I miss something? Is something included that shouldn’t be? Is this complete? Feedback encouraged and welcomed.
__

Catalog of Recommended Books, Games and Gadgets
Recommended Games and Gadgets
Recommended Books
Content Guide