“Open-ended, challenge-based, truly collaborative "Serious Games" are features of an emerging category of applications that are especially appropriate for higher education.”
PRESS RELEASE
NMC Horizon Report Highlights simSchool
The New Media Consortium (NMC) and EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) released the prestigious NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition (please find also Serious Games To Have Significant Influence on Higher Education) naming simSchool as one of the examples of emerging technologies likely to have an impact on learning, teaching, and creative inquiry in higher education.
Westlake Village, CA, February 21, 2012) -- The New Media Consortium (NMC) and EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) released the prestigious NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition naming simSchool as one of the examples of emerging technologies likely to have an impact on learning, teaching, and creative inquiry in higher education.
simSchool was cited in the Game-Based Learning in Practice section, stating; “simSchool is a flight simulator for teachers that provides challenging teaching scenarios that develop the knowledge and skills needed for classroom success. Research has indicated that training time on the simulator makes a significant difference in a teacher’s self-efficacy and sense of the focus of control.” “The recognition of being included in the Horizon Report is validation that simSchool is on the path to making a real difference in education,” said David Gibson Ed. D. simSchool creator.
Results of teachers experience are real, measureable, and include:
· improvement in general teaching skill
· improved confidence in using technology
· increased belief that the teacher has the skills and ability to make a difference in a child's life
· improvement in pre-service teachers' performance in teacher preparation courses and attitudes toward inclusion of special needs students
· significant positive impact on the mastery of deeper learning capacities that comprise the readiness to teach
· increased "staying power" on the path to the field of teaching acquired through rapid development of strong self-efficacy and resilience.
In these ways and more, simSchool enables transformational experiences for teachers to help them become more effective leaders in their classrooms and learning communities.
In these ways and more, simSchool enables transformational experiences for teachers to help them become more effective leaders in their classrooms and learning communities.
To be a part of simSchool, please visit http://www.simSchool.org
About All Stakeholders:
About the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition
The internationally recognized NMC Horizon Report series and regional NMC Technology Outlooks are part of the NMC Horizon Project, a comprehensive research venture established in 2002 that identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact over the coming five years in education around the globe. This volume, the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition was again produced in a collaborative effort with the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, an EDUCAUSE Program, and examines emerging technologies for their potential impact on teaching, learning, and creative inquiry within the higher education environment.
For more information on the NMC Horizon Report please visit http://www.nmc.org/news/and-eli-release-horizon-report-2012-hied-edition
About simSchool and CurveShift
simSchool is a classroom simulation that supports the rapid accumulation of a teacher's experience in analyzing student differences, adapting instruction to individual learner needs, gathering data about the impacts of instruction, and seeing the results of their teaching. It’s a virtual learning environment where instructors can explore instructional strategies, examine classroom management techniques, and practice building relationships with students that will translate into increased learning. The students may be virtual but their very real behaviors are based on decades of psychological and behavioral research. The results teacher users experience are real and measureable, too, and include improvement in general teaching skill, improved confidence in using technology, and an increased belief that the teacher-user has the skills and ability to make a difference in a child’s life. Using simSchool has even been shown to improve pre-service teachers’ performance in teacher preparation courses and attitudes toward inclusion of special needs students. In these ways and more, simSchool enables transformational experiences for teachers to help them become more effective leaders in their classrooms and learning communities. The simSchool Modules project is funded by the Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) Wave 1 program of EDUCAUSE with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
For more information on simSchool, please visit http://www.simSchool.org
CurveShift designs and distributes high quality digital tools and resources for K12 teacher and organizational effectiveness. CurveShift owns over $12 million worth of digital content, platforms, authoring tools and courseware aimed at K-12 teacher preparation and development. CurveShift's founders and their colleagues developed these assets over the past decade through government grants and contracts. Many of the products are already successful and in use across many industry segments.
For more information on CurveShift, please visit http://www.curveshift.com
For more information on CurveShift, please visit http://www.curveshift.com
About Leverage™ Adaptive Learning Platform and Pragmatic Solutions, Inc.
Leverage™ Adaptive Learning Platform was developed by Pragmatic Solutions, Inc. under military specs to support large-scale, simulations, virtual environments, and learning management systems. Central to Leverage’s capabilities is the ability to seamlessly manage millions of user accounts, collect terabytes of data, execute thousands of business rules, and deliver real-time analytics and feedback to multiple classes of end users without impacting the flow or delivery of content or game play. Leverage currently serves as the backend framework for programs in government, business, education, research, corporate training, and commercial entertainment. Tens of thousands of content objects, dynamic media tools, game scenarios, and user-specific items and messages flow in and out of Leverage’s centralized database and interfaces hourly to users in 40 countries around the world.
Leverage™ Adaptive Learning Platform was developed by Pragmatic Solutions, Inc. under military specs to support large-scale, simulations, virtual environments, and learning management systems. Central to Leverage’s capabilities is the ability to seamlessly manage millions of user accounts, collect terabytes of data, execute thousands of business rules, and deliver real-time analytics and feedback to multiple classes of end users without impacting the flow or delivery of content or game play. Leverage currently serves as the backend framework for programs in government, business, education, research, corporate training, and commercial entertainment. Tens of thousands of content objects, dynamic media tools, game scenarios, and user-specific items and messages flow in and out of Leverage’s centralized database and interfaces hourly to users in 40 countries around the world.
For more information on Leverage or Pragmatic Solutions, Inc., please visit http://www.pr-sol.com
Pragmatic Solutions, Inc. headquartered in Westlake Village, CA, is a data modeling innovator with extensive organizational expertise in creating stable, scalable database and server architecture conducive to business information and learning management systems. Over the past decade, Pragmatic has worked at the leading edge of systems design, exploring how advanced data collection, inference and analysis tools can be used to impact performance, engagement, and learning in simulations, games, virtual worlds, and other interactive web environments. Pragmatic’s systems currently influence tens of millions of users’ online experiences around the world.
About NGLC
NGLC reflects a unique synergy resulting from the blended expertise, leadership, and credibility of both institutional and technology leaders who share a commitment to resolving the educational challenges our students – and the country - faces , and to expanding the adoption of proven innovations within timelines that will demonstrate measurable impact on the problems of the day. NGLC is led by EDUCAUSE in partnership with the League for Innovation in the Community College, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). Funding is being provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
For more information on the Phase 1 NGLC Program: http://www.nextgenlearning.org
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)
AACE (founded in 1981) is an international, educational, and professional organization dedicated to the advancement of the knowledge, theory and quality of learning and teaching at all levels with information technology. For simSchool Modules, AACE will house "modules" created by participating partners in EdITLib, an open source library of education and information technology digital resources. https://www.aace.org/.
Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE)
University of North Texas (UNT)
UNT is a student-focused, public, research university located in Denton, Texas. One of Texas' largest universities, UNT offers 97 bachelors, 88 masters’ and 40 doctoral degree programs within the university's 12 colleges and schools. During the simSchool Modules project, UNT will serve as the Research Center on Teaching and Learning with simSchool. https://www.unt.edu/.
FableVision
Boston-based FableVision Studios creates award-winning websites, games & activities, animated films, interactive graphic novels, museum kiosks, digital storybooks, desktop applications, and iPhone apps. FableVision is dedicated to helping ALL learners reach their full potential and to telling "stories that matter, stories that move." During the simSchool Modules Project, FableVision's team will help direct creative and business development toward improving user experiences and enhancing the simSchool brand. http://fablevision.com/.