Eliane Alhadeff blogs about serious games and recently posted a number of links that I'm happy to share!  The first set of links are to presentations from the recent GAMETECH 2010 conference held in Orlando, Florida. I've also included links to Eliane's blogs as well as to an article about games, simulations, and learning that was recently published in the Charlotte Observer.


SERIOUS GAMES: FROM WHY TO HOW (pdf)
Ben Sawyer, Digital Mill
Serious Storytelling:  Top Research Findings in Game-Based Storytelling (pdf)
Rudy McDaniel, Ph.D.,  Dept. of Media, University of Central Florida
Army Game Studio: Serious Games Development (pdf)
Marsha Berry,  GameTech 3/29/2010
GAMETECH 2010:  Part I (pdf)    PART II: Chaotic System (pdf)
Will Wright (Creator of The Sims, SimCity, and Spore)GAMETECH 2010 Website (Links  to all presentations)
RELATEDThe US Army Simulation and Training CenterArmy Announces Virtual Worlds Challenge Finalists[Image]-STTC
Eliane Alhadeff's Blogs:
SERIOUS GAMES MARKET 
FUTURE MAKING SERIOUS GAMES BLOG





Quote:  "Future-World Thinking & Modeling - Credo: If you want to change the future, play it first!" SERIOUS GAMES INTERACTIVE WEBSITE
By the way, a recent article in the Charlotte Observer discusses the topic of the use of games and 3D simulations in education: Learning with fun and games:  In todays classrooms and businesses, an avatar isn't just a movie; it is a ticket to success. (Sabine Vollmer, 5/2/10) 
FROM THE OBSERVER ARTICLE:"WHAT IS 3D LEARNING? 




3-D learning happens by immersing yourself in a computer game or virtual world, using an avatar - like a digital sock puppet - that you control. You have an out-of-body experience in a digital classroom, learning by interacting and doing, where mistakes don't cause any damage in the real world. ...What's key to 3-D learning is computer technology that's fast and powerful enough to run the game or virtual world. In that respect, 3-D learning is an offspring of semiconductors' doubling in speed and power every 18 months (known as Moore's law)."





Second Life and more 



"These are some virtual worlds visited for learning:

Second Life, where avatars attend conferences, own property, shop, vacation, work and build. www.secondlife.comReactionGrid, a newer competitor of Second Life. www.reactiongrid.comWorld of Warcraft, a huge, multiplayer online game where avatars fight monsters and complete quests. www.worldofwarcaft.comDimensionM, a multiplayer video game for K-12 students that hones math skills. www.dimensionu.com/mathInnov8, a simulation game that teaches business process management. http://www-01.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/innov8/index.htmlSims, a strategic game that simulates activities of virtual people in a suburban household. www.thesims.ea.com"