N A S A G A SIMAGES The Official Online Newsletter of the North American Simulation and Gaming Association (NASAGA) Volume 4, Issue 3 2004 Editorial Board NASAGANASAGA 20042004 Les Lauber W ASHINGTON, DC NOVEMBER 3-6 Brian Remer Matthew Richter Join the Performance Party! Raja Thiagarajan Sivasailam Thiagarajan Table of Contents Column: A Message from the Chair 2 by Elizabeth Levine Conference: NASAGA 2004: Join the Performance Party 3 By Chris Saeger Jolt: TEAMWORD 5 By Les Lauber Report: PLAY, LEARN, PERFORM Inspires Growth in New England 8 By Brian Remer Report: Origins '04 9 By William C. Wake Column: Corner Corral: Believing in Yourself 10 by Ellen Gehrke A Message from the chair By Elizabeth levine It’s that time of year when we wonderful addition to the Board. We intended to assist students who want realize the summer solstice has passed, regret the loss of David Jones who to attend the annual conference, signifying the long daylight hours and has decided to focus his tremendous should contact Sonia Ribaux at reduced traffic will not last forever. talent on improvisation, his first love. [email protected]. That fact might be depressing were it In parting, David suggested we The annual conference requires long not for the realization that the NASAGA consider providing financial aid to range planning so we were pleased annual conference is that much closer. assist Board members in attending the (and relieved) to select the 2005 The Board had our mid-year meeting required mid-year meeting. And we location and conference organizer. at the site of the upcoming conference did just that! While there is not full Brian Remer will be hosting the 2005 in Washington, D.C. and I can tell you reimbursement, Board Members can event in Manchester, N.H. You’ll that the venue is terrific! All the now recover some of their out of hear more about that in D.C. meeting rooms are in one central pocket expenses. In this way we And now you know the headlines location with plenty of informal hope to make Board participation more of the outcomes from the meeting. viable for all our members. meeting space as well. There are They are certainly substantive and several food options (as well as a bar) As an organization, NASAGA is worthwhile. But as an O.D. profes- in the facility so no one will starve or committed to functioning in ways that sional, what really thrilled me about dehydrate. But I will stop here as support our values, particularly the the Board meeting was the process! Chris and Becky Saeger have their value of learning. The Board spends This group included a healthy mix of own update on the conference plans considerable time discussing actions gender, age, nationality, background, related to this theme. I am happy to sexual preference, education and elsewhere in the newsletter. say that from proceeds of the auction employment. (Unfortunately, we still Getting back to the Board meeting, at the Montreal 2003 conference, have a way to go in racial, ethnic, and I want to share several highlights with $1,500 (Canadian) was donated to an differently-abled diversities.) Each you. First, the Board appointed organization serving breakfast to person contributed their best ideas as Becky Saeger to fill the vacancy left school children. Additionally, one third well as their honest opinions. Differ- by David Jones’ resignation. We are of the proceeds were allocated to our ences were spoken with respect and delighted to have Becky officially on Scholarship Fund. After much everyone took time to listen. It was board, although she was already discussion, the Board decided to actually (dare I say it?) fun! So hang working energetically on the 2004 increase the proportion of auction on to your ideals—the possibilities are conference plans. Not only has earnings dedicated to the Scholarship great when people come together with Becky been designing and facilitating Fund to 75% of the auction proceeds. a common purpose. Perhaps you games for many years, she is a most Anyone interested in learning more might want to join the Board someday capable organizer and implementer, a about the Scholarships, which are and see for yourself. N A S 2 A SIMAGES G A nasaga 2004: Join the performance party By chris saeger & Becky Saeger In the next few weeks you will at The Thiagi Group. He specializes use of interactive strategies for be receiving an email inviting you in the design and delivery of computer training and facilitation. His passion to Join the Party in Washington DC. games and simulations. is helping other trainers capitalize on In this preview we would like to the experiences of their participants introduce a few of our “candidates”— Build it Now – Developing Great to enhance learning. top facilitators and designers from New Simulations and Games, around the world. Quickly! Concurrent Session Ever been asked to design a Previews Pre-Conference Workshops learning event with high expectations Here are a selection of five sessions but little time? Ever wanted to be a High Performance Teamwork now a part of the conference concur- presenter at an International Confer- (Featuring Mattel’s™ Break the rent sessions. ence? Want to take home something Safe) you can apply right away? Come to Bingo, Revisited: The 5 Best Corporate teams today are differ- this session and achieve these three Designs ent from teams in your parents’ things and more! In this session we Come play the world’s most times. Teams are now rapidly will introduce you to some approaches familiar format in five exciting assembled from cross-functional and and tactics for rapid design and testing. designs, including a board game, a cross-cultural groups to work under Then, you will put these approaches wall game, a team activity, and two tight time pressures in an unpredict- into practice. Working in teams you paper-and-pencil games. Each game able environment with ambiguous will create a simulation or game on a will be played and then evaluated on information. In this workshop, we topic of your choice. Before the end its playability (is it fun to play), replace traditional teambuilding of the session you will have tested balance (play versus content) and approaches (such as white water this game/simulation on others in the flexibility (adaptability). Finally, each rafting and rappelling) with a low- room and received feedback from participant will take home a resource threat board game and constantly your peers and a panel of experts! guide that includes game templates debrief participants to explore and In addition, all designs from the day and notes on how to adapt these apply—principles of high-performance will be reviewed by Mel Silberman games to your audience and content. partnership. for inclusion in the 2005 Training Presenter—Steve Sugar, well known Presenters—Thiagi, Matthew and Development Sourcebook! author of Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer books: Richter, and Raja Thiagarajan. Presenters—Kevin Eikenberry, Games That Teach, Games That Thiagi is the Resident Mad Scientist Brian Remer. Kevin is a consultant, Teach Teams, Primary Games, at The Thiagi Group, an organization trainer, author, and President of Retreats That Work, and Games That that provides faster, cheaper, and the Kevin Eikenberry Group better training design. Matthew (http://KevinEikenberry.com )— Boost Performance. Richter is president of The Thiagi a learning consulting company. A Quit Horsing Around: Group. He specializes in storytelling long-time NASAGA member, Kevin Recognizing and Building on and other engaging approaches to believes in the power of experience The Try in Learners training design and delivery. Raja in the learning process. Brian is an Thiagarajan is vice-president for independent consultant and NASAGA What if your participants could not research and computer applications Vice Chair who specializes in the talk? This workshop incorporates N A S SIMAGES A 3 G A activities that are vital towards building (continuous, first loop learning) and trainers use to facilitate. Lynn is the trusting relationships with horses. The innovation (discontinuous, second loop president of a training company that fun and insightful exercises used in learning). IMMUNE is a gaming field focuses on e-learning, design, and training wild horses have been adapted designed to approach this problematic; implementation of training programs. to training and educational environ- its purpose is to integrate teams Lynn’s niche is collaborating, brain- ments to create and understand when needing to L&I collectively. storming, and strategizing with clients. meaningful learning starts occurring. Presenters— Enrique Campos- The emphasis on recognizing when López and Alena Urdiales-Kalinchuk, It’s All In the Cards: Rapid the try takes place in learners will help Aprendizaje Sistémico, Saltillo, Needs Analysis reduce the unproductive impact of Coahuila, Mexico. You need it when? In this session when trainers/educators use precon- participants will work with a rapid ceived ideas of how learning should Design What? By When? instructional design process. Partici- “look” which impede learners. That’s “Ethical”? pants will produce a “Needs analysis” Presenter—Ellen Gehrke, professor Attend this session and get ideas on deck of cards and use it as a “real- of International Business and Manage- how to design, develop, and document life” starting point for a training to be ment at Alliant International in San training modules. Susan and Lynn will designed with games and simulations. Diego, integrates interactive teaching share how they go from start to finish, This is instant needs assessment and in her courses in cross cultural manage- including such things as where to design methodology you can put to ment, organizational behavior, and begin, how to get organized, what use today. entrepreneurship. She also adopts and makes it effective and “fun,” time Presenter—Adriano Pianesi trains wild horses using natural needed for development, guide format, creates learning solutions for Mem- horsemanship methods.