Game-Based-Learning for a smarter transfer of enterprise practices

In today’s highly competitive market, companies are required to adapt and respond nimbly to change in order to survive and grow. Constant introduction of new technologies, international competition, new and emerging markets, changing customer behaviour and a highly fluid workforce mean that successful companies are constantly learning and transferring this learning to leverage them across diverse geographies and businesses.

The two essential classes of ‘learning’ that enterprises need to transfer are ‘knowledge’ and ‘practice’. While existing platforms can be equipped to transfer enterprise knowledge they are not equipped to handle the transfer of practice.

Common criticisms of standard e-learning as a platform for acquisition of skills and practice are the abstraction of content and concepts, lack of contextual and applied understanding, limitations of choice and dryness of material. These create conditions of inefficient and insufficient practice transfer which in turn lead to accidents, mistakes and loss of profitability.

Melding Neuroscience with Technology for Education

Neuroscience, I believe gives us an interesting perspective at education because in the past 10 years, we have learned a great deal about the structure and function of the brain. Through empirical testing and research we now know that the brain changes when it is trained for tasks, called brain plasticity. At the same time, we have made great strides in understanding how human neuropsychiatric illnesses such as autism, schizophrenia, ADD, and PTSD result from dysfunction in key brain systems.

Challenges of the Education Sector Today

The way we access and consume information has changed forever with technology developed over the past 20 years. The sources too have changed considerably beyond just the traditional media we are used to. This has had massive ramifications with which we perceive education and its overall dynamic in the 21st century.

I ask myself, how can we make education and learning more relevant to the internet generation?

We now live in a world where there is a prevalence of gadgets and computers in our daily lives. We are comfortable surrounding ourselves with mobile devices, smart phones, laptops, tablets and use them all for entertainment and work.

So why are we not yet fully embracing technology into our schools curriculum?

Yes there are those who say that technology and the internet is affecting children’s attention span, creating further distractions to their school work.

Maybe we should be looking at this differently.

Introduction to Game Creation with Esoteric

Creating games and quests in a 3D virtual environment is very challenging and requires in depth knowledge of 3D Graphics creation, Game Design and Computer programming. Each of these are demanding disciplines that require 3-6 years of college education coupled with many years of work experience to master.

It also requires excellent spatial intelligence and hand-eye co-ordination and the ability to overcome repeated bouts of motion sickness (a capacity for this can be inculcated over time by playing 3D videogames or by reading books in a moving vehicle). Consequently most 3D Virtual world platforms have to rely on a small community of power users or collaboration with professional developers for the creation of content.

With Esoteric™ the aim was to create extensive and highly detained virtual environments that utilize ‘play’ as an active ingredient for deep and authentic learning.

Virtual Worlds in Education

3D HiVe is an advanced virtual world designed to be used for Education. It features integrated multimedia support, multimodal communication and secure online environments. It is a Standalone virtual world that provides all the strengths of the virtual worlds without the need for external hosting. It thrives on user generated content and provides easy to use tools for creation of content.    

VWs have too much potential for learning professionals to ignore. VWs will not replace other forms of learning. Instead, we believe the thoughtful application of VW technology will significantly enhance the experience and transfer of learning. We encourage you to examine this technology with fresh eyes and begin by asking what sensibilities it can bring to the learners that aren’t found in traditional learning technology. 

Here are the VW sensibilities we have identified so far:

3DHive Screenshots Feb2012

Click below to see more screenshots

3D Games for Learning Awards Ceremony

On January 20^th 2012, we held our 3D Games for Learning Game Design Competition Prize Awards Ceremony at the Games Solution Centre. The Competition which was open to all teachers and staff at all local educational institutions in Singapore gathered over 40 entries from Teachers in Singapore. The Game concepts submitted by the Teachers were judged by us based on clarity of the game concept, content in Concept-Pitch document and sound pedagogical principles.

The worlds of 3DHive

Click below to see more screenshots

A Teacher and a Showman

Thanks to some exciting new technology out of Singapore we should be seeing more games in classrooms in the near future.


A recently concluded month long national interschool 3D games for learning competition, for teachers, was organized by Playware Studio and was co-sponsored by Singtel and Microsoft Singapore.

The novel contest required teachers to design and create 3D Games for learning using the 3D Hive rapid game development platform. Participants attended an intensive 3 hour workshop prior to the competition to learn how to use the platform.

Ms Faith Goh from River Valley High School won the grand prize in the inaugural national interschool 3D games for learning design competition. Ms Goh also won the special prize for the best 3D Game for learning (languages category).

The first and second runners up prizes went to Mr. Liu Peng from Canberra primary School and Mr. Zulkifli Mansor from Gongshang Primary School respectively. Other prize winning entries were from teams from Madrasah Al-Arabiah Al-Islamiah, Greenridge Primary School, Tampines Secondary School and Anglican High School.

Teacher and a Showman

Can Teachers make successful games? Are talented teachers also natural born game designers? Read on to find out how a small team of dedicated developers is challenging conventions and turning the multi-billion dollar serious games industry on its head.

Game development is a huge business with audience counts in millions, huge budgets and large specialized teams. From the Fifa world cup to Angry Birds to Plants and Zombies Game designers are free to work with topics that excite and intrigue their audiences. 

Teachers on the other hand usually work with 15 to 30 students on a subject, alone, through a year and have to prepare their own material within the narrow confines of the syllabus prescribed. There is usually no budget to speak of and a lot of performance pressure.

Even though both Game designers and Teachers alike have to go through years of training in their respective fields and require loads of passion, talent and dedication the two professions seem to have little else in common.

Playware Studios a small Singapore based company asserts otherwise.