Paul Driver
@pauldriver.bsky.social
Director of Simulation, teacher trainer, digital materials author & artist. Interested in creativity, XR, AI, play, pedagogy, embodiment… All views my own.
It’s always been a false dichotomy but the framing can still be a useful awareness raiser to steer people from tech determinism and lead into simple descriptive frameworks like TPACK etc.
May 29, 2025 at 7:21 PM
It’s always been a false dichotomy but the framing can still be a useful awareness raiser to steer people from tech determinism and lead into simple descriptive frameworks like TPACK etc.
Staff workload is a thorny one. We have a spectrum of tools for developing immersive content. Some simple ones available at whole-institution level to very specialised kit used by our small digital sim team. We encourage staff to identify quick, high-impact wins with scope for adaptation and reuse.
May 29, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Staff workload is a thorny one. We have a spectrum of tools for developing immersive content. Some simple ones available at whole-institution level to very specialised kit used by our small digital sim team. We encourage staff to identify quick, high-impact wins with scope for adaptation and reuse.
The MDA framework is a solid place to start: users.cs.northwestern.edu/~hunicke/MDA..., then there are related but more descriptive frameworks on specific aspects of game design, such as "8 Kinds of Fun" worth checking out and considering through a pedagogic lens.
users.cs.northwestern.edu
May 29, 2025 at 9:30 AM
The MDA framework is a solid place to start: users.cs.northwestern.edu/~hunicke/MDA..., then there are related but more descriptive frameworks on specific aspects of game design, such as "8 Kinds of Fun" worth checking out and considering through a pedagogic lens.
I think the added value becomes clearer when dealing with topics that require the development of so-called "soft skills". VR is a great empathy builder, for example, and also brilliant for easing learners into more complex, authentic environments.
May 28, 2025 at 7:59 PM
I think the added value becomes clearer when dealing with topics that require the development of so-called "soft skills". VR is a great empathy builder, for example, and also brilliant for easing learners into more complex, authentic environments.
Starting small and combining a study of impact with the project can help to lay the groundwork for change
May 28, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Starting small and combining a study of impact with the project can help to lay the groundwork for change
Showing before telling is often the best approach I've found. Working in he that often means curating or creating examples that will resonate and inspire academic teams from different domains.
May 28, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Showing before telling is often the best approach I've found. Working in he that often means curating or creating examples that will resonate and inspire academic teams from different domains.
I've realised that a lot of freedom and confidence to try new things comes with chunky funding grants 🙂
May 28, 2025 at 7:51 PM
I've realised that a lot of freedom and confidence to try new things comes with chunky funding grants 🙂
A well designed simulation is a good way to help students hit the ground running on any form of practice placement or live brief project. They provide a safe, repeatable space for learners to fail quickly, learn from mistakes and then try again.
May 28, 2025 at 7:49 PM
A well designed simulation is a good way to help students hit the ground running on any form of practice placement or live brief project. They provide a safe, repeatable space for learners to fail quickly, learn from mistakes and then try again.
Controversial for someone in my role, but I still think that VR headsets are not ready for deployment at scale. They're great for small, intense boutique experiences.
May 28, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Controversial for someone in my role, but I still think that VR headsets are not ready for deployment at scale. They're great for small, intense boutique experiences.
We quickly realised that LTs and CDs often didn't have the necessary skillset for all aspects of immersive content development, so we hired from the gaming industry to complement our team.
May 28, 2025 at 7:46 PM
We quickly realised that LTs and CDs often didn't have the necessary skillset for all aspects of immersive content development, so we hired from the gaming industry to complement our team.
There is a lot (a LOT) of trial and error involved in discovering what works in practice vs theory! Managers need to understand that there is a lot of discovery and that this is not wasted time
May 28, 2025 at 7:45 PM
There is a lot (a LOT) of trial and error involved in discovering what works in practice vs theory! Managers need to understand that there is a lot of discovery and that this is not wasted time
That's a great observation. Creative people with the overlapping skills of understanding pedagogy and technology affordances while also possessing some media production skills should be treasured!
May 28, 2025 at 7:43 PM
That's a great observation. Creative people with the overlapping skills of understanding pedagogy and technology affordances while also possessing some media production skills should be treasured!
In the training we provide for academic teams, we now try to introduce some elements of game design literacy, such as design frameworks.
May 28, 2025 at 7:41 PM
In the training we provide for academic teams, we now try to introduce some elements of game design literacy, such as design frameworks.
At ARU, we've found that the bottleneck often sits on the academic side (due to lack of experience in writing for interactive media). After that, it's often been software over hardware.
May 28, 2025 at 7:40 PM
At ARU, we've found that the bottleneck often sits on the academic side (due to lack of experience in writing for interactive media). After that, it's often been software over hardware.
We're also looking at how OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations) might work in the immersive rooms, combining real equipment with digital surroundings, sounds and distractors
May 28, 2025 at 7:38 PM
We're also looking at how OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations) might work in the immersive rooms, combining real equipment with digital surroundings, sounds and distractors
Developing these kinds of experiential materials is a very multidisciplinary endeavour
May 28, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Developing these kinds of experiential materials is a very multidisciplinary endeavour
That's what we aim for, but it can be tricky to do in practice. Many of my academic colleagues are much more comfortable with PowerPoint and LMS-based digital materials. Moving to immersive approach can be quite a learning curve.
May 28, 2025 at 7:35 PM
That's what we aim for, but it can be tricky to do in practice. Many of my academic colleagues are much more comfortable with PowerPoint and LMS-based digital materials. Moving to immersive approach can be quite a learning curve.
I totally agree. Once you get to know the affordances of the technology you can make informed decisions as to when it's best to use it or take a more traditional approach.
May 28, 2025 at 7:33 PM
I totally agree. Once you get to know the affordances of the technology you can make informed decisions as to when it's best to use it or take a more traditional approach.
That sounds incredible. Very impressed. The technological challenges of managing VR headsets and content on that scale are huge!
May 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM
That sounds incredible. Very impressed. The technological challenges of managing VR headsets and content on that scale are huge!
I agree. I think a well designed role play is a good example of low/no-tech immersive learning. The technology can build on that by providing a lot of visual/situational context to bring the activity closer to real-world situations outside the classroom
May 28, 2025 at 7:29 PM
I agree. I think a well designed role play is a good example of low/no-tech immersive learning. The technology can build on that by providing a lot of visual/situational context to bring the activity closer to real-world situations outside the classroom
Humans are very expensive, but we still use actors to play standardised patients, for example. The initial investment of time and money for digital content development is more long term, as you can often use the same resource hundreds of times over several years.
May 28, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Humans are very expensive, but we still use actors to play standardised patients, for example. The initial investment of time and money for digital content development is more long term, as you can often use the same resource hundreds of times over several years.