Geeks vs Nerds; which one are you?

From: MastersInIt.org

Meet the Team: Vicky Rose (Instructional Design Assistant)

Hello and welcome to my first EVER blog! Please be gentle with me as I’m new to this and have a lot to learn, but learning is what this year (and hopefully many years to come) is all about.

My journey to PIXELearning has had many twists and turns, has spanned the globe and the breadth of emotion, from dismal lows to euphoric highs.

The result of this winding road means that it’s tricky to know quite where to start but I’ll give it a shot! My need for creative outlet led me

Innovation In Learning; The Six Sigma Serious Game

For those of you who attended Learning Technologies 2012 and those who didn’t make it! Here is a copy of the presentation by myself and Kate Smith of Capella Associates. Enjoy

Meet the team: Anna Bailey (Graphical Artist)

I have always been interested in art. It’s something I’ve always loved and had passion for. Eventually I came to realise that I could team this up with my interest in games. Throughout college I then focused more the creative side of gaming. This then confirmed what career I wanted to pursue and I enrolled at the University of Huddersfield to pursue my career by doing a course in computer games design. Throughout my time at university I have learnt so much, my knowledge of Photoshop has improved drastically and I have also had the opportunity to work with programmes such as 3Ds Max and After effects. These have all helped me to really improve my knowledge of the games industry and how it works. I have also attended expo’s in various places and intend to visit a lot more.

As part of the games design course we also have the opportunity to work within teams to produce a working game. At the end of the year our game Overtime won the ‘Best game award’. Since then I have worked on different modules within the course and produced some really interesting work.

The computer games design course has the option to do a placement year and through it I came across PIXELearning. Not only does it tackle training and learning through games but it does it in a really intelligent and innovative way. I immediately emailed them showing my interest in doing my placement year with them. To my delight they agreed to take me on as a graphical artist.

Although I have only been with PIXELearning for 6 months I have already learnt so much. I have had a chance to really apply my skills to games within such a great team. I have seen into the industry and my enthusiasm for the serious games industry has grown vastly. I work on many different areas from graphics to animations. I have also done some3D textures and drawn concepts’ for characters and environments. Nowhere else could I have such a diverse and interesting work load. I get to work on various projects and interact with many different clients.

This opportunity has fuelled my passion for the games industry and I’m really looking forward to the rest of my time at PIXELearning.

 

Observations on LwF: So much innovation, so little time!

Our roaming graphical artist/reporter Anna Bailey attended the Learning Without Frontiers conference at the end of January and here she captures some musing of her day there….

Learning without frontiers showed me how things are changing within the classroom due to Leading Innovators within the field.

In my experience teachers have a reluctance to teach using technology.

Top Trends from Learning Technologies 2012

Any trade show is always an eye opener, you can’t help it. You meet so many interesting people, see and hear so many different ideas and get extracted from your little bubble for a few precious moments. PIXELearning and Intellego recently held a stand at Learning Technologies 2012, PIXEL’s first trade show in a good couple of years, but as the show was drawing to a close we’re already making plans to be back next year!

With 2012 drawing a record breaking crowd for Learning Technologies, almost 7000 registered attendees visited interacted and engaged with 100’s of exhibitors,…

The 10 Best Schools for Serious Gamers

We’ve just come across this nice little list on the best schools for serious gamers. So for anyone looking for a college to attend and if you’re interested in serious game’s this list might be of interest!

Also noted are other schools that use serious games in their teaching practices. We would love to see this list expanded as we’re sure there are many institutions out there who use gaming techniques just waiting to be discovered!

 

 

 

2011 to 2012 – What a difference a year can make

So our closing statement of 2011 is shaping up to be a wild ride was certainly true and what a year 2011 was. It started with major changes to PIXELearning, it saw new additions to the team and it end with the busiest run up to Christmas we have ever seen.

Before we dive right in to 2012 (or at least before we dive too deep) we thought we would provide a round up on what’s been going on in the world of PIXELearning.

All change

It was a rocky start to 2011 but soon all turned around and the busy year started from April with the Acquisition of PIXELearning

Come see us at Learning Technologies 2012 stand 57

January 25-26^th see’s PIXELearning and Intellego’s first event of the year and it’s gearing up to be one that’s not to be missed.

Learning Technologies is in its 13^th year and is one of the leading conferences for learning and emerging technologies in Europe. With a growing number of attendees and exhibitors we have taken this opportunity to get our names and skills back out there in the world of workplace learning.

By attending the conference you will have the opportunity to attend a wide selection of free seminars one of which is being delivered by PIXELearning’s very own Helen Routledge and guest speaker Kate Smith, of Capella Associates. This seminar will look at using serious gaming for Six Sigma training.

When: Wednesday 25^th January 2012 at 14.00

Where: Theatre 3

Overview: Our natural tendency when faced with a problem of any description is to try to solve it, leading to changes that either don’t solve the problem or that are not sustainable. Six Sigma helps avoid this by providing a method and a toolset to improve any process in any sector.

What better way is there to raise awareness and capability in Six Sigma to your organisation than by playing an on-line game that engages learners in an exciting case study, reinforces principles, stretches knowledge and provides feedback for CPD planning?

The mechanics and methodology behind the game will be reviewed as we explore this approach for learning and you will hear how this highly effective, low-cost solution for improving performance can be applied in your organisation.

PIXELearning will be at stand 57, showcasing demos and presentations of elearning, serious games and mobile apps.

Together we are building the next generation of digital learning and bring about a step-change in the way organisations and individuals learn, develop and improve.

It would be great to see you there, please drop by the stand for a chat or arrange to meet us there.

You can register to attend the event for free by clicking here: http://www.learningtechnologies.co.uk/register-now/

Changing Attitudes to Dating Violence

PIXELearning are proud to announce the development of a serious game designed to raise awareness of violence in young people’s relationships.

The game, currently called Green Acres High