Exploration of the Serious Games Taxonomy

Definition

Serious games for training employees are focused on the training and educating of an (new) employee in working in a dangerous environment, or learn them to adapt to different situations that might occur on the work floor.

The key part is to keep the employees motivated to learn (Kori Rodley Irons 2007), a good way of doing that is with video games. The companies promote these ways of training because there is no possible way an employee can get hurt while learning the basics of their line of work. Another great thing is that it teaches employees how to react to certain scenarios without the possible repercussions when they deal with the situation in a wrong way. (Jeffrey Bodimer).

Example Games

• Service Rig Training is a training videogame created by Coole Immersive. It is a game that teaches future oil riggers the basics of the work and the possible danger situations that can occur on the worksite. Due to this game the injury rate of the new employees went down by 5%.

Service Rig Trainer – YouTube Video

• Ultimate Team Play is a Serious Game created by  Virtual Heroes for the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel. The game teaches employees how to react to different scenarios that might occur while they are working at the hotel and at the same time do their normal managing tasks.

Research Papers in Domain

• Kevin Corti. (2006) Game-Based Learning – A serious business application, PIXELearning
• Enspire Learning. (2009),  Serious Gains from Serious Games

Developers

• TruSim
• BreakAway

References

Jeffrey Bodimer. Use Training and Development to Motivate Staff, About.com

Kori Rodley Irons. (January 19, 2007), Why Employee Training is so Important, AC

Leigh Alexander, (January 28, 2008) Virtual Heroes Develops Hotel Training Game, Serious Game Source

Eliane Alhadeff, (September 11, 2009) The Case For Serious Games In Heavy Industries, Serious Game Market