For this issue of The Performance Report, we met up with Clark Aldrich, who is a globally recognized industry guru—covers topics such as virtual experiences, games, simulations, educational simulations, social impact games, practiceware, game-based learning/digital game based learning, immersive learning, and serious games.

Clark, you are a visionary in your field. How do you describe your expertise?

At the risk of sounding immodest, I am a self-described thought leader in evolving education, business analysis, and media through simulations, serious games, and other virtual learning environments.

Essentially, I spend my time working on new models for learning and putting them into practice. Most recently, I have been working with the US military, which has been a great innovator in this area.

One reason is that they were being challenged in Iraq and Afghanistan, not because of weaponry, but because of leadership, interpersonal and communications skills issues, both in country and with their own political partners here in the US.

So they realized that the lack of soft skills experience resulted in serious consequences. Around 2005 the US military decided it needed to develop a training program in order to hone the skills they had been ignoring. And that is when I began to work directly with the US military to develop those programs.

Is the work you are currently doing influenced by your new book?

Of course. It all ties together. The new book is titled, The Complete Guide to Simulations and Serious Games: How the Most Valuable Content Will be Created in the Age beyond Gutenberg to Google (Pfeiffer, October, 2009). The bulk of the content has been created organically over time, through my blog (clarkaldrich.blogspot.com). The book is simply an organized version of that blog.

One of your premises is that linear learning models are not necessarily the most effective. How will you address that in the organization of your book?

Good question. This publication will be organized in much the same way that a typical reference book is organized, except that the sections will be smaller, and each one will represent a concept in virtual learning, and related concepts will be in the same part of the book. For example, you will be able to cover a general concept, and learn about smaller, tangential concepts by leafing forward or backward around that chapter.

It has all of the expected elements of a reference book, but offers multiple ways for the user to learn from it and grasp the contents.

Clark, thank you so much for your time. I know we have only scratched the surface of your work and its possibilities. I'm sure your readership will be watching to see what new ideas you bring to the training industry in the future.