Development of Learning Environments (LEs)

["Jodi-Anne Smith"]

Hi everyone,

My name is Jodi Smith and i am producing a Learning Environment (aka =
Learning Laboratory, Microworld, Management Flight Simulator) for my PhD =
on sustainable business management and change management. It will be =
developed using the ithink/stella software and is designed to enable the =
player to trial various policy options in a business and see their =
impact on the companys market share and their environmental impact =
(second level measures include impact on productivity, morale, turnover, =
production costs, etc).

A lot of it revolves around soft systems methodology looking at the people =
factors of change management. In this vain i plan to have several =
scenarios which include the different policies under different management =
styles and change management practices as these will effect the outcome of =
the actions. The hypothesis behind my work is that companies in the future =
who do not address environmental issues will lose market share and =
potentially become unviable. Without espousing too much, i will just say =
that the public is expecting more and more in relation to environmental =
issues and smart companies are realising that they can improve their =
market share, save money on production and waste disposal by addressing =
these issues. Environment is now a strategic development issue.=20

I am preparing the LE to develop a user friendly tool written in a =
language that business people will understand and focussing on their =
concerns eg: bottom line, market share, public relations/image, rather =
than pushing environmental issues just for the sake of the environment. I =
believe that this should be more effective in convincing them to make the =
changes and in helping them to do so.

I am searching for other people involved in the development of LEs, =
examples of LEs, how to develop LE type information- anything that may =
help in the process. I am currently working full time as a Corporate and =
Strategic Planner in Local Government, doing part time lecturing and =
tutoring at universities as well as studying full time, so any information =
to make the task easier would be appreciated.

I would be more than happy to send more specific information. Please =
just email me at jodis@wtcc.sa.gov.au.

Thanks
Hope you are all well,
Bye
Jodi

Jodi Smith
BAppSc(EnvHealth), PGDipNatResMgmt, now doing Phd
Corporate Development
City of West Torrens
165 Burbridge Rd, Hilton,=20
Sth Australia 5022
Ph: (61) 8 8416 6292
Fax: (61) 8 8443 9099
Email: jodis@wtcc.sa.gov.au

[Naiyi Hsiao]

Hi Jodi,

Like you, Im a doctoral student at State University of New York at
Albany, USA, who is working the dissertation work. The purpose of the
thesis is to examine some alternative design of outcome feedback.

Concerning your request, I have done a literature review on dynamic
decision making, which collects 33 experimental studies and attempts to
sort out the variables that have been used. Maybe this does not serve as
the reply for your request about the LE design. But the references that I
include may give you some starting points to explore which factors should
be taken care of in designing an LE. This review is downlodable at my
home page:
http://alpha1.albany.edu/~nh7365/litrev1.htm

Good luck!

Naiyi
.............................................................................
Naiyi Hsiao < nh7365@csc.albany.edu | http://ALPHA1.albany.edu/~nh7365 >
Department of Public Administration and Policy & Center for Policy Research
Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, SUNY
.............................................................................

[ularoch@ibm.net]

for a "hard" simulation approach including costing look at the example at
www.rhone.ch/fastfocus/ with demo download. english version soon to follow.

// yours sincerely ulrich la roche
fast focus consulting
heilighuesli 18, CH-8053 Zuerich,
switzerland
fax +411 382 1349
From: ularoch@ibm.net