Toolwire Reaps Two Gold Medals for Immersive Learning Environments
Awards Recognize Learning Solution That Increases Engagement Through 'Natural Assessments'.
The Institute of IT Training (www.ittrainingawards.com) awarded Gold Medals
for "Learning Technologies Solution of the Year" and "Instructional
Designer of the Year" to Toolwire (www.toolwire.com), a global leader in
experiential learning solutions. Toolwire was the winner of the
2009 IITT "Innovation in Training Award" and sponsor of the 2011
IITT "Innovation" Award.
The "Learning Technologies Solution of the Year" award celebrates
high quality, innovative solutions in terms of both content and
instructional technique. The "Instructional Designer of the Year"
award went to Michael Watkins for his ground breaking work in
instructional technology for Higher Education.
Both medals were awarded for Toolwire's development of Immersive
Learning Environments. Immersive Learning Environments enable
students to enter photo realistic learnscapes where they can
interact with video characters to acquire information, demonstrate
knowledge, and apply course concepts in "virtual internships"
across a broad spectrum of subjects.
Unique in their simplicity of design, learnscapes are extremely
powerful in their ability to engage students. Toolwire's Immersive
Learning Environments have been accessed over 1 million times by
100,000 students across many of the world's leading universities.
These learning solutions have significantly improved student course
completion rates.
"Toolwire is honored by these awards," said David James Clarke IV,
Toolwire's Vice President of Learning Solutions. "We have years of
experience co-creating experiential learning solutions for
enterprises and institutions of higher learning. My team and I have
enjoyed working with these institutions to help bring their courses
to life."
"One of the most exciting features of these learnscapes is that
knowledge and skills are assessed so naturally that learners don't
even realize they are being measured," said Michael Watkins,
Toolwire's Director of Instructional Design and Technology.
"Instead, students simply perform natural tasks in the context of
an engaging storyline."
Sarah Frame, Director of UEL Connect, University of East London
commented, "We recognised that Toolwire's development of Immersive
Learning Environments offered an ideal technological solution to
create an experiential learning tool for enhancing legal education
at UEL."
"Toolwire is extremely proud that the Institute of IT Training
chose to recognize our Immersive Learning Environments for these
prestigious awards," said John Valencia, President and CEO of
Toolwire. "These solutions embody our co-creation methodology and
significant commitment to instructional design disciplines. We are
working hard to combine the latest thinking in instructional design
with innovative new learning technologies."
End