GAMICON THROWDOWN

Bio:   

Based in our HQ in Scotland, Graham is one of the founders and owners of RSVP Design and leads our Learning Tools & Resources business along with the overall commercial aspects of RSVP Design. He also manages our reseller and distribution partnerships around the world and loves to travel, having previously lived in San Francisco.

Graham is an experienced international business manager who has been involved in training and HR for more than 30 years.

Originally trained as a Chemical Engineer, he now has a passion for helping others to deliver effective and engaging learning

programs. 

Throwdown Project:   

The Challenge Assumption Puzzle:

RSVP Design wanted to find a way to help learners experience the power of unconscious assumptions and how this can be a significant block to innovation for many individuals and organizations. We set out to design a game where participants could discover this through their own natural behavior - not by instruction.

After much testing we settled on using a 'jigsaw puzzle' - but with a design twist! We are delighted to say that since launch, this activity has been purchased by thousands of trainers and adult educators and used successfully with tens of thousands of learners across the world. 

Bio:  

Allison Gordon-Beecher is a Sr. Instructional Designer and Manager of Products and Services for Global Learning Systems, Inc. With over 25 years of experience in education, she expertly manages GLS' cybersecurity curriculum, contributing ideas and leading the development of new products. She was the lead instructional designer for GLS' award-winning "Secure Coding with the OWASP Top 10 - 2017" training program (Best Product Cybersecurity Training for Cyber Defense Magazine Infosec 2019 awards) and has been striving for five years to improve engagement and learning in cybersecurity training by incorporating game-based learning in GLS

products. 

Throwdown Project:  

CSI: Phishing

Designed as a puzzle, CSI: Phishing puts the end user in the role of cybersecurity "Investigator," tasked with probing the cyber hygiene of employees at a recently breached company.  . The learner uses remote desktop tools to connect to the customer's computers and comb through email and social media accounts of the various employees. Each correctly flagged example of poor cyber hygiene or a malicious post adds to the user's final score - but to win, they must find the source of the breach. Anyone who thrives on the challenge of solving puzzles will welcome this opportunity for change in cybersecurity training y are.

Bio:  

 Stuart Bender is the Director of the Office of Ethics at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In 2021, Mr. Bender co-led the creation of the USDA-NASA Ethics Training Game, and in 2017 Mr. Bender led the creation of USDA’s Ethics App. In 2016, Mr. Bender received a Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service. Previously, Mr. Bender was Senior Ethics Counsel at the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and prior to that served as an IT/telecommunications attorney with the U.S. Navy.  Mr. Bender has degrees from the George Washington University School of Law and Brandeis University.    

Throwdown Project:

 Save the Lunar Greenhouse – A Journey through Government Ethics. 

 As a pioneering innovation benefiting everyone, USDA and NASA partnered to make Ethics education fun and memorable. The “Save the Lunar Greenhouse Game” is freely available on USDA’s Ethics App (search “USDA Ethics” on smartphone app stores) and on USDA’s website: www.ethics.usda.gov.  The Game combines space exploration, diversity, and food sustainability in a story-based avatar game to enhance learning. As a result, 98% of USDA employees surveyed noted that playing the game prepared them to more readily spot potential ethics issues. As an additional advantage, the Game features variability so two learners taking the training will face different challenges. 

Bio:  

 John Kaufeld defies rational explanation, but in a good way. He has master's degrees in professional communication and computer science, plus years of experience as a computer geek, corporate trainer, freelance writer, and professional speaker. He's a best-selling author of 36 books with over 3 million copies in print around the world, including 25 titles in the popular "...For Dummies" line. His favorite trick is disguising educational content inside fun tabletop games so people learn without realizing it. Bwahahaha!

Throwdown Project:

 Cloudburst: A Tabletop Approach to Stormwater Runoff Awareness and Education

City Utilities needed to take an abstract, invisible problem (how stormwater runoff spreads pollution) and make it both visible and experiential for members of the public ranging from 10-year-olds to adults. Our traditional approach with PowerPoint presentations and brochures deluged listeners with facts but didn’t get people to an “Aha!” moment of understanding. To address that, we created Cloudburst, a cooperative tabletop board game. Cloudburst doesn’t teach stormwater runoff facts, but rather is a simulation that enhances regular training activities and subtly reinforces good habits (for example, it’s easier to prevent runoff pollution than clean up after it).