Official Session Name: (10:30am)
US Game-based Learning Market Forecast: All Roads Lead to Mobile
– Sam Adkins (Chief Research Officer, Ambient Insight)

Summary:
At first I thought I went to the wrong session (this was a last minute room change. and initial talk was more about “money making” reality than “education effectiveness” reality). But there turned out to be some interesting analysis, and much food for thought (including several interesting apps and consumer learning products I’d never never heard of).

Ecampus Takeaway:
Some interesting discussion of tablets and asian markets, interesting links, and ideas for mobile apps we should make.

Raw Notes:
Ambient Insight built the worlds first learning software, which launched when windows launched, called Microsoft Online Learning Institute (MOLI). Now they use predictive analytics to identify revenue opportunity.

Points out simulation based learning is way bigger than games based. … …Talks about inkling reinventing the textbook [? not any that I know of… Ask Tim Holt for perspective on this].
… There seems to be an idea that you shouldn’t try to sell any sort of hardware, (competing with ipad, etc.) unless it’s biofeedback sensors…

Mentions if seeking funding, check out ESA foundation – they have list of free stuff. Mentions SBIF [Small Business Improvement Fund?] and NSR [NSF?] in passing…

Note: Tell my Speech Language Pathologist friends about 8D world. Virtual world edugame for language learning.
Also maybe tabula digita [DigitalU]
and grokit (a social edugaming test prep site – You compete to be good student. Then compete to be mentor)

He notes there are tons of kids in virtual worlds. Many girls. 70 percent girls in … some math world he mentioned. … Tries to break it down.
Self paced e learning is biggest sim industry (vs. Games focus). 200 million. Digital reference-ware, mobile, and social learning are also large. 160 million. Collaboration is middling. Sim based learning and games based learning and cognitive learning are tiny. Less than 25. (talking private investments). His team only watches commercial firms. So not watching khan academy. (!) [? so this is irrelevant to those who care about theory more than making money I guess]

… Talks about less than one percent of budget going towards content in k-12. Maybe 2 percent towards professional development. … Sees packaged content growing quickly. Hugely. (he includes mobile in this. Sees it as primary market). Plenty of money in in services. Custom development still focused in non mobile.

Says apple created a global higher education marketplace with iTunes. [neat. but who is buying education related items there?]. Points out there is no education category in microsoft store, and google only added months ago.

Claims Amazon has first viable competitor to the iPad – their tablet is due in 60 days. Expected to be highly subsidized. Dude next to me points out he follows market closely (works for BrainPOP)… he shifts focus of talk to talking about preloaded apps being considered big value add in Asia. (Makes me think of nintendo Wii and 3DS with their little built-ins).

…Some talk about apple teaching itself retail, while amazon has it in its DNA.
…Notes HP is getting rid of the entire consumer division, going entirely corporate.
…Notes there are brokers now who will cross-platform-ize your app. Then charge yearly subscription to update (Seems like extremely profitable direction).

Claims mobile will be the only place to be in next few years. States passing laws requiring all content to be digital (Ereader or tablet).
Talks about LeapFrog’s Leap Pad and Brainchild’s Kineo selling cheap tablets preloaded with software. Personal learning devices.

Shows “city secrets” a French game that is a fun game and also a tourist guide. … [! I couldn’t find this online! sigh!].

Talks about virtual exhibit at MOMA which you could only see with mobile phone. [Interesting idea for valley library app!]

Apple ruined the price.[?!] Notes freemium model, and cautions not to over hobble. [is selling in-app skins or goofy items the new tshirt? The thing you buy just to support the creator? Even better, these are easier store than tshirt… but they don’t make you an obvious supporter…)

Most expensive app on iTunes is to prepare for the bar exam. [Heh. still praying someone will make an “iLaw” app someday soon, to side step the outrageous fees for US legal representation]

Preschool apps are super cheap (high market because of quantity). Post school is dominated by Nintendo. Be careful charging too much for post edu, or nintendo will swoop in at 40 bucks.

Cool Apps:
Apps Annie tracks app stores across the planet.
SpeakingPal – speech performance teaching.
SpaceWalking ARG app that lets you get sense of cosmic distances by walking around street (gps).
MEanderthal is app from smithsonian that turns picture into neanderthal.

…Slides will be on their site in about a week.

Check Back Later For:
… probably no need to check back

p.s. Random Thing: when discussing this talk with a friend, he randomly mentioned Flying Buffalo games. just pasting this link for future ref