Comments on: ThinkBalm’s “Distillery” — an immersive technology selection experience http://www.thinkbalm.com/2010/02/26/thinkbalms-%e2%80%9cthe-distillery%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%94-an-immersive-technology-selection-experience/ Immersive Internet insights & expertise Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:05:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Erica Driver http://www.thinkbalm.com/2010/02/26/thinkbalms-%e2%80%9cthe-distillery%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%94-an-immersive-technology-selection-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-784 Erica Driver Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:53:01 +0000 http://www.thinkbalm.com/?p=3558#comment-784 Lee: Thanks for the comments. You'll have to come on one of our tours of The Distillery. We created The Distillery as a stage set, in a way -- as a background for a story. I visited the Jack Daniels distillery in Tennessee a few years ago. Even though I don't drink whiskey I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of the place, and learning about the processes that go on there. Our distillery entirely unrealistic (anyone who knows anything about whiskey distilleries would laugh at it), but we think it's fun and we hope it creates a memorable experience for business and technology decision makers trying to select an enterprise immersive software product. Lee: Thanks for the comments. You’ll have to come on one of our tours of The Distillery. We created The Distillery as a stage set, in a way — as a background for a story. I visited the Jack Daniels distillery in Tennessee a few years ago. Even though I don’t drink whiskey I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of the place, and learning about the processes that go on there. Our distillery entirely unrealistic (anyone who knows anything about whiskey distilleries would laugh at it), but we think it’s fun and we hope it creates a memorable experience for business and technology decision makers trying to select an enterprise immersive software product.

]]> By: Erica Driver http://www.thinkbalm.com/2010/02/26/thinkbalms-%e2%80%9cthe-distillery%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%94-an-immersive-technology-selection-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-783 Erica Driver Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:39:44 +0000 http://www.thinkbalm.com/?p=3558#comment-783 Suzanne: You raise a good point, which is the importance of metrics for immersive learning environments. In this situation, I am not sure if we could come up with meaningful metrics. This is because the alternative way that Immersive Internet advocates and explorers can learn about the concepts we are communicating in The Distillery is to read our research report, "The Enterprise Immersive Software Decision-Making Guide." We don't measure the amount or quality of learning people get from reading our research, so even if we put some sort of metrics in place for The Distillery, we would have nothing to compare it to. Despite this, you've planted a seed and I'll be thinking about how a company could measure learning outcomes if they created an experience like The Distillery with the explicit aim of training their workforce. We created The Distillery as another example of the next-generation webinar (our first example was the ThinkBalm Data Garden, which is also on ThinkBalm Island in Second Life. The ThinkBalm Data Garden was based on our report, "The ThinkBalm Immersive Internet Business Value Study, Q2 2009"). Rather than telling people about the power of immersive software, or showing them pictures, we are giving them an *experience* we hope they won't forget. Suzanne: You raise a good point, which is the importance of metrics for immersive learning environments. In this situation, I am not sure if we could come up with meaningful metrics. This is because the alternative way that Immersive Internet advocates and explorers can learn about the concepts we are communicating in The Distillery is to read our research report, “The Enterprise Immersive Software Decision-Making Guide.” We don’t measure the amount or quality of learning people get from reading our research, so even if we put some sort of metrics in place for The Distillery, we would have nothing to compare it to. Despite this, you’ve planted a seed and I’ll be thinking about how a company could measure learning outcomes if they created an experience like The Distillery with the explicit aim of training their workforce.

We created The Distillery as another example of the next-generation webinar (our first example was the ThinkBalm Data Garden, which is also on ThinkBalm Island in Second Life. The ThinkBalm Data Garden was based on our report, “The ThinkBalm Immersive Internet Business Value Study, Q2 2009″). Rather than telling people about the power of immersive software, or showing them pictures, we are giving them an *experience* we hope they won’t forget.

]]> By: Lee Hardin http://www.thinkbalm.com/2010/02/26/thinkbalms-%e2%80%9cthe-distillery%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%94-an-immersive-technology-selection-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-782 Lee Hardin Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:51:31 +0000 http://www.thinkbalm.com/?p=3558#comment-782 Though I'm very new to Second Life, I must say that I am totally amazed by your screenshots! This structure looks immaculate! Furthermore, I'm thoroughly impressed with the concept you created oby combining immersive technology to stimulate business decision making with whiskey. THAT is very creative in itself. Coming from a small coal region town in Pennsylvania that literall has more distilleries than churches, I think this idea of tying two "processes" together can have multiple directions of success. Since I have been inside many plants in my day, as well as researching the art of winemaking and beercrafting, I believe that this can be a huge hit. A process may seem strange for anyone who is unfamiliar with it (especially when I tried to make my first batch of brew...it wasn't so pleasant). But the more you are exposed to any type of thinking, the easier you can correlate that process with others. The ability to pair and match words or concepts can be extremely helpful in promoting creatinve thinking, and i concur that this structure will be a true gem for both designers and business leaders alike. Though I’m very new to Second Life, I must say that I am totally amazed by your screenshots! This structure looks immaculate! Furthermore, I’m thoroughly impressed with the concept you created oby combining immersive technology to stimulate business decision making with whiskey. THAT is very creative in itself. Coming from a small coal region town in Pennsylvania that literall has more distilleries than churches, I think this idea of tying two “processes” together can have multiple directions of success. Since I have been inside many plants in my day, as well as researching the art of winemaking and beercrafting, I believe that this can be a huge hit. A process may seem strange for anyone who is unfamiliar with it (especially when I tried to make my first batch of brew…it wasn’t so pleasant). But the more you are exposed to any type of thinking, the easier you can correlate that process with others. The ability to pair and match words or concepts can be extremely helpful in promoting creatinve thinking, and i concur that this structure will be a true gem for both designers and business leaders alike.

]]> By: Suzanne Aurilio http://www.thinkbalm.com/2010/02/26/thinkbalms-%e2%80%9cthe-distillery%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%94-an-immersive-technology-selection-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-781 Suzanne Aurilio Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:08:37 +0000 http://www.thinkbalm.com/?p=3558#comment-781 Super, I'm looking forward to the tour! Will you be doing any kind of evaluation/assessment either of learning or some other outcome? I'd be curious to compare the outcomes of the simulation to another approach. If for example, it's being able to: 1) ask core business questions to frame the discussion, 2) choose a research-and-demo, do-it-yourself, or combination approach, 3) identify requirements based on your use case, and 4) filter your options based on important limiters It'd be valuable to know to what extent the distillery simulation achieved these competencies in participants as compared with another approach. Just a thought. Super, I’m looking forward to the tour! Will you be doing any kind of evaluation/assessment either of learning or some other outcome? I’d be curious to compare the outcomes of the simulation to another approach. If for example, it’s being able to:
1) ask core business questions to frame the discussion, 2) choose a research-and-demo, do-it-yourself, or combination approach, 3) identify requirements based on your use case, and 4) filter your options based on important limiters

It’d be valuable to know to what extent the distillery simulation achieved these competencies in participants as compared with another approach. Just a thought.

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