Defining Games and Simulations

The following definitions come from American Society for Training and Development (ASTD, 1987):

• Game – a structured activity in which two or more participants compete within constraints of rules to achieve an objective. One of these participants can be a computer.
• Simulation – An operational model, using selected components, of a real or hypothetical process, mechanism or system.

ASTD Press offers books about training...and one about training games is "Training Games: Simple and Effective Techniques to Engage and Motivate Learners" by Steve Sugar and Jennifer Whitcomb.

"A training environment dominated by keenly focused and engaged learners is the most reliable predictor of a successful event. Learners take more performance-enhancing information back to their jobs, and these benefits ultimately impact the most important measure of all—the bottom line. So how do you create this potent environment? One of the most reliable tools to begin building this effective environment is through the use of classroom games. Training Games provides all the practical, step-by-step advice needed to become a confident user of these powerful training and lecture tools."

Steve Sugar is the author or co-author of four popular books on games, including Games That Teach Teams, Games That Boost Performance, Primary Games, and Games That Teach.