Simulation Powered Learning

TOOLS FOR FUTURIST
2022-06-10 00:00 UTC
STEVE TROUTMAN
None scheduled at this time
1:00-2:00 PM CT
1 PDU

Futuring, or “foresight” as it is becoming known, is the disciplined study of the future. It utilizes some techniques that are different from those used in normal business forecasting and strategy development and planning. We will describe a few of the unique foresight methodologies and tools, and discuss how the techniques are used in practice. You leave with knowledge that you can apply to business or personal life.
Stephen Troutman is a Futurist, Keynote Speaker, Facilitator, and Community Volunteer.

As a Futurist, since 1999, he is on regular speaker and member of both the Minnesota Futurists and the World Future Society.
At IBM for 33 years, Steve held a number of management and professional positions in transformation consulting, organization change, process leadership, and sales.
As a US Naval Reservist for 23 years, he was the Commanding Officer of four units, and attained the rank of Captain.
As a keynote speaker and facilitator he shares his depth of knowledgeable in consulting methodologies, change management, process improvement, team facilitation, and managing remote teams.
As a community volunteer he serves on the Boards of Director of four organizations, including his current role as President of the Board of the Rochester Art Center, a world class, a contemporary art museum.

Steve Troutman is the co-author of the book: Remote Control: A Practitioner’s Guide to Managing Virtual Teams (IHRIM Press 2005). Steve has a BS in Management and an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Venture Management both from the University of Southern California.

ZENTANGLE®
2022-06-10 00:00 UTC
BRIAN TOREN
None scheduled at this time
1:00-2:00 PM CT
1 PDU

This webinar introduces you to an art and meditation form called Zentangle®. You will learn some of the basic steps required to create the drawings and be provided sources of information for learning more.

Through the meditative aspects, Zentangle® may:

Reduce stress and anxiety at work and in your personal life
Be useful as an anger management tool, like counting to 10
Increase focus
Be useful to insomniacs

Zentangle® is also a fascinating art form which:

Inspires and releases creativity by bringing out the artist in you
Provides artistic satisfaction
Develops or restores fine motor skills in the young, old and infirm
Is intuitive

How Simulation-Based Learning Supercharged an Online Project Management Course
2025-06-09 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
For decades, project management courses have followed a familiar formula: dense textbooks, slide decks, and exercises on Gantt charts, risk registers, and scope planning. While useful, this approach often feels mechanical; students follow steps, fill templates, and submit polished reports.
Over the past few years, Professor Alan Davis, from a respected public university in Ohio, saw a growing gap. His students knew the theory but struggled with real-world complexity. The rigid classroom model wasn’t preparing them for the dynamic nature of actual projects. It was time to rethink the approach.
Let’s take a look at how he turned things around using a hands-on project management simulation experience and brought his classroom back to life.
A course that looked great, but missed the mark on project management training
Alan taught a senior-level course on project management to a mix of business, IT, and engineering students. With the university’s push toward online and hybrid learning, he updated his course to include recorded lectures, online discussion forums, and case-based assignments. He invested time curating industry videos, introduced reflection journals, and even experimented with live Q&A sessions. On paper, it was a well-rounded course.

But the results told a different story.
The more Davis tried to modernize the course, the more it felt like he was putting a fresh coat of paint on an outdated structure. Feedback from recent graduates revealed that although they excelled in project-based learning environments, they were not prepared for the unpredictability of real-world projects, especially under real constraints like tight deadlines, shifting requirements, or unresponsive stakeholders. The course may have taught about project management, but it wasn’t helping them do it.
Feedback from recent graduates was troubling. Many said they struggled to apply the theoretical knowledge in real-world projects, especially under real constraints like tight deadlines, shifting requirements, or unresponsive stakeholders.
Preparing for grades, not for a real-world project management simulation
Professor Alan Davis attended a panel on career readiness in project-based roles at a regional academic conference. A senior hiring manager from a global tech firm shared findings from onboarding evaluations: many graduates with formal project management simulation training still struggled on the job. They knew the tools, like Gantt charts, but faltered under pressure, failed to adapt when plans changed, and lacked cross-functional collaboration skills.
A senior hiring manager from a global tech firm shared findings from onboarding evaluations: many graduates with formal project management simulation training still struggled on the job. They knew the tools, like Gantt charts, but faltered under pressure, failed to adapt when plans changed, and lacked cross-functional collaboration skills.
“They know what a Gantt chart is,” the manager said, “but they freeze when a timeline slips or a team member misses a milestone.”
Alan felt a quiet discomfort. The description mirrored his students, polished presentations, textbook-perfect plans, but little evidence of real-world thinking. Back on campus, he reviewed past projects and saw the same pattern: no adjustments for shifting timelines, no trade-offs, no conflict resolution. His course had become more digital and interactive over time, but at its core, it remained theoretical.
Alan felt a quiet discomfort. The description mirrored his students, polished presentations, textbook-perfect plans, but little evidence of real-world thinking.
The realization hit hard, he was preparing students to follow instructions, not lead under uncertainty. They knew, but not the reflexes needed in real-world project work. Alan knew something had to change. He needed a solution that bridged the gap between classroom learning and real-world demands.
The project management simulation that changed everything for Alan
In the weeks after the conference, Alan couldn’t shake the idea that his students needed more than just theory; they needed project management simulation and practice. At a faculty roundtable, a colleague from another university shared how they had revamped their project management course with a hands-on simulation. The impact, they said, was “night and day.”

Curious, Alan explored Simulation Powered Learning (SPL) and its web-based platform, SimProject, a proven experiential learning in project management tool..
Unlike traditional tools, SimProject lets students step into real-world scenarios. What struck Alan was how SimProject directly addressed each of his pain points:

Low engagement would no longer be an issue. The immersive project management simulation would involve students in weekly decision cycles, leading to higher student engagement and satisfaction.
This course would help students make trade-offs, reflect on outcomes, and adapt strategies, giving them a greater readiness for real-world projects and improving their skills.
With modules supporting both waterfall and agile methodologies, this project management simulation would help students move beyond theoretical knowledge, providing an immersive experience that enhances job-readiness.
Greater student enrollment would be seen as students appreciate the real-world simulation of project planning and execution, recognizing its value for their future careers.
SimProject would also help Alan with automated scoring, easy onboarding, and administration. It’s a web-based project management simulation, so no software installation was needed.

Additionally, SimProject would help Alan in automated performance scoring, easy onboarding, and administration etc. The application was web-based, so there was no need to install the software manually. Encouraged, Alan decided to run a pilot, embedding SimProject into the final phase of his semester. What he saw was a shift he hadn’t experienced in years.
After implementing SimProject, students were not only showing up, but they were energized. They stayed after virtual sessions to discuss what went wrong, where they took risks, and how they’d approach it differently next time. Alan, for the first time in years, felt like a facilitator of real learning rather than a grader of tasks.
After implementing SimProject, students were not only showing up, but they were energized. They stayed after virtual sessions to discuss what went wrong, where they took risks, and how they’d approach it differently next time.
Empower your students with SPL’s real-world project management simulation
Professor Alan Davis was stuck; his students knew the theory but stumbled when faced with real-world project challenges. Templates and slide decks weren’t enough. After getting introduced to SimProject by Simulation Powered Learning, a powerful project management simulation platform, his students began making decisions under pressure, managing virtual teams, and adapting to shifting timelines. SimProject turned passive learners into confident problem-solvers and transformed Alan’s course from theoretical to truly career-ready.
Are your students struggling to apply what you’ve taught them?
SPL’s SimProject offers a web-based, no-installation project management simulation platform with built-in assessments, real-world decision-making, and support for both waterfall and agile methodologies. It’s more than a tool, it’s a teaching transformation. If you want to introduce project-based learning into your classroom, contact SPL today!
Don’t just teach project management online. Let your students experience it.
Contact SPL today to bring simulation-based learning to your classroom.
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Making Project Management Real: Practical Approaches for Faculty
2025-12-04 12:00 - 12:45 (America/Los_Angeles)
How can students truly experience the full project lifecycle in your classroom?
Join us for an engaging discussion with leading project management educators as they share practical insights on structuring your course, selecting effective tools and modalities, and designing meaningful grading strategies.
Featuring: – Rick Hardcopf, Professor, Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Utah State University – Chris Zack, PMP, Instructor, Barney School of Business, University of Hartford
Discover how immersive, hands-on simulations are transforming project management education — helping students move beyond theory to real-world application.
In this webinar, you’ll learn: –

Why traditional online methods fall short in teaching project management
How simulations bridge the gap between theory and practice
Real classroom examples of simulations in action

The impact on student engagement and learning outcomes
See what the future of project management education looks like.
Sign up here.

The Bloom-AI Framework: Reimagining Learning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
2026-01-29 12:00 - 12:45 (America/Chicago)
Artificial intelligence is transforming education, but its rapid adoption poses a critical question: How can we integrate AI while preserving the human core of teaching and learning?
In this thought-provoking session, Dr. Randal Schober, Professor of Business at Point Loma Nazarene University, introduces the Bloom-AI Framework — a research-informed model that strategically combines AI tools with Bloom’s Taxonomy to enhance learning outcomes and deepen cognitive engagement.
This framework shifts foundational learning (remembering, understanding) to AI-supported tools, freeing educators to lead students through advanced, human-centered tasks such as application, analysis, evaluation, and creation. It also integrates VARK learning modalities — visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic — to personalize learning and increase accessibility for all learners.
What You’ll Learn
– How to align AI technologies with Bloom’s Taxonomy to improve student outcomes
– Strategies to balance AI-led efficiency with human-led depth and creativity
– Practical examples of tools that support multimodal engagement and critical thinking
– A five-stage roadmap for institutional implementation — from learning objectives to faculty readiness
– How the Bloom-AI Framework supports future-ready skills, AI literacy, and ethical reasoning
Who Should Attend
– University and college faculty
– Academic program directors and instructional designers
– Learning and development leaders exploring AI-enhanced training
About the Speaker
Dr. Randal Schober is a Full Professor of Business at Point Loma Nazarene University and author of The Bloom-AI Framework: A Strategic Model for AI-Augmented, Human-Led Learning. His research focuses on innovation in teaching and the responsible use of AI in higher education.
Sign up here.

What PMBOK® 8 Means for the Project Management Profession
2026-02-19 12:00 - 12:45 (America/Chicago)
The PMBOK® Guide – Eighth Edition reflects how project management is taught and practiced today. For faculty, these updates raise important questions:
What should change in the classroom?
How should courses align with PMI’s evolving standards?
And how can students better connect theory to real-world practice?
This webinar is designed specifically for project management educators. We’ll review the most important updates in PMBOK 8 and discuss how they influence course structure, learning activities, and assessment.
In this session, you’ll learn:
– The most relevant changes in PMBOK® Guide 8th Edition for teaching
– How PMI has rebalanced principles, performance domains, and processes
– What the emphasis on value delivery and outcomes means for student projects and assignments
– What the updates mean for real-world practice and PMP® exam preparation
Speaker:
Crystal Richards is the Principal and Owner of MindsparQ®, where she helps project management professionals achieve excellence through practical, results-focused learning. With over 15 years of experience, she has trained more than 2,000 professionals across startups, healthcare, nonprofits, and government organizations.
Crystal is widely known for her clear, structured approach to PMP® preparation—helping candidates build confidence and pass the exam on their first attempt.
Sign up here.
