Tata Interactive Systems reveals the secrets of a ‘thrilling way to learn’

Decision-making multiplayer simulations that offer learners a systemic perspective of the business environment and provide a ‘thrilling way to learn’ is the theme of a seminar being given at this year’s Learning Technologies event. Learning Technologies, Europe's premier learning and skills event, covering every aspect of organisational learning and performance improvement technology, is being held at Olympia, London on 31st January and 1st February.

The seminar is being given by Dr Georg Fehling, of the global e-learning producer, Tata Interactive Systems (TIS). Fehling is one of the developers of TOPSIM, Europe’s leading decision-making multiplayer simulation that offers learners a systemic perspective of the business environment and which is currently being used by more than 1,000 customers.

The objective in a TOPSIM is to train learners on specific business functions while retaining the context of the overall business and operating environment - so learners manage an entire business, making decisions across various business functions like marketing, production, and R&D to logistics and HR.

“Principally, simulations are used to develop business competence in areas such as project management and to support the roll-out of new management concepts, such as ‘value-based management’,” Fehling explained.

“A management simulation is like a flight simulator for managers. It’s not as complex as an actual aircraft flight, but it provides a fairly accurate idea of how an actual flight will go,” he said.

According to Fehling, the TOPSIM approach is focused on decision making in a multi-player, competitive environment. Not only does it cover an important period in a company’s life, but it also tells a story.

Custom-built TOPSIM simulations cover a wide variety of topics including marketing, logistics, business start-up, business development, and e-commerce. There are also currently 13 generic TOPSIM simulation titles and these are being used by more than 1,600 organisations around the world.

“Customers tend to like TOPSIM because it has been around for some 35 years and has proved itself to be a highly stable simulation, producing reliable results,” Fehling revealed.

“Having such a large customer base enables us to monitor the simulation engine and keep it stable. But its real value lies in being able to connect ‘isles of knowledge’ in a social learning environment while making the whole learning experience fun!”

“We do not sell software. We sell a thrilling way to learn,” Fehling said.

“And, in the seminar at Learning Technologies, I will be sharing the secrets of how that can be done.”

About Tata Interactive Systems (TIS)
Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), a global leader in e-learning, is a part of the $22bn Tata Group. Truly international, TIS has a presence across the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Japan, India, and mainland Europe. TIS offers corporations, universities, schools, publishers, and government institutions a diversified and innovative bouquet of learning and training solutions including Simulation-based Learning Objects (SimBLs™), Story-based Learning Objects (StoBLs™), courseware and curriculum design, special-needs education, assessments, electronic performance support systems (EPSS), mobile learning, along with other corporate training and consultancy services.

Apart from holding ISO 9001 certification, TIS is the only e-learning organisation in the world to be assessed at Level 5 in both the SEI-CMM and P-CMM frameworks. TIS’s quest for excellence is reflected in numerous prestigious industry awards, including a Silver Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Award 2005 and 2004, APEX Award of Excellence in 2005 and 2006, BETT Awards in 2004 and 2006, and two Business World–NID Design Excellence awards.

For more information log on to www.tatainteractive.com

Further information from:
Alan Samuel, Tata Interactive Systems, 020 7905 0156, www.tatainteractive.com
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, 01727 860405, www.boblittlepr.com