Not all leaders are people managers, nor should they be. Microsoft understands the importance of technical leaders within an organization, and they wanted to build a pipeline of them. The team at Microsoft had to figure out how to develop these individuals to the point where they could lead other people and make decisions that their “managers and manager’s managers” would make. On top of that, he needed a way to train a cohort of 60 employees dispersed across 14 countries and a handful of time zones.

In May, Capsim launched a global inbox simulation building competition. The Microlearning Challenge called on learning professionals worldwide to create an immersive microlearning inbox simulation that addresses an existing business need. Contest participants built 3-5 minute experiences for learners to apply a key concept in a bite-sized on-the-job experience.

Throughout his career, Dr. Harben’s commitment to hands-on learning has remained a common thread in his experiences. It’s even what drove him to become an EMT. “When I was at Bowling Green, I used to work on an ambulance a couple of days a week in between teaching,” Dr. Harben began. “I didn’t make much money. But I was passionate about helping people hands-on.” But when it came to learning in the classroom, he had a stark realization.

“I’ve dreaded the day when I can no longer use a Capstone simulation in my courses because it's that valuable to me,” Dr. Jorgensen, Assistant Professor of Management at Roger Williams University, said. “Quite literally, I have had nightmares about it, thinking, ‘Oh, no, what do I do if I don't have the simulation anymore? How else can I bridge the gap between theory and application?’” Dr. Jorgensen has used Capsim simulations since he was an undergraduate student. After working as...

"I'm not a believer in online simulations," Professor Rita Cossa stated. "It can be so frustrating for students that some do not see the value of this pedagogy. I prefer to focus on what is of most value to them." If you had asked about her thoughts on business simulations in the classroom five years ago, this was Professor Cossa’s exact response. So how did someone so adamantly against simulations not only embrace them but also vow to keep them as a cornerstone of her courses?

Though ice wasn’t much of a feature when Erin Jackson was growing up in central Florida, she’s been skating “since I’ve been able to walk adequately,” she said with a warm laugh. After all, you don’t necessarily need ice to be a skater. Jackson recalls her mother, also an avid skater, strapping her feet into plastic yellow and blue Fisher-Price roller skates, then taking them on a spin on the driveway. “And then I became what’s called a rink rat,” Jackson said. “I went around to the skating rinks in my spare time, hanging out with all the other skaters.”

“How about we tie in your love of sports with your love of learning?” I asked. I’ve known Jackie since birth, and I’m invested in witnessing her achieve her goals. Jackie Corless is a current sophomore at Barrington High School in Illinois. Besides earning a 3.938 GPA this past semester, she competes in Special Olympics basketball, track, and soccer. When she’s not running up and down the court or field, she’s singing with her choir family. Together, they make up Jackie’s greater sense of community, love, and support. As Capsim’s content strategist, I speak with educators and students who use our products to change the educational landscape. I’m always on the lookout for neat use cases and ways to highlight stories. Jackie got my gears turning.

Every seasonal edition of They Call Us features a new adjective. Fall, “They Call Us Witches.” Winter, “They Call Us Bossy.” Year-round, They Call Us empowers. The feminist zine spins stories with powerful magic glowing from the computer screen in feminist poetry, prose, and artwork. A magazine for the modern witch, the enchanting theme transfigures through the pages.

What’s better than sustaining relevant education in underdeveloped regions and the chance to win $5,000? When Capsim partnered with GBSN Beyond to create a competition, we knew it would be a race to the finish from the start. We didn’t know how exciting it would be to judge six total microsimulations created in just one month. We had a tough time choosing the winners.

In 2019, U.S. businesses lost a trillion dollars to voluntary turnover. That’s right, one trillion. Employee turnover gets expensive when organizations pay up direct exit costs once an employee leaves. Companies incur additional costs to recruit and train new hires. Turnover decreases productivity, solicits unnecessary knowledge loss, and deflates morale. Don’t contribute to the astronomical figure. Avoid self-inflicted damage on your company and retain your employees. You may be familiar with

Imagine what it feels like to read a book filled with pages of characters who don’t resemble you. Or whose references are from another country and not your own. Maybe you haven’t had to think about that before. But we have. Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based method cultivating meaningful connections between what students learn in the classroom and how it relates to their language, culture, and lives outside of school. The relevancy of educational content is key to effective lea

I loved the student-athlete recruiting experience. So much that I wanted to share what it was like with the whole world. My previous blog posts shared my idea around creating an Inbox microsimulation for prospective college student-athletes, looking to compete in college. So I detailed how I created a simulation in a 24-hour race against the clock. Every race has its challenges. The most formidable opponent I faced in this Inbox simulation was creating the characters.

Dr. Damon couldn’t find an existing solution in the market that exposes students to the immense pressure of dealing with a sports scandal. So he created one. His answer hit it out of the park.

Hammers. High dips and high bars. A handmade pole vault pit — and long jump runway extension. Virtual garage sales. Fauxlympics. Together, they represent challenges and solutions for Olympic hopefuls dealing with the first postponed Games in modern history. Athletes have grown increasingly creative amid the restlessness of the pandemic in striving to qualify for Tokyo.

Paul Buckley is the Senior VP Executive Creative Director at Penguin Random House. Here he explains the design process behind the wonderfully atmospheric cover for Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey.

There’s a reason the hallway leading to Doug Bruno’s office is decorated with hard hats, lunch pails and pictures of steelworkers. “I want my players to walk out the door here, knowing there’s a real-life world out there,” Bruno said.

Ultrarunner Andrea Kooiman was never a superstar cross-country runner in high school. “I really only joined because there was a dude on the team I liked,” she said with a giggle. Yet since her high school days, Kooiman has competed in 150+ ultramarathons and marathons. Now, at 44, she’s crossed the Boston Marathon finish line. She also ran just a bit farther and finished the 2018 Vol State 500K (310.68 miles) in 110 hours, 40 minutes and 59 seconds.

Gary Mandell reached a new personal record in his weight a few years ago when he exclaimed, “This is ridiculous! I need to get back in shape again.” When running for office, Gary walked frequently and lost some weight, but not enough to reach his goals. “I’m a numbers person,” he explained. Luigi, one of TFI’s personal trainers, introduced Gary to My Fitness Pal. He’s kept track of the calories and how much he was burning when he was exercising for over 600 days in a row. Mandell kept track of the progress of his good days and bad days, and watched the pounds slip away. Gary still keeps up with tracking his food–and his exercise. His routine includes speed walking on the treadmill, rowing, biking and climbing the stairs, with an emphasis on “not hurting myself.”

Covid-19’s impact resonates throughout the globe, and specifically in small businesses within the Chicagoland area.