Kristie Causal Argument Rough Draft 

Kristie Causal Argument Final Draft 

Kristie Causal Argument Peer Grading 

Kristie Causal Argument Rough Draft

Kristen Parkhurst

END 3310

Unit 2 - Causal Argument

Gaming and Web Based Training in the corporate world is a Win-Win-Win for all.

Most companies have found ways to insert Web Based Training and Games into their training curricula.  This is helpful in many ways.  Let’s face it, the world and economy we live in today calls for the most efficient way to get the job done.  With companies moving their services to other countries to decrease cost, they need to find ways to keep their service consistent even in these different cultures.  Moving training to a virtual world is a win, win, win situation for all parties involved.  The company saves money and has better tracking of their progress.  Associates have the ability to make mistakes in a virtual situation and learn from their mistakes rather than making a mistake in a real world situation and potentially getting reprimanded for it.  Customers receive consistent service and the environment has less pain because we use less resources.  Overall, virtual training has been successfully implemented in Corporate America, Military and assumedly in Corporations worldwide.

By having associates learn about the specifics of a business and take courses online, companies can save money.  This is accomplished in many ways.  Most companies have best practices within their particular industry and have governing regulations they must comply with.  The company can write their training material online and cross reference their resources to make sure the information is up to date and correct.  This saves time when creating the material and communicating the material.  Information can be easily referenced and updated so soft copies can be updated with little time and man and or woman hours.  I work specifically in the financial industry.  We have a multitude of Acts, regulations and guidelines we need to comply with and this allows our training department to reference the many regulations we have to stay attuned to and keep the master training files up to date and correct.

By only updating the soft copy, this saves the company money as well by not having to print off new documentation to replace old and outdated information.  My company recently decided to transition 60 associates to a new line of business.  This resulted in 60 associates having to go through 2 weeks of additional training to learn the new product and system and how to comply with the regulations that govern how the company works the different accounts.  This 80 hours of training resulted in each associates to receive a 400 page workbook full of explanations, handouts and worksheets to move through to verify each associate gained the needed knowledge to successfully complete the new job they are required to complete.  If information had to be updated and new workbooks needed to be printed, we would have to reprint (400 pages x 60 associates) 24,000 new pages.  On average, a ream or case of paper (5000 sheets) costs about $30.00.  This one transition would save the company $150.00.  Now multiply that by how many times a company changes their internal policies to improve productivity or because regulations change or because there was a typo in the original creation of the information (A corporation making a mistake… that never happens).

So we’ve touched on how much money a company can save by using online and virtual training to update their training manuals and processes.  Let’s talk about the other green that can be saved.  With many companies and organizations trying to “Go Green”, this also allows the company to save the resources used to make the manuals, workbooks and handouts.  This will decrease the current negative statistic like the fact that each year we throw away enough paper and wood to heat 50 million homes for 20 years (

http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/vines/4990/ggstatistics.html).  I know this alone makes me happy.  Saving money for a corporation means nothing to me, but saving my planet and helping to make our world a better place in the long run motivates me to do the right thing.  If the company or organization sees that online activities and training saves money, they will embrace the concept and continue it so our planet is supported as well in the long run. 

Save… Save… Save… let’s stay on that subject for a bit longer.  Be honest, we have to agree that Americans in general are sue happy.  Customers want to run to an attorney any time a mistake is made.  Instead of allowing the company to correct the mistake and fix errors, there are customers and associates even who look for the opportunity to point out a regulation that was broken or a guideline that was not enforced.  Online training allows the company to electronically track which associates have completed what training, on what date and received what level of passing grade.  Easily tracked information allows the company to protect itself against potential risk associates with associates or management making mistakes.  The company can prove that they are up to date with the fact that they train their associates according to the ever changing rules, regulations, acts and guidelines.  Annual audits are easily answered, records are easily accessed if subpoenaed and the company saves time and money in the end.  The fact that these records are electronic and are received directly from the training output makes the records less vulnerable to manipulation.  Information that is created and housed electronically would have to be manipulated on multiple levels to show consistent incorrect information.  Overall, this again is making the process more efficient and safe to all.

Another positive to having companies used online and virtual training is to make sure the actual training sessions appeal to all learning styles.  Some people learn by reading, some by doing and some by observing.  Having an online and virtual training option allows all aspects of teaching styles to make sure the lesson sinks in with each and every associate.  Associates who learn by reading or via lectures can flip through slide shows that simply review the information in text and voice formats.  Those who learn by observing can view online movies and screen shots of how to complete the different needed tasks performed within their job description.  Finally, those who learn by doing can use point and click options to virtually move through a pretend system to correctly complete needed activities.  As always a combination of these interactions will verify that all associates have an equal opportunity to learn their position and have the ability to perform successfully compared to their peers.  We live in a competitive world and as we see in the previous text, companies are out to save and be efficient.  Associates do have the luxury to slack anymore and say that training was not sufficient.  Now the company has taken that excuse away.

So you have a new job and you are excited to start on your first day.  You want to meet new people, learn the work and get started.  But WAIT… you have to go through 2 weeks of boring training that is full of jargon, new terms that are hard to understand and just make you fall asleep.  Virtual training voids this concern as well because it allows the training department to make interactive learning fun.  No, we probably will not see World Of Warcraft, Grand Theft Auto, Pokémon or Halo sponsored training modules in our typical corporation.  However, those system designers who dreamed of being an actual honest to god game designer can put their personal twist on the different lesson plans to keep the trainees interested in some sort of connection with a game and the curricula. 

Our lives are full of electronic activities.  Can you imagine the thought of walking into your new job and having a 400 page manual plopped in front of you and you are expected to learn from this thing?  What would you think of that company?  How far behind times is this place?  Do they really have their act together?  If this is how it is going to be, do I really want to work here?  With all of these questions, having an up to date training program also improves the companies Brand.  Brand is not only something that a company needs to support with its customers, but also with its associates.  If an associate does not believe in their company’s brand, that will not be portrayed through that associate in their work and negatively affect the customer.  It is extremely hard to build a positive and accurate brand and so much easier to void it all together with one negative customer experience. 

Real life customer experience can go a long way.  Positive experiences usually go untold because of the minimum expectation that most customers have and companies hold themselves to.  Negative experiences, on the other hand, are passed along.  Friends and family, the garbage man and the butcher all hear about the time when…  Virtual training can help with this too.  Making a mistake in a training environment can help associates be accountable for their mistake before they are held accountable for their actions.  In addition to the experience, virtual training can save money (there is that money subject again) time and even lives. 

Our military has been using virtual training for quite some time now.  I know if I was a fighter pilot, I would much rather crash a virtual simulation jet over crashing a real F-150 (or whatever expensive equipment I handle).  Even if I lived through the crash or was able to parachute out, I wouldn’t want to have to live with the fact that I cost the tax payers however many millions a fighter jet costs.  And, I know that my fellow crew would give me plenty of heckling if the error made was something as simple as not carrying the 1 or reading the chart upside down.  We all know that mistakes like these are made every day. 

Even if the world operated on an accuracy level of 99.9%, we would have babies delivered to the wrong moms, pacemakers that would stop working, prescriptions given to the wrong patient, operations performed on the wrong body parts and much more.  Oh, these mistakes happen every day.  Just imagine how much more efficient we are when we can practice and re-do the different aspect of our daily duties to make sure they we are almost making them into good habits as natural as breathing or blinking.  After reviewing many details, we can support that fact that Virtual Games and online training cause companies to save money, save time, save their brand and even save lives. 

Kristie Causal Argument Final Draft

Kristen Parkhurst

END 3310

Unit 2 - Causal Argument

Gaming and Web Based Training in the corporate world is a Win-Win-Win for all.

What is the purpose of your argument?

To prove that if successfully implemented, online gaming and virtual training can benefit even corporate America save money.

Who is your target audience?

I shared my ideas with my training manager to make sure we have reviewed all aspects of saving money and making training as efficient and cost effective as possible.  Of course, I would like my classmates to review my work and let me know how I can become a better communicator and writer. 

What is your thesis statement?

Online gaming and virtual training has an initial cost to implement, but saves more in the long run.    

Did I learn/try anything new while growing this composition?

I learned how much the military spends on their training and the cost of some of their most expensive equipment. I was also able to think through some of the common sense information I deal with on a daily basis when training my associates everyday at my current job. 

What did I like best about my composition and the composition process?

I enjoyed the fact that I was able to genuinely put my personal thoughts on paper.  We have spoken in class before about how much easier it is to talk through a subject rather than write about a subject.  I feel that I was able to verbalize my thoughts on paper. 

Where would you like to see the most feedback/advice on your final draft?

The best feedback I have received so far was from Lydia who advised me to read my work out loud to see if it was “readable”.  I made my husband listen through my paper and he said it sounded good, but he’s my hubby and thinks everything I do is great.  Give me some honest feedback.  I will not learn if you are not honest with me.  Is it readable?  Do you think your company would learn from the topics?

Most companies have found ways to insert Web Based Training and Games into their training curricula.  This is helpful in many ways.  Let’s face it, the world and economy we live in today calls for the most efficient way to get the job done.  With companies moving their services to other countries to decrease cost, they need to find ways to keep their service consistent even in these different cultures.  Moving training to a virtual world is a win, win, win situation for all parties involved.  The company saves money and has better tracking of their progress.  Associates have the ability to make mistakes in a virtual situation and learn from their mistakes rather than making a mistake in a real world situation and potentially getting reprimanded for it.  Customers receive consistent service with consistent training and the company causes less strain on the environment because fewer resources are use with less physical manuals and bookwork being printed.  Overall, virtual training has been successfully implemented in Corporate America, Military and assumedly in Corporations worldwide.

By having associates learn about the specifics of a business and take courses online, companies can save money.  This is accomplished in many ways.  Most companies have best practices within their particular industry and have governing regulations they must comply with.  The company can write their training material online and cross reference their resources to make sure the information is up to date and correct.  This saves time when creating the material and communicating the material.  Information can be easily referenced and updated so soft copies can be updated with little time and man and or woman hours.  I work specifically in the financial industry.  We have a multitude of Acts, regulations and guidelines we need to comply with and this allows our training department to reference the many regulations we have to stay attuned to and keep the master training files up to date and correct.

By only updating the soft copy, this saves the company money as well by not having to print off new documentation to replace old and outdated information.  My company recently decided to transition 60 associates to a new line of business.  This resulted in 60 associates having to go through 2 weeks of additional training to learn the new product and systems and how to comply with the regulations that govern how the company works with this new product.  This 80 hours of training resulted in each associates receiving a 400 page workbook full of explanations, handouts and worksheets.  This is all needed to verify each associate gained the needed knowledge to successfully complete the new job they are required to perform going forward.  If information had to be updated and new workbooks needed to be printed, we would have to reprint (400 pages x 60 associates) 24,000 new pages.  On average, a ream or case of paper (5000 sheets) costs about $30.00.  This one transition would save the company $150.00.  Now multiply that by how many times a company changes their internal policies to improve productivity or because regulations change or because there was a typo in the original creation of the information (A corporation making a mistake… that never happens).

So we’ve touched on how much money a company can save by using online and virtual training to update their training manuals and processes.  Let’s talk about the other green that can be saved.  With many companies and organizations trying to “Go Green”, this also allows the company to save the resources used to make the manuals, workbooks and handouts.  This will decrease the current negative statistic like the fact that each year we throw away enough paper and wood to heat 50 million homes for 20 years (http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/vines/4990/ggstatistics.html).  I know this alone makes me happy.  Saving money for a corporation means nothing to me, but saving my planet and helping to make our world a better place in the long run motivates me to do the right thing.  If the company or organization sees that online activities and training saves money, they will embrace the concept and continue it so our planet is supported as well in the long run. 

Save… Save… Save… let’s stay on that subject for a bit longer.  Be honest, we have to agree that Americans in general are sue happy.  Customers want to run to an attorney any time a mistake is made.  Instead of allowing the company to correct the mistake and fix errors, there are customers and associates even who look for the opportunity to point out a regulation that was broken or a guideline that was not enforced.  Online training allows the company to electronically track which associates have completed what training, on what date and received what level of passing grade.  Easily tracked information allows the company to protect itself against potential risk associated with associates or management making mistakes.  The company can prove that they are up to date with the fact that they train their associates according to the ever changing rules, regulations, acts and guidelines.  Annual audits are easily answered, records are easily accessed if subpoenaed and the company saves time and money in the end.  The fact that these records are electronic and are received directly from the training output makes the records less vulnerable to manipulation.  Information that is created and housed electronically would have to be manipulated on multiple levels to show consistent incorrect information.  Overall, this again is making the process more efficient and safe to all.

Another positive to having companies used online and virtual training is to make sure the actual training sessions appeal to all learning styles.  Some people learn by reading, some by doing and some by observing.  Having an online and virtual training option allows all aspects of teaching styles to make sure the lesson sinks in with each and every associate.  Associates who learn by reading or via lectures can flip through slide shows that simply review the information in text and voice formats.  Those who learn by observing can view online movies and screen shots of how to complete the different needed tasks performed within their job description.  Finally, those who learn by doing can use point and click options to virtually move through a pretend system to correctly complete needed activities.  As always a combination of these interactions will verify that all associates have an equal opportunity to learn their position and have the ability to perform successfully compared to their peers.  We live in a competitive world and as we have seen in the previous text, companies are out to save and be efficient.  Associates no longer have the luxury to slack and say that training was not sufficient.  Now the company has taken that excuse away.

So you have a new job and you are excited to start on your first day.  You want to meet new people, learn the work and get started.  But WAIT… you have to go through 2 weeks of boring training that is full of jargon, new terms that are hard to understand and just make you fall asleep.  Virtual training voids this concern as well because it allows the training department to make interactive learning fun.  No, we probably will not see World Of Warcraft, Grand Theft Auto, Pokémon or Halo sponsored training modules in our typical corporations.  However, those system designers who dreamed of being an actual honest to god game designer can put their personal twist on the different lesson plans to keep the trainees interested by creating some sort of connection with a game and the curricula. 

Our lives are full of electronic activities.  Can you imagine the thought of walking into your new job and having a 400 page manual plopped in front of you and you are expected to learn from this thing?  What would you think of that company?  How far behind times is this place?  Do they really have their act together?  If this is how it is going to be, do I really want to work here?  With all of these questions, having an up to date training program also improves the companies Brand.  Brand is not only something that a company needs to support with its customers, but also with its associates.  If an associate does not believe in their company’s brand, the positive brand will not be portrayed through that associate in their work.  This will negatively affect the customer.  It is extremely hard to build a positive and accurate brand and so much easier to void it all together with one negative customer experience. 

A real life customer experience can go a long way.  Positive experiences usually go untold because of the minimum expectation that most customers have and the minimum expectations companies hold themselves to.  Negative experiences, on the other hand, are passed along with much more freedom.  Friends and family, the garbage man and the butcher all hear about the time when…  Virtual training can help with this too.  Making a mistake in a training environment can help associates be accountable for and learn from their mistake before they are held accountable for their actions.  In addition to the experience, virtual training can save money (there is that money subject again), save time and even save lives. 

Our military has been using virtual training for quite some time now.  My brother is a professional packer and has built multiple crates for different military training simulators.  He has shipped jet simulators, tank simulators and other war vehicle simulators.  The simulators range from flying a small 4 passenger Cessna airplane to doing barrel rolls in an F-16 or bouncing around in a tank as you drive across a rocky terrain while firing missiles at your enemy.  If you can’t handle barrel rolls in a simulator, you probably will not be able to handle those rolls with a few G forces added to your stress level.  When shipping, the simulators have been insured for anywhere between $5 million to $25 million.  I know if I was a fighter pilot, I would much rather crash in a virtual simulation jet over crashing a real F-16 (or whatever expensive equipment I handle).  General online information puts the cost of an F-16 up to $80 million.  Even if I was able to parachute out and lived to tell about the day when I crashed an $80 million piece of equipment, I wouldn’t want to have to live with the fact that I cost the tax payers that amount of money.  And, I know that my fellow crew would give me plenty of heckling if the error made was something as simple as not carrying the 1 or reading the chart upside down.  We all know that mistakes like these are easily made every day. 

Even if the world operated on an accuracy level of 99.9%, we would have babies delivered to the wrong moms, pacemakers that would stop working, prescriptions given to the wrong patient, operations performed on the wrong body parts and much more.  Oh, these mistakes happen every day.  Just imagine how much more efficient we are when we can practice and re-do the different aspect of our daily duties in a virtual training world.  Practice in a virtual world gives us the ability to turn our daily jobs into good habits as natural as breathing or blinking.  After reviewing many details, we can support that fact that Virtual Games and online training cause companies to save money, save time, save their brand and even save lives. 

Kristie Causal Argument Rough Draft Peer Grading

Michele - Rough Draft

I enjoyed speaking with you in class and reviewing your paper together.  Your writing style is clear and straight forward.  Since your audience will include young gamer's parents, you definitely want to include the details of what MMORPG means and go into details about the plots behind some of the games you mention.  You do a great job of explaining the Poke'mon game and how you have traded animals with other countries.  How did this teach you about the other country?  How did this encourage international gaming?  Do you like to trade to and from these other countries?  Have you learned anything about the cultures from these other countries based on the animals you have received via trade?  You have the best point of view for this because it is your point of view.  Expand on that and as Lydia always says, "Read it out loud to make sure it sounds readable."

world of warcraft (Jillian and Kevin) - Rough Draft

I like the fact that you two are building on your Unit 1 writing to find a causal argument.  I read what you both had to say and I will follow Michele's lead and make sure to give you both individual feedback and then address you together.

Jillian - You have some great points and the fact that you are playing again will give you some recent real life experience to add to your paper.  I know you are still gathering research about how gaming can be addictive and how to roll World Of Warcraft into that overall data.  Keep pressing on and you will find that "A" Paper for unit Two hiding in the shadows.

Kevin - Just like it did for Dylan Adams, the WMA file threw me off and I was wondering if the file was your actual rough draft.  I also like the fact that you are successfully using the tools that you have readily available to you by gathering the opinions and statements of your students to get data from real players and what their thoughts are.  This keeps things interesting and makes the piece in full realistic and belivable.  As I started to review your information I did not realize that I was reading the opinion of a player. 

Both - You guys have some great data that is extremely relevant to your topic.  It is now p to the two of you to organize it in a way that your audience can move through all this information with ease and smooth transitions.  Being the non gamer, I would suggest that if my kind of reader is your audience, make sure to have a quick terminology reference guide so we can understand the WOW language (Ex. gank, pup, Horde...). 

Dylan and David - Rough Draft

Although I am not a "Gamer" I can relate to the information you have provided in your Unit 2 paper.  I am unclear of what your causal argument is.  Is is that great graphics make great games, or the changes and upgrades keep the fans coming back for more?  You did a great job described a few of the favorite games out there.  This was helpful and honestly made me think about using some of these games as an avenue to take out my own aggression.  Take the time to clean up the vocabulary, smooth out the transitions and clear up what your formal causal argument is and this will be an "A" Paper in no time.