Today, Maria talks with Sarah Toms, Co-Founder and Executive Director at Wharton Interactive, a new initiative at The Wharton School that builds interactive learning platforms and marketplaces.

Sarah first joined The Wharton School as the IT director of the Learning Lab in 2013, where she was hired to lead the team into a new era. Together they explored new approaches to learning through the development of serious games, simulations and interactive programs. During this time, Sarah co-founded an open-source simulation framework called simpl.world that is like nothing we’ve seen before.

During this discussion, you will learn about the Alternate Reality Courseware, a gaming engine providing experiential learning through a realistic virtual experience. Sarah also talks about IdeaMachine, an innovative learning platform that lets instructors quickly and easily create engaging social communities around key questions and topics. You will also hear about the Startup Game and the Saturn Parable, examples of a handful of games they have been developing at Wharton Interactive.

Tune in to learn from a serious games expert and established thought leader in the educational technology field, a role model who aspires to be known as a person who stepped into education and fiercely innovated.