The Journey, That Began with an IDEA

Once upon a time, in the bustling world of Information Technology (IT), there existed a seasoned professional with over 35 years of experience. Let’s call him Prof. Joshi. Now, Prof. Joshi had witnessed the remarkable transformation of IT from a mere back-office function to a strategic powerhouse. But amidst all the technological buzz, he stumbled upon something extraordinary—an idea that would change the way people learned and applied IT concepts.

The Remarkable Session

One sunny day in 2015, Prof. Joshi found himself standing in front of a classroom filled with eager engineering students. His mission? To deliver a lecture on “Project Management.” Instead of the usual drab PowerPoint slides and monotonous lectures, Prof. Joshi decided to spice things up. He introduced a game—a lively, interactive experience that would teach these budding engineers the art of managing projects effectively.

The students were intrigued. No more yawns or glazed eyes; they leaned forward, ready to play. As the game unfolded, they learned about project timelines, risk management, and teamwork. It was like magic—the concepts came alive, etching themselves into their minds. Even the faculty members nodded in approval. Prof. Joshi had cracked the code: experiential learning was the key.

The Colleague’s Remark

But it was a colleague who truly set things in motion. After witnessing Prof. Joshi’s session, this colleague leaned over and said, “You know, Prof. Joshi, some things are best learned through experience, not textbooks. And there’s no book out there that teaches IT like this game of yours.”

That remark echoed in Prof. Joshi’s mind. What if he could bridge the gap between theory and practice? What if he could create a resource that blended experiential learning with IT concepts? And so, the seed of an idea sprouted.

The Birth of a Book

From scribbles on napkins to late-night brainstorming sessions, Prof. Joshi’s idea took shape. He envisioned a book—a step-by-step guide that would empower Teachers, professionals, and anyone curious about application of Games to deal with challenges in their domain. The book wouldn’t be your typical dry read; it would be a treasure trove of practical wisdom, wrapped in engaging stories and illustrated with visuals.

The Game-Based Approach

And so, “IT THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING” was born. This book wasn’t just about reading—it was about doing. It explored how games could teach complex IT concepts. Want to understand database management? Play a game. Curious about agile development? Roll the dice. The book was a roadmap for experiential learning, complete with step-by-step instructions and colorful illustrations.

The Hopeful Future

As Prof. Joshi held the first printed copy of his book, he felt a surge of excitement. Would it become the go-to resource for academia and management professionals? Only time would tell. But he hoped that readers would embrace the game-based approach, apply it to real-world challenges, and unlock the true power of experiential learning.

So, dear reader, as you flip the pages of “IT Through Experiential Learning” remember that every idea has a journey. And this one? Well, it began with a spark—a colleague’s remark—and blossomed into a book that could change the way we learn and grow.

May “IT Through Experiential Learning” be your compass, guiding you through the exciting world of Games and their application to your contexts, Play along buddy !!

-- Shreekant Shiralkar