{{notability|date=November 2025}}
{{short description|American author and practitioner (born 1967)}}{{Infobox person | name = Clark Aldrich | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|1|3}} | birth_place = Concord, Massachusetts, U.S. | alma_mater = Brown University (BA) | occupation = {{hlist|Author|simulation designer|educational technologist}} | known_for = {{hlist|Educational simulations|serious games}} | years_active = | notable_works = | spouse = Muffy Aldrich | website = {{Official URL}} }}
'''Clark Aldrich''' (born January 3, 1967) is an American author and the founder of companies in the interactive learning and serious gaming industry.
== Early life == Aldrich grew up in Concord, Massachusetts, where he attended The Fenn School. He then attended the Lawrence Academy at Groton. He earned a bachelor's degree in cognitive science at Brown University in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Excelsior College to Host "Games and the Curriculum: Towards a New Educational Model" Gaming Symposium on May 17 |first=Mike |last=Lesczinski |publisher=Excelsior College |date=2013-04-13 |access-date=2014-09-16 |url=http://news.wp.excelsior.edu/excelsior-college-to-host-games-and-the-curriculum-towards-a-new-educational-model-gaming-symposium-on-may-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930185637/http://news.wp.excelsior.edu/excelsior-college-to-host-games-and-the-curriculum-towards-a-new-educational-model-gaming-symposium-on-may-17/ |archive-date=2014-09-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Leigh 2001">{{cite journal |last1=Leigh |first1=Pam |title=Training's New Guard 2001: Clark Aldrich |journal=T + D |date=May 2001 |volume=55 |issue=5 |pages=40-42,62 |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611094858/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-72657062.html |publisher=Association for Talent Development |id={{ProQuest|227012594}} |url-access=subscription}} {{twlac|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/227012594}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://cs.brown.edu/about/conduit/conduit_v15n1.pdf |journal=Conduit |publisher=Brown University |page=6 |volume=15 |title=Computer Games and Formal Learning Programs}}</ref>
== Career == Aldrich first worked at Xerox as a speechwriter under Executive Vice President Wayland Hicks.<ref name="Leigh 2001" /> Aldrich was appointed by Governor Paul Cellucci (Republican) to the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Educational Technology from 1996 to 2000, serving as a governor's appointee in Massachusetts.{{citation needed|date=August 2025}} He then moved to Gartner, working in e-learning analysis.<ref name="Leigh 2001" />
Later, he left Gartner to design educational simulations. He founded SimuLearn, which developed training simulations for use in corporate learning environments.<ref name="Leigh 2001" /> The first product released by the company was ''Virtual Leader,'' which simulated the conduct of a series of business meetings while balancing professional interactions.<ref>{{cite news |last=Becker |first=David |date=July 10, 2002 |title=Think you can run Enron? Play the game |url=http://news.cnet.com/2100-1040-942900.html |newspaper=CNET |location=San Francisco, California |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=March 23, 2014}}</ref> In 2003, Aldrich described the game: "The player is in a room discussing issues with simulated characters—'bots'—whose words and behavior are controlled through artificial intelligence (AI)."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Morrison |first1=James L. |last2=Aldrich |first2=Clark |title=Simulations and the Learning Revolution: An Interview with Clark Aldrich |url=http://www.technologysource.org/article/438/ |access-date=7 December 2025 |work=The Technology Source |date=September–October 2003}}</ref>
== Personal life == <!-- I think in order for the "reads like a resume" issue banner to be removed, please consider adding (publicly available) personal stories from or about this person and their life, beyond just education and career information (e.g. spouses, hobbies, places they visited, etc) --> Clark Aldrich is married to Muffy Aldrich; the couple have collaborated on lifestyle/blogging projects and photo essays and have published material under the name "The Daily Prep" / "Salt Water New England".<ref name="AC2004 bio">{{cite web |title=Accelerating Change 2004 |url=https://books.accelerating.org/ac2004/bios.html |website=accelerating.org |access-date=18 January 2026}}</ref>{{fv|date=January 2026}}<ref>{{cite web |title=The Sim Cafe {{!}} Interview with Clark Aldrich |url=https://thesimcafe.buzzsprout.com/1852142/episodes/11669674-the-sim-cafe-interview-with-clark-aldrich |website=thesimcafe.buzzsprout.com |access-date=18 January 2026 |language=en |date=12 December 2022}}</ref>
==Books== * {{cite book | last = Aldrich | first = Clark | title = Simulations and the Future of Learning | publisher = Pfeiffer | location = San Diego | year = 2004 | isbn = 978-0-7879-6962-2 }}<ref>{{cite news |last=Gery |first=Gloria |date=September 1, 2003 |title=Simulations and the Future of Learning: An Innovative (and Perhaps Revolutionary) Approach to E-Learning |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-411228281.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611100420/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-411228281.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 11, 2014 |newspaper=T+D |access-date=March 23, 2014}}</ref> * {{cite book | last = Aldrich | first = Clark | title = Learning by Doing: A Comprehensive Guide to Simulations, Computer Games and Pedagogy in E-learning and Other Educational Experiences | publisher = Pfeiffer | location = San Diego | year = 2005 | isbn = 978-0-7879-7735-1 }}<ref>{{cite news |last=Fillicaro |first=Barbara |date=July 1, 2005 |title=Not Just for Kids |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-866573141.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611100415/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-866573141.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 11, 2014 |newspaper=T+D |access-date=March 23, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kapp |first=Karl |date=September 2005 |title=Review of "Learning by Doing: A Comprehensive Guide to Simulations, Computer Games and Pedagogy in E-learning and Other Educational Experiences by Clark Aldrich" |url=https://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=1104993 |newspaper=eLearn Magazine |location=New York City |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |access-date=March 23, 2014}}</ref> * {{Cite book | author=Gibson, David V. | author2=Aldrich, Clark | author3=Prensky, Marc | title=Games And Simulations in Online Learning: Research and Development Frameworks | publisher=IGI Global | year = 2006 | isbn=978-1-59904-304-3 }} * {{cite book | last = Aldrich | first = Clark | title = The Complete Guide to Simulations and Serious Games | publisher = Pfeiffer | location = San Diego | year = 2009 | isbn = 978-0-470-46273-7 }}<ref>{{cite news |last=Bozarth |first=Jane |title=Book Review: The Complete Guide to Simulations & Serious Games by Clark Aldrich |url=http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/467/book-review-the-complete-guide-to-simulations--serious-games-by-clark-aldrich |newspaper=Learning Solutions Magazine |publisher=The eLearning Guild |access-date=March 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Aleckson |first=Jon |date=January 1, 2009 |title=The Complete Guide to Simulations & Serious Games |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-220641382.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611094906/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-220641382.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 11, 2014 |newspaper=Training Media Review |access-date=March 23, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Shea |first=Peter |date=November 2009 |title=Review of 'The Complete Guide to Simulations & Serious Games' by Clark Aldrich |url=https://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=1658938 |newspaper=eLearn Magazine |location=New York City |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |access-date=March 23, 2014}}</ref> * {{cite book | last = Aldrich | first = Clark | title = Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds: Strategies for Online Instruction | publisher = Pfeiffer | location = San Diego | year = 2009 | isbn = 978-0-470-43834-3 }}<ref>{{cite news |last=Brandon |first=Bill |title=Book Review: Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds: Strategies for Online Instruction by Clark Aldrich |url=http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/273/book-review-learning--online-with-games-simulations-and-virtual-worlds-strategies-for-online--instruction-by-clark-aldrich |newspaper=Learning Solutions Magazine |publisher=The eLearning Guild |access-date=March 22, 2014}}</ref> * {{cite book | last = Aldrich | first = Clark | title = Unschooling Rules: 55 Ways to Unlearn What We Know About Schools and Rediscover Education | publisher = Greenleaf | location = Austin | year = 2011 | isbn = 978-1-60832-116-2 }}<ref>{{cite news |last=Neibert |first=Jennifer |title=Book Review: Unschooling Rules, by Clark Aldrich |url=http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/985/book-review-unschooling-rules-by-clark-aldrich |newspaper=Learning Solutions Magazine |publisher=The eLearning Guild |access-date=March 22, 2014}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite news |last=Shields |first=Brian |date=May 10, 2012 |title=Clark Aldrich, Clark Aldrich Designs LLC - Video Games and Education |url=http://wamc.org/post/clark-aldrich-clark-aldrich-designs-llc-video-games-and-education |newspaper=WAMC |location=Albany, New York |access-date=March 23, 2014}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/podcast/dwi/cm-int020609txt.html |title=Clark Aldrich and Phaedra Boinodiris on serious games |last1=Laningham |first1=Scott |date=February 6, 2009 |website=developerWorks |publisher=IBM |access-date=March 23, 2014}}
==External links== * {{Official website}} * [http://www.clarkchart.com/ Aldrich Repository of Simulations and Serious Games] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20111007221631/http://unschoolingrules.blogspot.com/ Aldrich Unschooling Rules Blog]
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Aldrich, Clark}} Category:American education writers Category:1967 births Category:Living people