Designing Digitally
07/13/2017
One of the more recent yet effective methods of business training is gamification. By providing learning games to your employees, you can teach them the skills you want them to develop in a fun and less stressful environment. Compared to the conventional training practices, games enjoy a higher level of engagement and you can communicate more information to the learners in a shorter time period. However, it is important that you are aware of the different types of business training games before you invest in one to make sure you are making the right decision for your employers.
It is no secret that learners are able to retain information better if they are interested in the medium of learning and are motivated to learn. Games address both these common issues, ensuring you can train your employees in a more engaging manner. That being said, you do have to make sure the content of the games, i.e. the learning material, and the actual game play are conducive to generating and retaining user interest. This is why it is crucial that business training games are developed keeping the end user in mind.
As compared to the conventional means of eLearning, which usually involve quizzes and training sessions, games are more exciting. In fact, even games which are slightly difficult to master capture the interest of the learners. The key to making this work is making the game great to look at and at the same time ensuring a high level of interactivity. The numbers back the theory that business training games deliver the results you are hoping for. For one, the learners are over 10% more likely to retain the factual information communicated to them through games as compared to other mediums.
Plus, they have a 10% greater chance of actually remembering what they learn and retaining it for a long time if they played training games. As far as skill-based learning goes, the improvement will be close to 15%. So, it is clear that business training games are highly effective for training employees and helping them develop new skills. However, as mentioned above, it is crucial that you select the right type of game for the learners. Here’s a look at 3 types of business training games that you can choose from:
In an RPG, the learners play as a character. The character can be based on an avatar of the learner or be a generic game character. The character embarks on a journey over the course of the game, through which the learners pass different stages and complete a range of tasks. All these tasks and stages are designed to provide training and learning. Again, this is why content is crucial. You have to make sure the storyline of the game reflects what you are trying to teach.
Generally, RPGs are ideal for teaching soft skills, particularly to people working in customer service. You can teach them to tackle different scenarios in the game itself. Once they are able to overcome different challenges, they develop the confidence to apply those skills in their day job. Moreover, by playing as a character, the learners feel they are the ones making the journey over the course of the game.
The basic structure of decision based games is similar to RPGs, i.e. the learner has to go through different stages to complete the game. However, here, the focus is specifically on scenarios in which the learner has to make decisions. Making the right decisions is the only way to progress and hence, they will learn to make decisions in a challenging environment. Moreover, you can also add a feature that enables learners to see the effect if they had made a different decision.
A business training game can provide an interesting opportunity for you to foster collaboration and get your team to bond. The learners have to work together and brainstorm to progress through the game, and what they learn in a risk-free game environment can then be translated into the real world. These games are ideal if you want to teach your team to collaborate with each other without the risk of conflicts.
We bring a personal and effective approach to every project we work on.
