5 Tips for Creating Corporate eLearning Simulations

Tips for success

These ideas can ensure the eLearning simulations are designed with the learner and their positive results in mind.

• Make sure the content is relevant. Spend a little time researching what the learners need to understand, what issues they are faced with, and what behaviors they need to change. Conducting a needs analysis is critical for determining the answers to these questions.  Craft the content so that it exemplifies those factors. This will draw the learners in and help them to draw the necessary parallels that will lead to changed behaviors.  
• Be clear about the learning objectives. Before the actual designing of a corporate eLearning simulation begins, the desired end result must be clearly articulated. The goal is to give the learners the necessary tools with which to attain a desired behavior. Deciding on the concrete objectives before the process begins will help to keep the course cohesive throughout.
• Don’t be afraid to expose the learners to pressure. A learning simulation is supposed to be realistic. The employees need to see how they will handle difficult situations when they inevitably come up in the real world. Otherwise, they won’t have a reference point to see what areas they need to improve upon. For example, include a disagreement between two simulated characters or another adverse situation in the experience that the learner must mediate or otherwise diffuse. Be sure not to go overboard, however. Frustrating the user will not further the learning experience.
• Use real world scenarios. It may seem obvious, but the situations presented in the training simulation should be tied to realistic conditions the learners will face. Effective simulations will require the employees to multitask in a way that they would in their actual jobs. For example, it’s a possibility that there could be an equipment malfunction at the same time that an employee is attempting to help a customer with a sale.
• Don’t forget to include a practical assessment. Employees should be able to track their progress as they move through the activity, as well as receiving regular feedback throughout. The learners need to be able to repeat a section of the activity that they didn’t understand as many times as they need in order to comprehend it. Give them the opportunity to try different solutions and watch them play out to their logical conclusions, at which point the learners can assess whether or not they made the best choice.

Creating an effective corporate eLearning training simulation requires each activity to be aligned with the main objectives. Each element of the simulation should add value and meaning to the overall goal. Remembering to keep the goal at the forefront will ensure the creation of a successful activity.

Designing Digitally, Inc. can assist your organization by conducting a thorough needs analysis to develop a simulated training program that meets your desired outcomes.  We will design your customized eLearning training simulation using the results of the analysis, which will result in highly trained, productive employees. This will ensure that your organization meets strategic goals now and in the future.

Is your company interested in a simulated training experience? Request a free quote from our team to get started.  

Related Resources: What Corporations and Employees Gain From Simulated Training Article and Training Simulations Create Success for Corporate Education White Paper