Designing Digitally
02/25/2019
Mistakes are a major part of learning. If your learners have never made a mistake, then chances are that your content is not challenging enough. There is nothing wrong with learners making mistakes. In fact, learning through mistakes is an effective learning method.
eLearning courses are the best environment to allow your employees to make mistakes. They can make all the wrong decisions without the organization having to face the consequences. They can experiment and practice. If they fail, they learn from their mistakes and avoid repeating the same ones in real life.
Here are some ways in which mistake-driven learning can help learners learn better.
#1: Allow learners to fix their mistakes.
It is a good thing to point out mistakes to the learners. It is even better to give them a chance to correct their mistakes. Allow them to look more closely at their work and spot their mistakes. This will raise their confidence sky high.
#2: Pose problems that challenge their thinking
You may include simple assessments in the course. Answering them correctly gives learners a confidence boost. But, you should intersperse the easy questions with some difficult questions that challenge the learners’ thought process. Solving these makes them feel more accomplished.
#3: Offer detailed feedback
Offer immediate feedback to learners. They should be aware of where they are going wrong and where they have made the right connections. Do not just let them know that they are wrong, but provide elaborated feedback. The learners need to understand which areas they have not understood. Once they are made aware of the wrong behavior, they will be careful about not repeating it.
#4: Allow learners to explore the consequence of their actions.
When you include real-world scenarios, make sure the learners have a chance to explore the consequences of all the actions they take. They may make the right choice or take the wrong path. Either way, they need to experience the consequences. That is the only way for them to understand and internalize the learning.
When your employees know that they do not have to face the consequences of making mistakes, they are encouraged to try out new things and try new ideas. At the end of it, your organization will benefit from higher productivity and out-of-the-box ideas.
At Designing Digitally, Inc. we use compelling game-based learning experiences that ensure learner retention and positive behavior change. Our experts incorporate entertainment into applicable scenario-based exercises that effectively achieve knowledge transfer, and encourage employees to learn from failure.
If you are ready to improve the corporate training at your company and learn how Designing Digitally, Inc. can help you, get in touch with our team today.
Related Article: Elearning Solutions Encourage Learning from Mistakes