Designing Digitally
11/28/2017
Simulation training has been used in the corporate sector for decades. But, it requires a healthy investment of time and money. They are not easy to build or implement. So, why would any organization go through that much trouble? Because simulated training has real, tangible benefits for the employees and the business. It offers your employees and organization the specific performance benefits that you need.
Let’s explore some of the advantages that make simulation training truly relevant for employees.
Simulation training recreates real-world scenarios for learners to experience and learn. When employees experience something, they remember it much better than when they learn a concept in the traditional setup. Adult learning theories encourage the experiential component. These theories believe that adults learn much better through experience. Employees power to retain and apply knowledge is higher via simulation training.
Simulation training programs offer a risk-free learning environment to your employees. It provides them an opportunity to learn from their mistakes without having to worry about the consequences. The real-life risks and consequences of failure hinder learning in your employees. In the real world, they need to be cautious about their actions. But in a simulated environment, they need not care. They are allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. As a result, their decision-making and cognitive skills begin to improve, as does their performance and productivity.
Not all employees have the same skill set or the same amount of time to spare from their daily work schedule for learning. Simulation training programs bridge this gap and allow employees to personalize the learning experience and select their learning path. Each employee has the option to choose the learning bundle that would help them enhance their required skill and advance in their career.
Repetition is the best way to master a task. Training simulations allow your employees to practice till they become perfect. They can explore the consequences of their action. They can choose a different path each time and learn from the results. They can repeat the same step as many times they wish to. That way, they become the master of the task.
Learning without feedback is always ineffective. With simulation training, employees receive real-time feedback that enables them to make adjustments to their response to a given situation. This helps in improving their learning experience. It keeps them engaged and motivates them to focus on getting increasingly accurate results. Constructive feedback should be offered as soon as possible if you wish to avoid errors in the future. This prevents improper behaviors to get engraved in long-term memory. And, that is why simulations are so helpful.