Simulations are Army Strong

Simulations can be a powerful method for learning complex procedures and steps. As described in the excerpt below as they replicate reality and allow users to discover information for themselves they become more powerful.

As they share the look and feel of a production environment computer application simulations help users learn to use software without exposing access to sensitive data or otherwise risk the data integrity.

Quoted from http://www.workforce.com/section/11/feature/26/08/34/index.html:
The Army’s Training Weapon: Serious Games workforce.com

Simulations “offer a very cost-effective way for clients to reach large, geographically distributed populations,” says Rommin Adl, executive vice president for global sales and marketing for management consulting company BTS. The company, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in 11 other countries, specializes in developing customized simulations and discovery learning experiences for clients. “People can test things in a risk-free before they do it in real life," Adl says. "This helps disseminate best practices before people do things."

Engaging Learners

Engaging learners or participate in learning is essential to successful experiences. Unfortunately, death by PowerPoint is in some cases being replaced with death by e-Learning. You see in many cases folks have simple converted PowerPoint Slides to e-Learning modules. Though this can be a quick fix to disseminate information is leave much to be desired.

Engagement occurs naturally when the content is relevant to what they need and realistic. So the short answer is give people simply what they want/need. LearningCurve uses three primary modes of learning. In short they are observe the computer software in use, they interact with the software in a simulated environment with cues and support, and finally they test their skill without the cues in a ‘test’ environment.

Why Video

Video loosely re-translated from the original Greek might also be; “I see.” This is a common phrase heard around computers when an ‘expert’ deftly shows some else how to do something.

Why didn’t this same user pick up or remember that bit of knowledge or skill from a classroom training session? Well for starters:

• there may not have been a class/lab training session
• the training occurred too long ago to remember
• the system changed since the training
• the steps were likely in the 300+ paged training manual; but who has time or interest enough to search
• if training occurred perhaps the user didn’t know they’d ever need to use that function

Whatever can resolve this dilemma? Well another might ask what dilemma they user got the knowledge they needed no harm no foul; right? Well the truth be told the ‘expert’ is not always around or available to show everyone whatever function they’d like. Others don’t know who the expert is or might not want to ask or be able to ask.

A solution to this situation is to simply level the playing field and give the expert more leverage to show the masses what they know via video, now you see. LearningCurve partners with experts to create and deliver video of the users system. The expert can literally show everyone. Except that everyone only needs to watch when they are ready to learn. Because the video is made available on demand through an LMS users don’t waste time learning functions they will never need. Yet when they need that function they will be able to see it in action and then through interactive simulation learn to replicate the behavior in a positive and constructive way.

What Do You Know

I’ve updated my goals for 2009 and set out to have a wonderful year. So much the media is saturated with the doom and gloom of the world financial situation. I don’t know when or how the economy will improve. I don’t know as much as I would like about a lot of things. I am thrilled to be in a situation were I can learn. We have to continuously learn as the world we are in continues to change.

I’ve spent some time reflecting on the following quote and encourage you to do the same.
“All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.” Leonardo da Vinci quotes (Italian draftsman, Painter, Sculptor, Architect and Engineer whose genius epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. 1452-1519) With this in mind consider what you are perceiving. How real is it? How much of what is essential for your business do you convey in a way that others can perceive and understand? Would you like to know how you can convey knowledge and skill in meaningful ways?