Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008 - (Page 23)

ing their performance through an LMS. If you display their score for each pass through the simulation, you may be discouraging experimentation and replay. Be sure the learners are aware how that data will be used so they feel free to explore the environment. Example: In a manufacturing simulation, learners are presented with the goal to reduce defects. Let users know that the LMS will record completion of the exercise and stop recording scores after they achieve less than 10 defective products in one day. Learners will be motivated to continue to experiment with the simulation to achieve even less defects than ten. In Conclusion In the learning industry, failure is often treated as a dirty word, but it does not have to be. Failure should be treated the same as humor in any learning event. In the wrong hands, it can be disastrous. As long as it is designed deliberately and carefully, it has the potential to impact many learning challenges, including motivation, retention and realism. Simulation offers the flexibility you need to create dynamic, real-world scenarios where learners who make the wrong decisions will need to face the consequences. If your simulations avoid the possibilities of failure that exist in the real world, you may be doing more harm than good. Challenging learners to avoid failure gives them a genuine experience and allows them to learn from their own mistakes in a risk-controlled environment. Phil Charron manages simulation design for Performance Development Group and is an adjunct faculty member in for the MS in Instructional Design and Technology program at Philadelphia University. You can also read his blog at http://learningsimulations.blogspot.com or email Phil at pcharron@performdev.com Overcoming Stakeholder Objections Effectively modeling failure into simulations often requires overcoming stakeholder objections. Whether they have a strong background in instructional design or they are highly experienced subject matter experts with no understanding of adult learning theory, your stakeholders may express their concerns around incorporating failure into a learning environment. Change the language If the word “Failure” is too emotionally charged to sit well with your stakeholders, try using a different word. “We aren’t telling learners that they have failed. We are making success more challenging than your typical learning engagements.” Refocus the conversation on the safe environment Too often we focus the discussion around allowing failure to occur within the simulation. Stakeholders may be more affected by discussing the consequences of failure where it can do some real damage – in the real world. “I understand you’re concerned about motivation, but would you rather our learners fail in a virtual world, or on the job?” Encourage clients to trust their learners The source of many objections to failure scenarios is the fear that learners will not react well to being challenged. “Your learners want to be challenged. Once they are, they will return to the simulation and learn through repetition.” Use a pilot of the event Encourage your stakeholders to conduct a pilot with target audience members to test the motivation of your learners. Be sure to administer Level 1 and 2 evaluations that focus on whether learners were motivated by the simulation. “Let’s try a small pilot and see what the user responses are in the surveys and interviews. We could even do a pre/post test.” Be ready with supporting resources Books like Karl Kapp’s Gadgets, Games and Gizmos for Learning or Clark Aldrich’s Learning by Doing are valuable resources that delve into the intricacies of games and simulations. “Don’t just trust our perspective; here are some books by industry leaders that support our methods.” Anticipate objections to cost Finally, remember that the economics of launching a simulation with failure scenarios is not about reducing the cost of your simulation project. Failure scenarios will not simplify the process or reduce the cost of the project. However, the inherent gaming nature of the simulation will increase the reusability of the simulation. “This simulation may only be a half-hour of seat time, but your learners will be motivated to continue to use it until they succeed. How many of your e-learning modules do they voluntarily reuse?” Takeaways Don’t be afraid to use failure to your advantage, it’s one of the critical elements of how we learn organically. Challenge your learners. Make your simulation difficult to win, but not impossible. Failure does not have to be catastrophic; it can be as simple as getting to the end of the exercise with a low score. Hold your learners’ hands. Let them know the goals and give them advice if they fail. Provide links to surrounding instruction. Tell your learners a story. Use traditional dramatic tools such as foreshadowing, character development and storyline arcs to immerse the learner in the experience. Walk a mile in your learners’ shoes. Consider what you would ask if you failed: What did I do wrong? How can I avoid this next time? Who knows that I made these mistakes? Training Industry Quarterly, Summer 2008 / A Training Industry, Inc. ezine / www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ 23 http://learningsimulations.blogspot.com http://www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008

Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008 At the Editor’s Desk Contents Ezine Email Winning Organizations Through People Before You Buy… Learning Technologies Games & Simulations: Playing to Learn Designing Learning Simulations: Strategies for Leveraging Failure Business Impact 101: The Value of Learning Strategic Alignment: Transforming the Business of Training Meet David DeFilippo Meet Krys Moskal Meet Vince Eugenio Dealing with Death: Learning’s Most Sensitive Lessons Closing Arguments

Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008

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