Training Industry Quarterly - Winter 2010 - 22

REAL LEARNING DOES NOT OCCUR UNLESS THE PARTICIPANT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO FAIL ternalize concepts, rather than delving into the specifics. Specific learning objectives and debriefing opportunities can be lost in efforts to build a super-high-fidelity model of the world. For example, a financial services association with an educational mission created a simulation focused on helping bank managers develop a holistic view of running a bank. Early prototypes of this simulation involved complex algorithms designed to precisely model real-world interest rates and derivate prices. After end-users tested the prototype (a must-have in successful simulation design!), it was discovered that many of the complexities distracted from allowing participants to internalize crucial learning objectives. These complexities were later removed to focus on the core lessons that needed to be conveyed. In the same way people use visual aids to understand complex materials, simulations need to accurately but simply reflect the real world in order to clearly demonstrate learning objectives. #2: …But Don’t Focus Solely on the Learning Objectives, Either In the wake of the Enron and Worldcom scandals of 2002, The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin commissioned a simulation to teach business ethics for MBA students. Most MBA students know (more or less) what ethical behavior should look like, yet many don’t face major ethical conundrums until later in life. In other words, most have no experience or point of reference from which to draw conclusions about ethical conduct or the pressures that may lead to unethical behavior. To provide these students with an experience they could relate to, the simulation designers focused not on creating an ethical decisionmaking simulation (imagine a choose-your-own-adventure novel with ethical dilemmas), but rather a highly competitive business simulation (business school is full of highly competitive challenges and experiences). By putting students into a familiar competitive environment, students were tempted to take ethical shortcuts in the heat of competition. A behavior simulation that is focused solely on specific learning objectives may result in learners making the decisions they are supposed to make rather than the ones they would actually make when presented with a difficult situation. Developers cannot be afraid to introduce elaborate game elements that contribute to the learning experience, even if they are not directly related to learning objectives. Resources To learn more, check out these resources: • Josh Bersin (2004). The Blended Learning Book: Best Practices, Proven Methodologies, and Lessons Learned. San Francisco: Pfeiﬀer. • e-Learning Guild’s Handbook on Synchronous e-Learning How to design, produce, lead, and promote successful learning events, live and online. http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.542 • Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies U.S. Department of Education http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/ﬁnalreport.pdf Training Industry Quarterly, Winter 2010 / A Training Industry, Inc. ezine / www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ

http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.542 http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf http://www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ

Training Industry Quarterly - Winter 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Quarterly - Winter 2010