How we learn can have a dramatic impact on learning effectiveness. Around 50 to 80 per cent of the knowledge that we learn during a workplace training session vanishes if we don’t apply it to real-world scenarios. We can waste quite a lot of time in business training sessions.
Simulation Training
Simulation training is an excellent alternative to traditional learning techniques and has been shown to be incredibly effective at helping learners retain information and develop skills. Simulations follow an interactive structure that mimics the everyday practices of the workplace. Simulations are becoming the preferred training method for businesses, although they are often used alongside other learning tools such as one-to-one coaching sessions, online learning and quizzes.
Improved retention and knowledge recall
When learning something new, the best way to effectively retain the information is to make it memorable. That is why learners respond well to engaging, interactive training experiences like those found in simulations. A simulation is dynamic and interactive, giving learners real-time feedback that they can use to grow their confidence or correct errors quickly. The sooner that you can correct an error, the stronger the retention of that new information will be.
Increased self-confidence
A training simulation can be used to give learners the space to practice and go over things as often as they would like. This gives them the opportunity to get comfortable with procedures or materials at their own pace and promotes increased self-confidence as a result. A learner can go over the same problems until they are comfortable and confident in their results. Simulations allow people to practice skills in a way that suits them. This, in turn, boosts their own confidence surrounding the issue and improves their effectiveness in the process.
Creates a tailored learning pathway
Training simulations for businesses can be tailored to meet the needs of specific departments, industries and situations. Moreover, the simulations can focus on specific areas that are relevant to the learner. For example, if they are struggling with customer complaints, the simulation can focus on that aspect of the training. This focuses the learning pathway to target the areas that the learner is struggling with and affords them more time and training to overcome their personal obstacles. Tailored learning pathways are an excellent way to use simulations as time can be spent working on challenging areas for the learner. This makes the training more useful and effective for both the learner and the business.
Creates a safe space to make mistakes while learning
Simulations are an excellent platform for learning because they are safe: there is no risk of something going wrong in a simulation. In essence, they are a risk-free way of learning, unlike many forms of traditional on the job training. This takes a great deal of stress out of the experience for the learner because any mistakes they do make have no real-world consequence. This freedom to learn through trial-and-error allows learners to adopt new approaches and ways of working to the training without fear of making a notable mistake. This can make the learning experience much more engaging and rewarding for the learner and improves the effectiveness of training which is a benefit for the employer.
It cuts down on cost and time
Training simulations are a fantastic option if you are looking to trim down the cost and time spent on learning in the workplace. Employees learn more effectively through simulations and retain more information for longer. This is because they are actively engaged with the learning process, or learning by doing rather than being dictated to. This means there is less time spent learning and more time putting those lessons into practice.
Simulations are also a much more cost-effective way to train staff for businesses, particularly if they are run online, thus avoiding location and travel costs.
Business Simulations by Prendo
There are many benefits that simulation training programmes can offer businesses when compared to traditional methods. Adopting these new practices can save companies a considerable amount of time and money while improving learning experiences for their staff.
To see how simulations could help your business, talk to the experts at Prendo.