Simulations are highly specialized, interactive training programs which allow learners to enhance their knowledge and practice real-world activities in a controlled, risk-free virtual environment. And, various organizations across the globe today can be seen churning out online learning courses of which, simulations training is a part. These online training simulations can be used in a wide variety of training programs like product and sales training, compliance training, software training and others such. But, are you implementing it in the right manner? Have a look at the best practices for the creation of online training simulations mentioned below and find out for yourself.
Identify the learning needs to be addressed
The first step to begin with the creation of online training simulations is to connect with your SMEs and identify the learning needs followed by focusing on the knowledge and skills required for the same to be imparted. For instance, you may wish to train your employees on cybersecurity and safety measures and for this, you need to create a simulation that will mimic the real-life environment. The employee should be able to practice all steps and face exactly the same pressure as in real life in order to maximize the benefits to be attained.
Keep simulations simple and concise
The attention span of learners is not much hence it is advisable to keep your simulations short and easily digestible such that these can be retained within a glance. There’s no point for including simulations which are long as the learners will get disinterested in no time thus the entire purpose of these will be lost. Moreover, consider breaking those in chunks so that learners don’t have to spend a lot of time in one go.
Keep it realistic
The sole purpose of simulations is to mirror the real world such that learners can benefit from it by learning the complexities. Hence, it is suggested to keep simulations as realistic as possible because you would not want your learners to get disinterested due to annoyance and frustration. It is a best practice to research your workplace and conduct a task analysis on what you want your learners to do.
Evaluate and provide feedback
In eLearning, it is crucial to evaluate the performance of learners and provide them with timely personalized feedback to give them an idea of where they are heading with the course. They should be able to gauge their mistakes and learn from them in the future.
Moreover, since this process is completely different from the traditional approach, you may consider delaying the feedback a little such that learners get time to reflect upon their actions.
Incorporating authoring tools for developing simulations
There are various eLearning authoring tools in the market to choose from when you plan to develop your simulations. You must opt for the one which is the most effective while at the same time saves development time, efforts and provides rapid scalability. You can also start with picking eLearning authoring tools with free trial and make an informed decision.
So, help your learners get the most out of their online training simulations by incorporating the aforementioned best practices. Let them broaden their knowledge level, learn and engage!