Enspire Learning Blog

Nathan Kracklauer creates simulations and e-learning programs as the Director of Content Development for Enspire. He recently led a roundtable of learning executives at the Enspire Learning Summit. The discussion was focused on the use of simulations within training programs.

Scenarios where simulations are effective:

•People seem more willing to devote the time to a simulation when the program seems relevant, e.g: salespeople’s whose salaries are on the line.

•Simulations have the advantage of appealing to the younger generation, especially for school learning. Kids expect simulation to hold their attention.

The group discussed the importance of client-designer interaction when finding the appropriate role and fit for the prospective simulation. The simulation can also be used to build enduring excitement and enthusiasm for the training program.

Examples of effective simulation use:

•Excellent example of an effective, well-targeted simulation: the army recruiting simulation that places user in glamorous roles to simulate the army experience. It builds excitement for the organization in advance to convince people to sign up for an experience generally recognized as grueling and dangerous.

We wrapped up a successful conference in Denver and I was delighted to meet so many people interested in simulation development. I have never seen such heightened interest in using simulations in online learning environments as I have this year, which I think will be very beneficial for our industry (I obviously am somewhat partial to the topic...)

On Wednesday, after my talk on Simulations, I was invited to a panel discussion by David Metcalf on the same topic. It was fascinating to hear so many perspectives on using simulations and I was honored to be on stage next to Thiagi, who is one of my role models.

I am not sure how many people will continue to read this blog (it was initially set up for the conference only). If you would like me to continue writing more about simulations, please write a comment - I'd love to know what topics to address!

Welcome to Denver! We have had a great intro session for those of you that were able to attend this afternoon. Here's a quick summary of our discussion (click on the header above to read the full blog entry).

"When to use simulations"

We talked about the different types of simulations: a) software simulations and b) soft-skills simulations. Both have their place, but are very different. Soft-skills simulations can teach complex topics such as business or sales skills where there are no black and white answers. By allowing people to fail and learn from their mistakes, learners can better internalize knowledge.

"How to use simulations"

We also talked about best practices in simulation design. Simulations should be embedded in targeted programs, not just 'put out there' - to make a difference, they require ongoing dialog and are most successful when people can work on them in teams and discuss outcomes with each other. The ideal length of a simulation depends on the audience and the complexity of a topic taught. A simulation for existing employees may run in 30-min intervals whereas a new hire orientation simulation could run for a whole day or even longer.

"Simulation best practices"

From Bjorn:

Welcome to our new blog site! To get the discussion started I thought I would share an article from CLO Magazine. I'd love everyone's thoughts.

The Promise of Online Simulations

Online simulations have the potential to add enormous value to corporate training environments. But despite their potential, simulations are used infrequently by corporate training departments. Many factors contribute to the gap between potential and reality, but the largest roadblock is uncertainty over how to develop, use and incorporate simulations into existing training environments..."

You can read the article by clicking here.

From Nathan Kracklauer:

There's a lot of talk and excitement about using simulations and games for learning. But, as a whole, the training community has very little expertise in game design. Ironically, you can read any number of good books about games and "learning by doing," but there are few opportunities to learn game design by doing it. Even most training conference "workshops" on the subject of game design wind up being presentations of existing learning games, with very little application.

That's why I'm excited about the opportunity to hold a workshop at Online Educa Berlin this year. In this workshop, we will design a game. We will apply the principles behind the game-based approach to our own learning about game design. We'll design a game, prototype it on paper, and then improve it. We'll learn theory as we go along, and as needed. After we're done, we'll debrief about the experience, the process, and the principles.

From The Enspire Marketing Team:

The Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX) have just announced their 2006 winners. Enspire Learning was named in the category of Video & Electronic Publications - Education, Training & Public Information.

The winning project dealt with educating employees about their healthcare options. You can view a demo of the course here.

Congratulations go out to all of the Enspire team members involved.

The new issue of Training Magazine features an article on the ever-growing popularity of simulations and their potential for a “highly visual and interactive – not to mention entertaining – way to reach learners.” The article is available online, but does require a subscription.

The article includes real world examples from companies like Cisco Systems and The Children’s Place. It also contains quotes from simulation vendors such as Clark Aldrich of SimuLearn, Catherine Rezak of Paradigm Learning, and Enspire Learning’s CEO Bjorn Billhardt.