Software trainings giving employees the blues? Simulations are here to the rescue.
To ensure improvements in the operational efficiencies of your organization, it is essential that your employees be proficiently trained in using the software applications that are required for the day-to-day operations. Giving employees technical training comes with its own set of challenges. Using a software application often follows a systematic procedure based on an employee’s role, permission/access levels, and the task at hand.
Conveying this through a digital medium can get a tad tedious, as your e-learning course will consist of the endless steps to-do things in the software. Such a course can get mundane for learners, which discourages the useful transfer of knowledge. Learners gain enough theoretical information in this approach, but they do not get a chance to acquire hands-on experience.
Software application training methods also depend on your target audience. If your audience consists of technically sound people, then you have the liberty to keep your software trainings basic without going into much explanation. But if your audience consists of non-technical personnel, then you need to add a lot of details about the software functionality, this in turn can make the course too text heavy and tedious, reducing the impact of the training.
So how can you create a software application training that effectively balances the quality of content with user-friendliness? Use simulations to effectively convey the functionality of your software application. Using simulations makes learners better prepared and helps them master the application before starting actual work on it. Below are some of the benefits using simulations can bring to your software trainings:
Leaves Nothing to the Imagination
A traditional classroom approach or text-based software course leaves the functionality of the software application to the imagination of the learners. Simulation-based learning gives a visual demonstration of how things are practically supposed to be done. Instead of giving learners the description of the software’s interface, simulation shows the learner its actual working. Simulations leave no scope for any doubts or misinterpretations, and result in a highly superior learning experience.
Offers Immediate Feedback
While undertaking a simulation, if an employee makes any mistake, the interface immediately throws up a feedback message pointing out the same. This instant feedback gives them the opportunity to improve upon their mistakes and capitalize on their strengths. As the feedback happens in the continuity of the simulation, it doesn’t dampen the morale of the learners, rather it pushes them to do better. This also nips incorrect practices right in the bud, so when employees start their actual work, their skills are already polished.
Improves Practical Knowledge
Repetition is the key to knowledge retention and task mastery. Software training simulations give your employees the opportunity to keep practicing until they reach their goals. They also have the ability to explore the outcomes of their actions, which allows them to determine if an alternate path may lead to results that are more favorable. They can repeat challenging key steps in the process, which gives them the chance to see how all the components work together and why each step is necessary.
Essentially, online training simulations grant them the gift of practical experience without the risks that exist in the real world. Simulations can also be in the form of videos or online job-aids that can be accessed at the point of need by employees.
Promotes Independent Learning
Text-based application courses are required to give in-depth instructions. Simulations on the other hand, use an interactive virtual environment that just gives simple pointers to learners on how to proceed. Using this basic path, learners go on to discover the functionality of the application on their own. This triggers a sense of curiosity among learners and makes them active participants in the learning process.
Reduces Training Development Time and Cost
One of the most significant advantages of using software simulations for training is that it reduces e-learning expense and time. Employees can acquire more information rapidly, as they are utilizing the concepts and interacting directly with the application. Instead of just reading about the application procedures, they are acting them hands-on in a virtual world. As a result, your online training program becomes more cost-effective as employees spend more time doing their actual work and less time in the online course.
It clear from the above benefits that users are more engaged with a software simulation based e-learning solution as it delivers its instructive aim concisely. Choose the right e-learning vendor, who utilizes a powerful authoring tool, to create a simulation that can make software application training a breeze.
