- Don’t fake it
- Make it real
- Introduce scenarios into your Modlettes
- Make your training more relevant and engaging
- Create situations that your learners will face in the workplace.
I have always included real life situations in the delivery of my training, even back in the classroom days.
Why have I done this and how can you benefit from the use of scenarios in your training?
- Real-life decision making: Scenarios give learners an opportunity to practice real-life decisions in a relevant context.
- Safe space to fail: As they practice scenarios, it gives them a safe space to fail. For circumstances where failure is costly or dangerous, scenario-based learning gives you an advantage. Instead of failing in a way that makes a Customer angry, or worse, injures a fellow team member, learners can fail during practice. That means the scenario should be designed to allow learners to make common mistakes so they can learn from them.
- Trigger memories: We remember failures. If it’s so easy that everyone gets it right the first time, the practice lacks meaning. Our brains are wired for stories. Even when we sleep, our brains keep telling stories in our dreams. We remember stories better than abstract content.
- One study compared information on a brochure presented in bullet points or a story format. People remember more of the story than the bullet points – Using Stories for Learning
- Engage Emotions: Scenarios can deliver emotional impact. . . the angry Customer, the reluctant employee or the dishonest manager. That makes training more interesting and more memorable.
- Speeds up expertise: Research has shown that using scenario helps people become experts faster. Instead of needing many hours getting experience on the job, scenario-based learning can help people get focused practice. They can learn new skills and develop problem solving expertise more efficiently.
The closer your scenario is to the learner’s workplace the more realistic and engaging it will be. Next week I will elaborate on the four C’s of scenario writing.
Modlettes is so simple . . . you can create them in your sleep