Simulations work for the Military. Corporate training could learn from that example.

Places please for effective instruction.

---

Related Articles

• Marines train for Afghanistan deployment

• Celebrating the US Military's effectiveness in training and development

• Organizations for learning professionals - NASAGA

• Eight show-biz secrets to effective learning

This article discusses the application of simulations in the US Military and suggests that corporate training could learn from the Military's example.

The Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation & Education Conference (I/ITSEC) took place in Orlando November 30 through December 2, 2009.

This organization “promotes cooperation among the Armed Services, Industry, Academia and various Government agencies in pursuit of improved training and education programs, identification of common training issues and development of multi-service programs.”

Branches of the service represented included the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and appropriate Industry vendors.
A major theme of the conference was the increased applications and reliance on simulations for training.

One panel of military experts predicted that the simulation vendors’ work would be a primary training methodology for President Obama’s Afghanistan surge.

Besides the more common simulations for weaponry and machinery familiarity, simulations expected to be key include Afghanistan language and dialect training, cultural sensitivity, terrain familiarization, real-time village battlefield scenarios, and specific safety procedure training (IE., what to do if a Humvee rolls over).
These kinds of training activities have a number of advantages.

• Simulations save time – The military does not have to wait for an ideal situation to begin training. The simulators are ready at a computer click.
• Simulations save money – Simulations do not require extensive in-field man-hours.
• Simulations save lives – By recreating real scenarios in a safe environment, simulations provide practice and develop experience for situations in real life.

The whole world seems to be computer game crazy, and people WANT to play computer games, and will pay in both high costs and extensive amounts of time for the privilege to do so.

And yet, what passes for elearning in many corporate training programs is PowerPoint® slides placed on line, rudimentary animations, and generic “actors” designed to offend no one.

What is most often missing is a story and effective application of music. Both of those would unfortunately cost money, but imagine what training could accomplish if the elearning model were less aligned with PowerPoint® presentations and more like a fun, interactive computer game.

That would be an exciting training event people might be willing to spend their money and time on.

Lenn Millbower, the Learnertainment® Trainer and former Disney training leader, helps trainers, teachers, and speakers keep their learners awake so the learning can take through one-on-one coaching, keynotes and seminars, open enrollment workshops, instructional design consulting, and his published works.