Unique Blend of Adult Learning Strategies

We’ve devised a cocktail of empirically-derived adult learning strategies that work together to improve skills. Our strategy was designed to drive six key elements of effective adult learning:

• Impact: delivers business results
• Engagement: motivates and captivates the learner
• Transfer to the job: training that moves from the learning environment to real world application on the job
• Convenience: anytime, anywhere training that come to you on your schedule
• Sustainability: learning that lasts because it's repeated and doesn’t degenerate over time
• Value and efficiency: time and cost effective

Simulations
Research has consistently shown that simulations are a powerful way to learn as they allow individuals to make connections with every day experiences. There is a big difference between studying how to effectively interact with customers, clients and colleagues and actually doing it. It isn’t enough to know about them in theory, you must practice them, you must live them. That is the power of simulations.

Micro-learning
Micro learning is more aligned to how adults learn. Instead of lots of study and classes, micro learning is deployed in small nuggets, more frequently and the learner is typically given greater control as to when that training is executed. And, we make this a defining feature of our simulations. Our simulations are divided into brief, but intense nuggets optimally designed around how adults learn.

Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is a fancy way of saying we improve faster when we receive ongoing feedback while we are learning. This feedback takes multiple forms in our simulations. We often find that a person can be their toughest critic of what she or he did right or wrong. In our simulations, we actually require the learner to watch their own performance – an exercise in self-reflection or self-critiquing. When forced to watch ourselves, we critique ourselves and find ways to do it better the next time. We optionally offer objective feedback through our trained assessors who review, evaluate and provide feedback on each person’s simulation performance.

Modeling
One of the more common requests by employees when they are learning new skills is to know what good looks like. Behavioral modeling is leveraged in our Strong responses videos which provide a quick, easy way for the learner to see “what good looks like”. As research has shown, it’s really a powerful way to transform behaviors. And, doing it in video through our portal allows individuals 24/7 access to these videos.

Behavioral Checklist
Complex skills are built upon a collection of small behaviors. We operationalize the optimal simulation response with behavioral checklists that not only define the appropriate behavior but let the learner know why that behavior is important.

Active Learning
Unlike passive learning such as attending lectures or watching PowerPoint presentations, active learning engages the learner as part of the training. The learner becomes part of every simulation and must engage with the other characters in the scenario. Active learning allows the student to create, discover and learn strategies that work for themselves and actually practice responding to an individual in a difficult job scenario. Research shows active learning to be a much more impactful and engaging way to learn interpersonal skills and/or other career readiness skills than traditional classroom lectures and the like.