Mistake-Driven Learning Opportunities: 7 Types Of Online Training Activities To Consider
As the popular proverb goes: “Mistakes have the power to turn you into something better than you were before”. Errors are merely chances to continually grow and gather wisdom for the future. Fortunately, learning technologies give you the power to facilitate mistake-driven learning in your online training course without making employees face the real world repercussions. These 8 online training activities transform mistakes into valuable learning opportunities.
1. Decision-Making Scenarios That Mimic Real-World Pressures
Branching scenarios are ideally suited for making mistakes and learning from them. Employees must make decisions that lead them down different paths, striving to achieve the best possible outcome. The key is to mimic situations and challenges that employees find on the job so that they’re able to put everything into context, as well as gauge their emotional response to the branching scenario. Every time they reach an unfavorable outcome they discover where they went wrong and how to improve their approach.
2. Group Collaboration Problem-Solving Projects
Group collaboration exposes employees to other viewpoints, which allows them to challenge their own assumptions and personal cognitions. Particularly those that are rooted in mistakes or inaccurate information. They can also learn from the mistakes of their peers during the problem-solving online training activity. For example, a fellow employee uses a tactic that only exacerbates the issue. Thus, every other member of the group can avoid this approach in the future. Another perk of group collaboration projects is that employees gradually build a peer-based support network. This comes in handy when they encounter problems on the job or need help identifying hidden skill or knowledge gaps.
3. Personal Anecdotes With Follow-Up Reflection
Tell employees a personal story so that they can learn from your past experiences. Then encourage them to reflect on the situation and how they might handle it in their own lives. Anecdotes also help employees relate to the online training content on a more personal level. They’re able to see how the narrator handled common mistakes and used them to achieve professional growth. You can even include images to illustrate the point. For example, show them how to overcome an oft-repeated task error by using a different technique.
4. Serious Games With Immediate Personalized Feedback
Serious games aren’t just about earning points or advancing through levels. They also give employees the opportunity to learn from mistakes without feeling judged or ridiculed. In fact, they may even have some fun making errors and overcoming them. The secret is to incorporate immediate personalized feedback to draw attention to the mistakes rather than skipping over them for the sake of entertainment value. Use a rapid eLearning authoring tool that features serious game templates to save time and resources.
5. Encourage Corporate Learners To Upload Their Work For Peer Review
This is another way to blend mistake-driven learning with peer collaboration. Invite employees to create their own online training content and then upload it to the system or social media group that you developed exclusively for the online training course. For instance, the employee produces a brief presentation that explores a compliance topic or task. Peers are able to suggest improvements or highlight inaccurate information. The presentation can also help others clarify confusion and bring attention to mistakes they’re currently making, such as steps of the task that they’ve been performing incorrectly for months.
6. Online Training Simulations With Built-In Guides
Develop online training simulations that feature personal feedback and suggestions. This assistance comes in the form of a relatable character who appears on the screen when employees make an error. They guide them through the mistake and show employees how to improve their approach. As an example, the corporate learner forgets to ask for the customer’s information before completing the product return. The character pops up on the screen immediately after they make the mistake to help them correct it. This character can even provide links to online training tutorials or guides to refresh the employee’s memory.
7. Pop Quizzes With Resource Recommendations
eLearning assessments are the most direct way to test learner knowledge. Specifically, skill gaps that prevent them from achieving their goals or incorrect data they’ve committed to memory. Self-directed pop quizzes allow them to pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses, then readjust their online training path. Encourage employees to frequently check their own progress, then retake the quiz to see how they’ve improved. This also enables them to identify gaps that still need some work or discover additional trouble areas that may have gone unnoticed. Follow every quiz with resource recommendations based on the results, such as a link list that features articles or guides to hone essential skills.
8. Self-Diagnostic Microlearning Online Training Library
Create a microlearning online training repository that centers on mistake-driven learning and self-reflection. It might feature brief online training simulations or branching scenarios that focus on specific skills or training topics. Ensure that each resource is targeted so that employees can diagnose personal areas for improvement. Then develop an individualized online training plan that helps them bridge the gaps and hone their abilities. Microlearning online training libraries give employees the chance to learn from mistakes at their own pace and in the privacy of their own homes. They don’t have to worry about being judged by their peers, which is a significant hurdle for many corporate learners even if they are involved in a supportive and collaborative online learning community.
One of the most important things to bear in mind is that mistakes should never be ignored or admonished. Errors, if honored and respected as profound teaching tools, bring employees that much closer to achieving their potential. Use this article as a guide to incorporate mistake-driven learning into your online training strategy and achieve the best results.
Looking for ways to draw in your corporate audience and give them all the online tools they need to succeed? Read the article 6 Online Training Mistakes That Drive Corporate Learners Crazy to learn how to turn the tides and make your corporate learners willing participants in the online training process.