Games and Simulations in L&D Should Be Authentic

Or why bother?

They certainly shouldn’t be “Mickey Mouse” – so to speak.

Can You Create a Game or Simulation of This Output/Task Cluster?

Creating a Territory Plan? Following these Tasks?

The Challenges Embedded To Avoid Mickey Mouse Games Should Also Be Authentic

And Not Dark Blue Skies – unrealistic scenarios.

I Was a Paperboy Back in the Day

And if you don’t think that 11 year old boys made a contest (Game) out of rolling newspapers and putting them into their bags – then you weren’t one – and/or don’t know any 11 year old boys – and/or have little imagination.

And I’m speculating here – as there was only one newspaper girl back in La Porte IN back in 1963 delivering the South Bend Tribune – but I bet she would have helped others and would not have gloated … after finishing first, of course.

But that was a long time ago.

Team Games and Simulations

Take the pressure off on the first go-round. In successive Games/Rounds of a Simulation I would eventually have them work solo – if that was authentic.

Gaming Enabling K/S

Yeah. Them too. They either are Games/Simulations unto themselves or they are folded into the Task-set oriented Games/Simulations. By Design.

The Product Management Simulation

I developed this back in 1987 after a Curriculum Architecture Design (CAD) effort.

Here are some Past Posts about that effort…

An On-Boarding Story – Ramping Up a New Product Manager

An Immersive Learning Design – Driven By Analysis Of Authentic Performance – From Back In The Day

Simulation Exercises Don’t Always Require a Computer

Videos & Testimonials: The PACT Processes for T&D/ Learning/ Knowledge Management

1989 Video Clip References to Online Modules for AT&T Network Systems Product Managers

10 Minute Video Overview of a Learning Path – For Product Managers – From 1989

Case Study – A Set of Formal & Informal & Social Learning For a Critical Target Audience

A Quality Moment From My Past

Even Teaching Others My ISD Methods Involved Games/Simulations

Simulations – APPOs – Application Exercises – are second best to doing Real Work IMO. And can easily be “gamified” – game elements added to it.

Focus on the Authentic Performance Competence Requirements

Performance Competence Requirements – That’s What It’s All About

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