How simulation-based training in college education is the future

Higher education institutions need to "re-tool" the education that they offer to meet the economic realities of the 21st Century. 

Both prospective students and employers are looking for education that differentiates itself from outdated models and better prepares graduates for the demands of the modern workplace. They want career-ready education and training.

The student population no longer consists mostly of wealthy middle-class high school graduates, instead it includes many lower class and minority population students, first generation students, working adults looking for further education and even adults with degrees seeking to upskill to meet new career-demands.

Many consumers view the cost versus return of higher education with growing skepticism and are looking for updated, career-focused and more affordable alternatives.

Recent surveys show that more than half of US adults with degrees regret at least one major educational decision¹ and 44% do not believe that their degree adequately prepared them for careers.²

As confirmation of this, statistics from the US Department of Education show that the percentage of students with an occupational credential employed in their field of study was 21% higher than those with an academic credential.³

Many traditional colleges have been forced to merge or close but forward-thinking, tech savvy colleges are adapting and recalibrating their educational product offerings to meet the needs and realities of the new generation of students.

“Today’s students want to know how an institution will prepare them for and connect them to their chosen career field, as well as how it will help them stand out from the crowd in a competitive job market. Students themselves are becoming more selective and are demanding greater transparency when it comes to career outcomes.”⁴

Leading institutions now include career exploration information into their enrollment processes. They want to help students make better choices when selecting courses and they are changing what they offer to provide the career-training for the future.

Simulation-based training and scenario-based eLearning are the solution 

Future-focused colleges are turning to eLearning to meet the needs of prospective students who are looking for education which is:

1. career-focussed
2. affordable
3. flexible and accessible anytime, anywhere - even while holding a job

 Where vocational and industry training previously required many hours of apprenticeship so that students could practice skills under the supervision of a mentor, simulation eLearning can cut the costs, the production down-time and the risks associated with students on a work site, yet develop their skills and experience through repetition and productive failure.

Simulation-based Training Demo Videos

Watch these short videos. They demonstrate how simulation eLearning is used in a variety of ways in different career fields, including healthcare, construction and service industries.

Video 1: Watch how a nurse can learn and practice the procedure for injecting a patient without actually harming them.

Video 2: In this video apprentices can learn safety and procedural skills in context without putting anyone or any machinery at risk. An added benefit is that existing staff and machines don't need to be out of service while training takes place.

Click here to go through the steps of a demo sim example of procedural learning (opens in a new window).

Scenario-based eLearning places the learner in a simulated work context so that the student becomes familiar with the work place environment and can practice performing in that setting. Research shows that learning retention rates are higher when students learn in the same context as the work will be done.⁴

Video 3: In this last video, you can see how simulation eLearning can also be used to teach soft skills like critical thinking and decision-making that employees need to implement in work-place scenarios.  In this example, an electrician learns good decision-making skills under challenging circumstances.