If your employees have trouble concentrating and do not apply themselves in the training provided by your company, perhaps the time has come to try edugames (educational games).
A widespread problem: training that doesn’t cut the mustard
The problem is commonplace in many companies: workers are often overwhelmed with their day-to-day, fretting about the last email from the boss, next meeting and targets to reach before the end of the month. They have little time and less energy to spend on training, even when essential to improve their skills and guarantee their future in the company.
This is exacerbated by the fact that most training courses are simply too boring. Classroom training often entail unwanted traveling, inflexibility and hardly any interaction in the learning process. Most e-learning courses are guilty of the same sins: one boring succession of slides and tests after another that fail to engage and motivate employees.
The answer: try educational games
While this may seem surprising at first glance, you can find part of the answer in edugames. These games are designed to teach certain concepts, develop skills or provide knowledge of historic events. They have proven their effectiveness in schools and universities with games that teach children the fundamentals of geometry (such as Dragon Box Elements) or help university students learn how to program (such as Code Combat).
Given their success, growing numbers of companies have been flocking to incorporate edugames into their training programs. These games are becoming the best weapon to break the monotony and boredom of training courses, motivate employees and encourage them to continue their education. The recreational component of edugames, gamification techniques and interaction are capable of fully engaging workers from the very outset so they set aside their day-to-day stress.
The areas in which educational games can be used in companies are numerous. While some seek to teach the basic principles of economics and business (e.g., Capitalism), others address the difficulties in building a city and infrastructure (SimCity) and others instruct on the best negotiating and conflict management techniques (Merchants).
Many companies have already tried educational games. Will you?