Free Research Paper About Future Training Trends

Future training trends

Introduction
In the era of the online world, access to everything is faster and available through E-learning. This trend of learning and development was introduced to our world in the late 1990s. The mode of learning incorporated into Computer Based Training or CBT. CBT involves a software program that conducts a training program with information displayed and voice-over recording (Dokeos 2014). Since then however the dimensions of e-learning have dramatically changed. Today, we have access to typing tutors, language instruction, vehicle driving instruction, combat situations and even animal training through point-and-click gaming programs or simulators. CBT is rapidly replaced by gaming aided learning.

Simulator training

The Microsoft Flight Simulator is the longest marketed video game in the world. Twenty-five years and running; what was different in this product that took the world by storm? This gaming software was introduced during the decades of fantasy games ranging from Dangerous Dave to Quake. The cornerstone edge that Microsoft Flight Simulator had over all the other games of its time and since then is its closeness to the real thing. Although the response to this product was overwhelmingly positive, the training fraternity failed to foresee its exponential potential.
NASA, USAF, US Marine Corps and other specialist defense organizations embraced simulations as their foremost training technique. Moreover, civilian software such as car driving simulators also made their entry. Although e-learning existed since the internet was made available to the public in 1995 in the form of PowerPoint presentations or recorded training sessions, they always lacked their closeness to the real deal. Understandably, the cost of developing such simulators was invariably expensive. This trend changed when web authoring tools appeared on the scene with graphic interfaces that allowed instructional designers to shift the paradigm of e-learning solutions. It was the dawn of the Serious Game revolution.

Serious Games

Serious games are role-playing gaming software that induces learning in the user. Subsequently, multiple streams of industry have embraced this idea. A serious game posts real-life scenarios to the user. The progression of the game allows the user to review and reorganize. For example, a marketing manager is posed with the scenario of violating marketing ethics to promote a product or face possible layoffs; A Human Resource manager under pressure from the management to protect an employee who has been accused of sexual harassment due to his impeccable sales record. These are real time scenarios that test the conduct, conflict resolution skills, negotiation skills, communication skills and management skills of the user. The game, at the end of each section reviews the action of the user and discusses the possible outcomes (De Freitas,S. & Routledge,H. 2013).
Nowadays, serious games are used to simulate activities inside hospitals among support staff, training management school students, leadership workshops in defense, engineering project officers and even amongst budding politicians.

Reception and impact of serious games

Serious games allow the users to gain learning experiences through hands-on situations without real-time adverse effects (Sharkworldgame.com 2014). Management trainees and healthcare juniors have delightfully embraced this learning trend; it allows them to learn without worrying about failures.
Serious games are available at all levels from kindergarten to research scholastics. They cover a wide range of topics and exploit the keen interest that the children have taken up in video games. A new genre in gaming that establishes the successful combining of learning and entertainment. Parents and teachers are equally elated with serious gaming technology. It provides their wards with critical learning, improvement in their vocal and non vocal skills. The learning potential significantly outperforms the traditional coaching techniques (Serious Gaming Interactive 2014).

In addition, managers of different industries are particularly relieved in not having to train rookies using real time situations.

Gains for HRD and training delivery systems
The workforce of today is hard pressed for time to settle into roles and delivery substantial performance. The existing mechanisms lack the diversity to achieve such results. Training new recruits is a significant cost and risk of attrition among new hires further complicates the situation. Moreover, training tenured employees causes production losses that cannot be compensated. The training objective by itself is compromised most of the time since employees hardly find time to practice the skills they acquire.
The advent of serious gaming in the workplace allows new hires and tenured employees to relax while learning new skills/subjects. For example, instead of pulling twelve networking specialists from their routines to attend a soft skills workshop, they are enrolled in a course aided by serious gaming. This allows the specialists to learn at their pace and practice their newly acquired skill. Serious gaming is the ideal training trend to impart learning while staying productive; at lower training cost.

Conclusion

The future of training strongly relies on the enhancement and application of serious games. It is viable to hope for actual holograms to replace the Adobe Captivate generated human characters and the entire simulation confined to a training room where the trainees are graded for performance.
All throughout human history, the vital inventions and innovations were brought on by the adventurist who defied the odds and popular belief. Our conventional educational system continues to prune future visionaries with the fear of failure looming over them. Serious games, their continued evolution and implementation will allow great minds to attempt the impossible yet again.

References

Dokeos Staff (2014). A brief history of elearning. Retrieved from: http://www.dokeos.com/brief-history-elearning/
Serious Gaming Interactive Staff (2014). Training and simulation. Retrieved from: http://www.seriousgames.net/
De Freitas,S., Routledge,H. (2013). Designing leadership and soft skills in educational games: The e‐leadership and soft skills educational games design model (ELESS). British Journal of Educational Technology
Sharkworldgame.com Staff (2014). The Game. Retrieved from: http://www.seriousgames.net/