If there is one thing to leave in the past as vaccination rates increase and Covid-19 restrictions decrease, it’s the slide show presentation. As employees and students filter back into office-spaces and classrooms, educators and leaders have the chance to optimize learning by ditching PowerPoint for something better – experiential learning.
Why PowerPoint isn’t working
In 2021, hearing the phrase “next slide” is akin to nails on a chalkboard, but your PowerPoint could be hurting your content far past the technical difficulties of slide timing. In a 2007 study conducted by the University of New South Wales, researchers found that showing the audience the same words that are being spoken reduces, rather than increases, audience comprehension rates.
A different learning framework is needed, one that is centered around student success. The experiential learning framework fits these credentials.
What is Experiential Learning?
The experiential learning theory, developed by David A. Kolb, focuses on improvement, learning, and development. At the core of the theory lie four fundamental steps: experience, reflection, abstract thinking, and acting. Within this framework, learning the material is only half the battle; the other half involves the active application of educational content.
Source: Institute for Experiential Learning
Why you need to care about Experiential learning
Students instructed based on an experiential learning framework reap significantly more benefits from the curriculum than students sitting in front of a PowerPoint. An article from Experience to Lead, a leadership development group, details that experiential learning resulted in a 90% retention rate of concepts versus 5% with traditional methods. The article also states that high-performing firms are three times more likely to use experiential learning than lower-performing firms of that industry. The experiential model is the choice of experts.
The right tech for the job
Simulation technologies, specifically extended reality technologies, lie at the forefront of encouraging experiential learning. These technologies assist in guiding students through the four experiential learning phases in a safe, controlled environment. Students are also individually provided with immediate feedback throughout the learning process.
The highly customizable environment can simulate the practical experience for virtually any educational content and has improved the passing rate of test scores by as much as 50%.
Businesses are taking notice. VR and experiential learning have been implemented by industry giants such as Boeing, Walmart, and UPS to teach employees soft and technical skills.
The verdict
Experiential learning is being used by the experts for good reason: it works. As post-pandemic life begins, leaders have the opportunity to upgrade the current education system. Brand name companies are retailing headsets below $100; the technology is becoming more accessible than ever.
With technology prices dropping and a growing pool of evidence in its corner, experiential learning and VR simulation might be just what your organization needs to help its learners succeed in a post-pandemic world.
Contact us today to learn more about how you can get started!
