Podcast - Dr. Stephen Slota Discusses Fun and Games in Learning

When was the last time you had fun during a mandated training event?

This loaded question plagues instructional designers and facilitators alike. Stakeholders know that training impacts overall organizational performance, making upskilling employees a high-stakes game. 

Without the proper instruction, teams may not achieve business-critical goals and, perhaps more detrimentally, become frustrated when they feel unprepared to handle the responsibilities of their roles.

As training professionals, we understand the risk of poorly designed or delivered learning events. But taking learning seriously doesn’t necessarily mean all training elements must feel serious. In fact, fun and games present a unique option to boost learner engagement and retention.

Expert Dr. Stephen Slota knows first-hand why gamification and game-based learning generate buzz both for our audience and within the Learning and Development industry. Adaptable and supportive, he believes in the neuroscience-based possibility this design option presents, saying,

"When I talk about game-based learning and gamification, I’m looking at it from the perspective of a learning scientist or a theorist, somebody who’s coming at it knowing the different ways we can train people and then saying, okay, what’s a game we can build in that learning theory level that’s then going to accomplish the instructional goal that we have."

Spark your own curiosity by listening to Dr. Slota’s entire Modern Learning on the Air podcast interview with resident InSync host Phylise Banner here.

By the end of their conversation, you’ll walk away having learned:

• The differences between gamification, game-based learning, and simulations
• Ways to gain buy-in from resistant stakeholders
• How the right game can generate learner collaboration rather than competition
• Which resources can support your continued exploration of this modern learning approach

Remember: you, too, learn in the modern classroom. Identifying and promoting innovative approaches within your organization supports your learners, your business, and your own professional development.

To listen to the podcast, click below.