Help your learners think, not just click.
Experiential learning works when it mirrors real life...messy decisions, multiple perspectives, and consequences that matter. But creating that kind of experience requires intentional design choices that go beyond "add more content" or "make it interactive."
This guide breaks down the key principles that separate forgettable click-through training from learning experiences that actually stick. Use it as a quick-reference checklist when designing scenarios, branching activities, or any practice-based learning in SimGate.
The chart below shows you what to do and why it matters—for both you as a designer and the learners you're supporting.
WHAT? | SO WHAT? |
Real-life, meaningful scenarios | Enable application and transfer — When practice mirrors actual work contexts, learners can more easily transfer skills from training to real performance. |
Opportunities to practice the HOW, not just the WHAT | Move beyond knowledge to application — Knowing facts is different from knowing how to use them in context. Practice opportunities bridge this gap. |
Insert novelty through varied formats | Increase engagement and retention — Varied formats (visual, interactive, scenario-based) keep attention and improve information retention by preventing habituation. |
Contextualized decision points | Build judgment and professional expertise — Skills practice should focus on the critical moments where practitioners must exercise judgment, not just follow procedures. |
Give learners space to sit with things | Enable self-generated insights — Reflection time allows learners to process, make connections, and develop personal understanding rather than passively receiving information. |
Opportunities to analyze, evaluate, and apply (vs. just knowledge recall) | Develop higher-level skills — Bloom's higher-order thinking skills (analyze, evaluate, create) are what learners actually need on the job, not just remembering information. |
Don't reveal "right" answers right away | Force metacognitive reflection — Delayed feedback encourages learners to think through their reasoning, evaluate their choices, and develop critical thinking skills before being told the answer. |
Varied feedback formats (qualitative, quantitative, visual, contextual, impacts) | Mirror real life and relatable impacts — Different feedback types show consequences from multiple angles, making the learning experience feel authentic and helping learners understand the full scope of their decisions. |
Multiple perspectives to consider | Develop nuanced thinking — Real workplace challenges rarely have one "right" answer—showing tradeoffs and stakeholder perspectives builds realistic decision-making skills. |
Adaptive learning pathways | Show tradeoffs, consequences, and personalization — Branching based on decisions demonstrates that choices matter and allows learners to experience different outcomes, just like in real work situations. |
Streamlined text, reasonable # of answer options | Minimize cognitive overload — Brain-based research shows too much text makes it harder for learners to retain content or gain meaningful insights. Aim for 3-4 answer options as the sweet spot for decision-making. |
Add complexity, not more "things/text" | Develop problem-solving and flexible decision-making — Layered decisions and nuanced situations build higher-order thinking without overwhelming learners with volume. |