What Moving A Classroom To An Online Simulation Taught Us About Learning

"People value in-person business simulations because they are hands-on. People are engaged. Decisions feel real. There is energy in the room, pressure from the clock, and a sense that what you do matters, even though it is a simulation. For many organizations, that combination is what makes simulations worth the time and expense. Those qualities are not accidental. They come from being together, working through uncertainty at the same time, and reacting to outcomes you did not fully expect."

"So when the question can this be done online comes up, it is often a loaded one. The concern is not really about technology. It is about whether those hands-on qualities survive the move. Will people still care? Will decisions still feel connected to results? Will learning still stick? That is where the conversation often goes off track. In a classroom, explanation plays an important role because it can be adjusted in real time."

"In a classroom, explanation plays an important role because it can be adjusted in real time. Facilitators explain things to the full group or to individual teams based on what they see in the room. They notice confusion, engagement, hesitation, or momentum. That feedback helps explanations land at the right moment and in the right amount. Online, those signals are harder to see. Silence can mean understanding, distraction, or disengagement."

People value in-person simulations for hands-on engagement, real-feeling decisions, shared energy, and the pressure that makes outcomes matter. Those qualities emerge from simultaneous collaboration, reacting to unexpected outcomes, and the social context of being together. Explanation in live settings can be adjusted instantly because facilitators read in-room signals such as confusion, engagement, hesitation, or momentum and tailor feedback. Online settings make those signals harder to detect, so explanation becomes less reliable as the primary learning driver. Consequence carries over well online when systems embed outcomes and feedback, ensuring decisions produce meaningful, cascading effects that support learning.

Read at eLearning Industry