If we learn most from our mistakes, how can we support learners who fail?
In many contexts it is taken for granted that our learners will undertake a training activity and go on to apply the knowledge they gained. At a basic level this is as simple as attending a single session and then applying those skills in the workplace but in some situations this may involve multiple sessions with an end of course assessement.
What happens to learners who fail to apply their knowledge correctly? There can be serious business implications for failure: lost revenue, poor customer service and non-compliance. While these implications may be attributed to the learner how can we help them to learn for their mistakes? In my experience dialogue is important to help understand why an issue occured. Discussion enables the learner to provide an insight into their thought processes and helps to identify where the training might be improved. The act of discussing the task as hand also helps to reinforce the correct message to the learner and an oppertunity to ask further questions.
Do you include a strategy for mananging failure in your training? How do you help your trainees toward the learning outcomes? Let us know in the comments below.