From knowledge to skill: practical learning with game simulations

Part 33 in the series " revisited”

Successfully implementing a new way of working requires more than just knowing terminology and procedures. Employees must experience what the new approach delivers for customers and for their own work.

An example of this is Hands-on ITIL – a training program that we developed because traditional training mainly focuses on knowledge (the what and why), while application in practice also requires skills such as process awareness, process-based work, customer-oriented work and collaboration.

MainPort as the core
In the MainPort simulation, participants work in a realistic service management environment. Under time pressure, they solve recognizable incidents and bottlenecks, make decisions and immediately experience the consequences. This is done in several rounds, so that insights are always deepened and linked to ITIL principles.

Advantages of this approach:

🔹Direct practical experience: participants experience for themselves how ITIL processes work together
Sterk strong customer perspective :the simulation makes visible what decisions mean for customer satisfaction
🔹Motivating and activating: learning by doing increases engagement and stimulates application in your own organization
🔹Insight into coherence: participants see how processes influence each other and what role communication plays
Van from island to collaboration: breaks silos and encourages a collaborative, business approach

Programme design: simulation, practice and theory
- MainPort practice day (8 hours)
Introduction and application of ITIL principles in simulation. The learning cycle is repeated several times for maximum learning efficiency.

- Online learning environment (average 16 hours of self-study)
Deepening the theory linked to simulation experiences, with social learning and online coach.

What does it yield?

Participants develop knowledge (the what and why), but also:
🔹Process awareness: know the different processes and their coherence
🔹Process-based Working: be able to recognize roles, goals and responsibilities
Werken working together: understanding the 'bigger picture' and their contribution to team goals
KL customer-oriented work: understand that their work is aimed at creating value for the customer

Why does this work?
With this combination of simulation, practice and theory, participants not only gain knowledge, but also the skills and insights to apply this in their work. They experience why the principles work before studying the theory – which greatly increases motivation and understanding.

Do you recognize this? How do you ensure that knowledge is actually applied?

Next time: individual and relational problems in game simulations

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