| SkillSoft announced the release of its 100th SkillSim(TM), "Effective Hiring and Interviewing Skills." Designed as complementary learning tools to SkillSoft's business skills courses, SkillSim Business Skills Simulations give learners the opportunity to practice new skills in an experience-rich, risk-free environment.
Other SkillSims released during the current quarter include: "Effective Hiring and Interviewing Skills," "Fundamentals in Business Crisis Management," "Ethics in Business," and "International Communications," "Peformance Appraisals," and "Creating High-Performance and Virtual Teams."
Each SkillSim, designed to take about 30 minutes of time, reinforces key business skills learned in a specific SkillSoft course series. Learners practice these skills by navigating through different scenarios in which they encounter a variety of business problems. As in real life, a learner has the opportunity to select different courses of action, and the scenario "plays out" according to the learner's response. Events such as telephone calls, meetings, and interruptions add to the reality of each scenario. Learners can go through SkillSims in explore mode, which provides detailed feedback on choices, or in score mode, in which choices are scored and maintained as part of the learner record. Structured learners typically take associated courses first and then move to the SkillSims to reinforce and practice new skills. Experiential learners often start with SkillSims and then refer to courses for remediation or more detailed knowledge in problematic areas.
"Our clients like the high interactivity and learning flexibility offered by SkillSims," said Sally Hovis, SkillSoft's director of learning design. "Structured learners typically take associated courses first and then move to the SkillSims to reinforce and practice new skills. Experiential learners often start with SkillSims and then refer to courses for remediation or more detailed knowledge in problematic areas."
"SkillSims take learners beyond the classroom and into their workplace as they face day-to-day challenges. Significant learning takes place over time, when people have an opportunity to reflect, develop and utilize new skillsets," said Maureen McCormack, director of learning and development for University of Iowa. The University of Iowa uses SkillSims for personnel training in areas such as leadership, interpersonal communications, effective feedback, leadership, and change management.
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