Game could make training more fun for feds

Learning new management and development skills can be tough but there's no reason it can't be fun.

That's the idea behind Winning the Training Game, which uses gamification to teach organizations about topics like operational ethics, diversity and inclusion and wellness in the workplace, among others.

FWD think is now crafting federal versions of the games — in which teams make their way around a large board answering questions for play money — starting with one centered on agile development. The Army National Guard has plans to hold sessions in early June and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is working through the final stages of securing funding to hold their own sessions.

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Attendees at the 2015 Management of Change conference in Cambridge, Md., got a chance to try out the agile game during a session on May 18. Participants gave the game mixed reviews, though everyone said they learned something from the unique format.

"After people leave one of our sessions they're usually full of energy and talking about what they just learned," said Susan Burton, Winning the Training Game marketing consultant. "Versus when they come out of a PowerPoint presentation," which can often leave employees feeling tired and tuned out.

Players at the May 18 session — which included a mix of industry and federal employees — clearly had fun playing the game and said they enjoyed the collaborative aspect of working in teams to answer the questions.

"You don't feel pressured to know every answer because you have teammates backing you up," said one participant, noting the collaboration was particularly useful for a game on agile development, which was new to her.

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Another said her lack of knowledge made the game particularly difficult and felt as though she would have learned more if she had been more familiar with the topic before going in. For learning a brand new skill, she would have preferred a traditional slideshow presentation or questions that weren't as specific.

"It was very focused on agile and I have more of a program management background," she explained. "I would have gotten more out of it if I had more subject matter knowledge."

That sentiment was reflected by others with a stronger background in agile, who tended to be more involved and were more likely to say they learned something from playing the game.

While the format and questions should be tailored to the group, doing training in an interactive and engaging — and sometime competitive — environment is proven to be more effective.

"We learn best in an environment that's relaxed and where we have the ability to collaborate," said Jason Sutton, one of the game facilitators. "The board game … is going to help foster those discussions, it's going to be a foundation that gives everybody an equal opportunity to collaborate and have their input, so we'll be able to walk out of here with a deeper understanding of what's going on in industry."

FWD think has done three demo sessions at events sponsored by ACT-IAC (including MOC) since October and is looking to get the games included on federal contract vehicles like IT Schedule 70 and 18F's agile BPA.

More games targeted to the federal sector are in development, as well, said Rabiah Sutton, CEO and founder of FWD think, including one focused on cybersecurity.

About Aaron Boyd

Aaron Boyd is an awarding-winning journalist currently serving as editor of Federal Times — a Washington, D.C. institution covering federal workforce and contracting for more than 50 years — and Fifth Domain — a news and information hub focused on cybersecurity and cyberwar from a civilian, military and international perspective.