We first came up with the idea of attempting to improve the quality of novice driver training after reading story after story about young drivers losing their lives due to loss of control issues.

With backgrounds in the automotive industry, computer technology, and adult learning processes, we developed the DrivingMBA programs to significantly accelerate the acquisition of “experience” through the use of high quality driving simulators while employing adult learning techniques.

Experiential learning is generally considered vastly superior to traditional classroom methods of imparting knowledge. Learning by doing has a much higher retention rate compared to more traditional methods of reading, lecture or video presentations.

Both levels of our simulators (we use two different ones) incorporate a cab configuration that matches an actual vehicle to the extent practicable. Simply sitting at a computer screen, even when using gaming controls for steering and acceleration/braking, does not compare to actually using automotive controls with a close reproduction of the seating and dashboard controls encountered in a real vehicle.

Naysayers refer to the simulators as “video games”, but studies have shown a high degree of learning transfer takes place when the simulation device is close to the “real” thing. If this were not the case, why would the airline industry require (and spend so much on) simulator training for pilots?

Over the next several posts, we will describe the many reasons why high-fidelity simulators are actually superior learning tools when compared with traditional novice driver training methods.