How Could Gaming Change the Future of Collision Repair Training? by Chasidy Rae Sisk
“Do we need to look differently at how we approach training and education?” asked Jeff Peevy, I-CAR’s vice president of technical products, programs and services, during the July 22 CIECAST webinar. “The momentum of change today is so much greater than it ever has been. The way we’ve always thought and approached building training content, the collection of information and how we can simulate that into training and information has to be rethought, reinvented because of the speed at which it’s coming at us.” Before launching into “Technology’s Impact on the Future of Training: Welcome to the Gamer Culture,” Peevy briefly described I-CAR’s role within the collision repair inter-industry, as well as its vision that “every person in the collision repair industry has the information, knowledge and skills required to perform complete, safe and quality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer.”
Giving a shoutout to I-CAR’s collaboration and coaching one aninstructional design team, Peevy other, rather than the Boomer genemphasized I-CAR’s interest in col- eration, which was accustomed to laborating with the industry: “Col- adult coaches telling us what to do.” laboration is in our DNA.” Gamers are more comfortable Addressing technology’s im- making quick decisions and taking pact on people as individrisks; things are always uals, Peevy explored the easy in the gaming world, impact of electronic-based but they’re ultimately degames on youth during their signed for success. They formative years. Based on enjoy being heroes, but it’s a study conducted by Cogimportant to realize games teach them to avoid bosses, nitive Science Magazine, so Peevy encouraged shop people retain 10% of what Jeff Peevy owners and managers to they read, 30% of what they “be more of a strategy guide than a hear and 70% of what they do. “As trainers in this industry, if traditional boss.” we don’t recognize this, we’re going Additional ways gamers’ mindsets vary from older generations to miss the boat,” Peevy said. He pointed out the difference include being more flexible, being gaming creates in the younger gen- able to better move between tasks erations’ mindsets: “When things and being better at stepping outside go bad in a game, you hit the reset their own perspective to see situbutton; you can always start over. In ations from someone else’s viewthe real world, Boomers are devas- point. tated by a layoff, but the gamer gen- The gamer generation also exerations bounce back quicker―they pects life to be fun. simply reset and move on. They’re “Attention is the scarcest realso used to relying on peer support, source in the world,” Peevy quoted
from “The Attention Economy,” by Thomas Davenport and John Beck. “Everything must be more engaging and entertaining in order to keep gamers’ attention.” Using data gathered by the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), which shows the average technician age is 41, Peevy noted traditional gamers range in age from under 21 up to 51. The introduction of games on smartphones enhanced exposure to older and younger people as well. “Almost everyone, at some level, are playing games, and it may not have a direct influence on how we approach training, but it certainly should be something that we consider.” According to Peevy, technology impacts training approaches by making new demands to meet users’ training and learning needs. “Training needs to involve decisions, be entertaining and be fun. It must be relevant, engaging and challenging, though doable. It would be beneficial to build training that
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