The Art of Simulation: An Innovative Approach to Training
Simulation-based training is widely used in fields such as aviation, the military and even medicine. Who would have thought that simulation could also be applied to driving school? DriveWise CEO, Lesley de Repentigny, did.
During her career as an Air Traffic Control Officer in the Canadian Forces, she developed her passion for high-level simulation training. This led her to hold senior management positions for a world-leading aerospace training company, Adacel. In 2004, her career would come full circle when she would decide to open a driving school with one interesting quirk: driving simulators.
Since then, DriveWise has been offering a dynamic approach to driver education. Not only do students experience both in-class and in-car instruction, but our programs incorporate interactive learning techniques and allow students to drive on a simulator well before they hit the road.
Research shows that students are more likely to remember what they’re taught through hands-on practice. In other words, the best way to learn how to drive is by actually driving! With that said, getting behind the wheel is a high-risk activity that requires a certain degree of experience that new drivers don’t typically start out with. This is why DriveWise considers simulation-based training to be so vital to the process of training new drivers.
It’s a powerful technology that allows students to experience risky situations without being put directly in harm’s way. Simulation demonstrates the consequences of unsafe driving behaviours – something many people unfortunately only learn once. This way, when our students get behind the wheel, they know exactly what their responsibilities are as a driver and what can happen when the rules of the road are not respected.
The scenarios that students are given can be directly targeted towards their learning needs. Instructors can simulate almost any weather condition, including heavy snowfall, fog, slippery roads and strong winds. Simulations can also be made during both day and night and they’re even able to surprise students with other drivers, hidden pedestrians, and daring cyclists. It’s through these scenarios that students learn to drive defensively and watch for hazards.
It’s through our versatile drivers training program that students not only acquire important knowledge and skill from using simulators, but they also tend to be more active in their own learning experience. Simulators and interactive classrooms tend to increase participation rates and learner retention, ensuring that students tune in to their lessons and leave our doors ready to drive. This is the DriveWise way: not only do we use simulations to prepare new drivers for their test but also to prepare them for a lifetime of safe driving.
