Making training and practice real

Making training as close to real and the practice that follows as close to real as possible ultimately brings about a more meaningful and more effective learning experience. If done well it transcends learning and becomes experience. This article describes how officers are trained by spraying pepper spray into their eyes. That is pretty close to real. I’ll bet you don’t forget that experience. I know you don’t as I watched Australian Customers officers do the same training a few years ago while I was on site running another type of training. The experience stuck with me as I am sure it did to the officers who were sprayed. How can you make your training and practice closer to real life? What would it take? Would it be more effective.