Up until recently the adoption of Virtual Reality (VR) technology for training has been limited to big-budget organisations. However, with new developments in VR hardware and the growth of affordable content libraries, we are now seeing many organisations start to implement VR within their training curriculums.
VR is just one of a number of immersive learning tools at the disposal of organisations learning and development teams. The other key immersive learning technologies are Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality. All have their place but it is VR that is currently leading the way for training. If you haven’t yet made the leap into immersive learning this article looks at some of the reasons why its now time to consider VR.
What are the challenges organisations face with training?
The world of work is constantly changing and every organisation and industry has its own unique needs and challenges. These challenges can include:
- How to create a realistic environment for practice and knowledge transfer.
- Maintaining learners attention.
- Implementing training across geographically dispersed teams.
- Ensuring knowledge retention and application back in the workplace.
- Allowing learners to control their development – any time any place.
- Managing costs whilst delivering greater value.
- Ensuring consistency.
These challenges can’t always be solved by traditional approaches to training. Immersive learning offers a range of features and benefits that can help L&D teams meet the needs of the modern workplace.
What are some of the key benefits of immersive learning?
Improved Training Effectiveness:
VR offers realistic, engaging and repeatable practice and assessment experiences that have been shown to deliver significant improvements over traditional training. These include:
- Improvements in job performance of greater than 70%
- Increases in learning retention of up to 80%
- 40-60% reductions in the time needed to train compared to traditional training methods.
- The ability to maintain training continuity against a backdrop of changing social distancing requirements.
VR training has been shown to be more effective than conventional training sessions, with learners retaining significantly more of their training session experiences. Because the VR training environment is a wholly immersive experience, learners are less distracted, boosting learning and retention even higher.
According to a study by the National Training Laboratory, VR is by far the most effective learning tool for the future. Retention rates via lecture-based training ranked at 5%; reading rates at 10%, but VR had a retention rate of 75%.
Better trained staff, more able to perform in their roles, deliver productivity and improve business outcomes creating significant value for an organisation.
Saving Time & Money:
The implementation of VR into training can provide significant savings on the time taken to train staff. VR implemented effectively can provide an organisation with the opportunity to reduce travel or training duration. Australia’s largest telecommunications industry employer has achieved a more than 50% reduction in the direct time required to complete accredited training. A fully digital solution using VR provides a reduction in indirect travel and time and costs normally associated with employees travelling to and from training venues.
Because VR training offers all learners access to the same learning experience, consistency and efficiency are enhanced organization-wide, regardless of location or time zone.
Maintaining Training Continuity:
With VR, learners can experience practical, hands-on training in a virtual environment, anytime any place, with minimal interference to productivity. This approach not only provides flexibility for delivery but also offers a unique way to ensure the continuation of training compliance during the sort of disruptions we have seen in recent years due to COVID.
Blending immersive learning with other traditional training delivery modes such as virtual or face to face classroom training or eLearning allows VR to be targeted where it is most valuable, enabling learners to practice, simulate scenarios or undertake assessments. At a time of uncertainly VR provides the opportunity for learners to continue to develop their skills in a safe and realistic manner.
Finding your VR Why!
Finding your use case is the key first step in considering the implementation of VR. Think about a training outcome that isn’t being effectively met by your current solution. Is there an opportunity for VR to help meet that need?
JBHXR- Helping organisations achieve their VR Why!
JBHXR’s focus is to support organisations to leverage the power of immersive learning to drive learner engagement and deliver better outcomes. Our end to end solution for demystifies VR providing:
- Access to an extensive range of baseline content.
- A cloud-based delivery platform to seamlessly manage learners and content.
- VR development capability to customise content to fit your needs.
- Access to a range of cost-effective hardware options from all the major brands.
- Flexible pricing options to suit all business budgets.
Implementing VR doesn’t mean throwing out your existing content. Reusing existing learning methods, and integrating them with VR makes it possible to build more effective adaptive and impactful training programs. For example, integrating VR practice simulations to test and solidify knowledge and skills can occur as part of a face-to-face or social distance virtual classroom blends.
If you have identified your VR Why but are unsure how to get started, reach out to start a conversation and kick off your organisation’s immersive learning journey.