Some occupations require from its representatives achieving a certain level of hands-on experience, before starting to perform the actual job. Yet, the quality of the traditional professional skills training is strongly limited by many unavoidable obstacles, such as:
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the inability to provide the safe environment for gaining experience in activities that would have been difficult to learn otherwise (i.e., realistic heights training, operating heavy machinery, performing a surgery)
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the inability to recreate the significant risks at work in the training environment (i.e., the gas leak, hazardous material spills, or explosion)
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the necessity of turning off the machinery for training repair of heavy equipment, which could cause a massive downtime
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the inability to show the consequences of the risky behaviour, including the fatal ones (i.e.a fall from a height)
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the increased cost of staff training, which have to travel to a training centre every few months
Virtual Reality trainings overcome those issues as a tool able to fully immerse the trainee into the digital simulation of lifelike workplace scenarios specific to the role, by bringing them closer to the real-world experiences without exposing them to real-world dangers.
What’s important, immersive technology allows for on-the-job training without downtime for the company or danger to the employee and co-workers.
VR for training
How does the VR for training work?
We learn by doing, so simulations that let us experience scenarios help us learn and remember better. According to the STRIVR, learners retain 75% of what they are taught, compared to a 10% retention rate from reading or listening to a presentation. The immersive technology provides hands-on experiences that allow for better learning outcomes.
Thanks to its immersive capabilities, many organizations are making use of VR as a safety training tool. By being able to create realistic scenarios specific to the role, they formulate all types of customized VR trainings that may not have been possible otherwise.
These incidents can be tailored to replicate any potential work hazards, so that employers can also analyse users’ stress levels and problem solving skills. Each one can be repeated, and randomized as often as needed, exposing the workers to a thousand of hours of lifelike situations.
How does the VR for training work?
When combined with the story narratives and advanced learning curriculum developed by subject experts, the result is trainees learning in the best way possible — through personal experience — significantly improving learning retention, job performance, team collaboration, workplace safety, and cost.
Another advantage of VR in training is that the employer can receive measurable data on each employee’s performance with the ability to set benchmarks and analyse the progress an individual has made over time. As a result, employees can receive immediate feedback on their performance and be set targets to work towards, allowing them to implement what they have learnt at a much faster rate.
Why is VR for training beneficial?
With the ability to transport users to realistic, risk-reduced work scenarios, employees can learn the skills and procedures attached to the role whilst also being actively engaged in the learning process.
Immersive simulations that provide authentic and safe experiences not only help prepare employees for their jobs, but they also free up workers who would have to provide the training.
Advanced headsets with controllers enable the user to involve themselves completely in the scenario, rather than just being a passive observer. The learning experience becomes a more enjoyable, engaging and, ultimately, memorable process.
Let your team experience what a real life emergency would entail and how they ought to react whilst staying in a controlled and safe environment.
The goal of the VR training is to create realistic workplace experiences and allow employees to take risks while working in demanding environments. Not surprisingly, some first industries that committed to using virtual reality for job training include healthcare and aviation, but VR is branching out into retail, hospitality and other industries
Different types of VR for training
VR for health care
Virtual reality allows patients to completely immerse themselves in the designed experiences, reducing the chronic pain, phobias and anxiety symptoms. It is also commonly used in training of medical staff, which could now learn and practice in the fully interactive, yet very realistic, environment without putting the lives at risk.
