Immersive learning technologies help organizations deliver impactful training programs that restore the fun, connection and hands-on learning often missing in remote training environments. Hybrid work has taken over, and a new challenge has emerged for learning and development (L&D) teams to deliver engaging remote learning experiences.
Companies that unlock the potential of immersive learning can create effective training solutions, leading to better employee retention and performance.
What Is Immersive Learning?
Immersive learning uses entirely virtual, simulated environments that engage the senses to provide employees with life-like learning experiences and a safe space to practice their skills. Immersive learning often includes elements of gamification and scenario-based learning.
Some of the most popular immersive learning technologies include:
- 360-degree video.
- Virtual reality (VR).
- Augmented reality (AR).
- Mixed reality (MR).
How Are Companies Using It?
According to PwC’s 2022 U.S. Metaverse Survey, 82% of company executives say immersive technologies will be part of their business activities in the next three years. In addition, 42% will provide onboarding and training with VR. With countless advantages over traditional training methods, VR is used to create more impactful, efficient, and active training experiences.
Bank of America, for example, has trained thousands of its employees in over 4,300 financial centers using VR. The banking giant adopted VR for its training programs in 2021 to deliver life-like customer service training through simulations. The simulations walk employees through difficult customer situations and equip them with the soft skills they need to remain calm and serve clients with empathy.
DB Schenker, one of the world’s leading global logistics providers, trains its manufacturing employees to operate a forklift using VR. Employees can learn how to operate the machinery and the safety precautions before practicing in the real world. With VR training, DB Schenker avoids critical workplace injuries or destruction of property and helps employees ease into operating such large machinery.
Accenture, one of the top consulting firms in the world, built its own VR space for employee training, onboarding and events. The Company transitioned to a remote work model after the COVID-19 pandemic. It now uses VR for onboarding to restore the excitement and connection lost in their new hire programs. Julie Sweet, CEO at Accenture, says, “Really thinking about how you bring the physical and the digital world together differently, we think is the long-term success of how you both engage, attract, and retain employees.”
Why It Works
An Engaging Environment
Learners are four times more focused during VR training than online training. This is the most exciting advantage of VR, as engagement has become a challenge in remote training environments. When your employee puts on a VR headset, they’re completely immersed in a new learning environment. They can’t multitask, read emails or doodle in their notebook. Instead, they’re captivated by VR’s unique sights, sounds and interactive space.
The interactive aspect of VR also creates an active learning experience. It encourages learners to experiment with different outcomes and take ownership of their learning. This high engagement ultimately results in better knowledge retention and a positive training experience.
Building Connections
VR brings a new level of fun and connection to remote teams who may struggle to build camaraderie over video calls or in chat rooms. VR creates a sense of presence, making employees feel in the same room as their co-workers in different corners of the world. The sense of presence generates the same physical and emotional response as in the real world, helping remote team members form strong relationships and collaborate effectively.
A Safe Space to Make Mistakes
Many organizations use VR to give employees a safe space to practice their skills. VR simulations, for example, allow employees to go through realistic scenarios and experiment with various outcomes. The learner can make mistakes and repeat the simulations as many times as needed without the fear or guilt of making mistakes in real life.
New Ways to Measure Learning Impact
VR provides an exciting new way to measure learning impact. Instructors can receive real-time dashboard insights into each learner’s performance. VR analytics can measure progress and repetition, decision-making, voice analysis, eye and body movement, and more. These metrics help instructors assess each learner’s progress and provide individualized feedback.
Best Practices
Now that we understand the exciting ways immersive learning technologies improve corporate training, let’s look at the best practices for leveraging them.
Link to Business Objectives
VR training should be relevant to your larger business objectives and training goals. It’s easy to get caught up in the “wow” factor of VR, but you should leverage its advantages to solve your business problems and close the skills gaps in your workforce.
Start by assessing what skills you want to train and how they will improve your business KPIs. Then, design training experiences tied to those goals. For example, if you want to improve your business’s customer service ratings, you could design simulations of various customer scenarios to help employees navigate emotionally charged situations with professionalism and empathy.
Lean Into the Learning-by-Doing Approach
The adult learning theory states adults retain information better when learning involves life-like experiences. As you design and roll out immersive training experiences, keep the learning-by-doing approach in mind. Ensure that the learning experience stays active, not passive, with elements of gamification, simulations and other interactive experiences that involve skills practice. Embracing the learning-by-doing approach ensures the training material will “stick” and help you avoid scrap learning.
Immersive learning gives employees on-the-job training (OJT) without being on the job. You can leverage this advantage by using VR to train skills that would be difficult or costly in real life, such as safety, customer service, critical thinking and other soft skills.
Evaluate Effectiveness
As with any investment, it’s essential to evaluate the effectiveness of your immersive training programs to ensure you get the most ROI.
You can measure effectiveness by:
- Assessing if the goals you set are met.
- Surveying employees on their training experience.
- Evaluating VR learning metrics.
- Assessing employees’ on-the-job application of new skills.
Mastering immersive learning design is a process and continuous evaluation will help you recognize the improvements you need to make.
Conclusion
Immersive learning helps companies bring their workforce more effective, engaging learning experiences. Leveraging immersive technologies can help you efficiently upskill employees and retain top talent. Companies that invest in impactful L&D technologies such as VR will reap the benefits of a highly engaged and loyal workforce.
