Immersive learning offers an opportunity to learn skills more easily and in environments that could resemble real life, but it offers more than that, including increased satisfaction, engagement and self-efficacy. In fact, immersive environments may decrease anxiety and boost confidence. However, immersive learning also requires that a learner’s mindset is conducive to receiving and remembering new information. Let’s review some of the aspects of learners’ mindsets that can get in the way of effective immersive learning.

Mindset Factors That Disrupt Immersive Learning

Stress and overwhelm: Even mild stress can decrease conscious self-control. As a result, neural circuits shut down and mental paralysis can set in. Rather than learning new ways of doing things, people are more likely to stick to their old habits, sometimes without realizing this. While a certain amount of stress can improve attention and learning, stress can also decrease both, thereby compromising the benefits of immersive learning.

Worry: While general overwhelm and stress can disrupt learning, so can specific aspects of anxiety. Worry and rumination, the constant thinking about disturbing situations in personal relationships, prior mistakes, negative experiences and conversations or social interactions, are quite common. One study showed that 21% of people cannot stop doing this. This can make it difficult to recall training.

Inability to focus: Globally, about 5% of the workforce has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), though in the US, this may be higher. Not being able to focus, even in an immersive environment, can take a toll on a person’s learning as new information is likely to be missed.

Feeling paralyzed by work: Sometimes people feel paralyzed by their work, and new learning is not welcome. At other times, people have analysis paralysis and avoid doing anything.

Hopelessness: When people are in a state of despair, it’s difficult to focus on learning. Also, when people lack a growth mindset, even an immersive environment may not be able to improve their ability to learn.

Solutions

Do not assume that immersive environments improve learning for everyone. People who are overwhelmed, worried, unfocused, tense, paralyzed or hopeless may find it difficult to learn, even in an immersive environment.

Encourage a growth mindset and possibility thinking, so that people are open to the possibility of learning and benefitting from new things. Workload matters in an immersive environment, as heavy workloads can cause stress, thereby impacting learning. Encourage positive relationships among learners, as people are more likely to learn if they are in a positive relational environment.

At Reulay, we have partnered with immersive learning companies like the leading enterprise virtual reality (VR) platform provider that has worked with Fortune 1000 companies including Bank of America, Verizon, MGM and Walmart to improve learning by offering science-backed, VR-based solutions designed to address the factors above. Simply spending 5-10 minutes in an environment that addresses this can have a significant positive impact. Our research at the Mayo Clinic demonstrated that 10 minutes in a relaxing VR environment can improve anxiety, emotional distress and focus.

However, for different people, the stressors will be different, and some people may worry, while others may lack focus. These solutions should be personalized to address the anxiety challenges of a specific learner.

Conclusion

Learning does not happen automatically just because it is immersive. Anxiety, worry, inattention, tension, paralysis and lack of a growth mindset must all be addressed for learning to be optimal.