The future of training and education could live in the metaverse. The convenience of virtual formats, combined with the effectiveness of hands-on experience and personal interaction, means walking the best of both worlds. This blog ventures into the metaverse to explore how virtual reality-based learning paves the way for skill-building success.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), also known under the umbrella term “extended reality” (XR), can elevate the way enterprises deliver training—bringing both excitement and uncertainty. And they bring a lot of questions, too:
- What are the best applications for XR-fueled training?
- What will these training solutions look like?
- How will they be implemented? And what will they replace?
The answers might not be immediately available, but it’s time for organizations to envision how XR-enabled training could help meet urgent training needs—particularly in this climate of talent shortages and skills gaps.
XR, remote learning, eLearning—what’s the difference?
You may be familiar with virtual training options, like remote learning (for example, virtual instructor-led training [VILT]) and eLearning that have become popular in the digital age, but XR takes things a step further with a truly immersive experience.
Rather than joining a video call or watching a pre-recorded lecture for a virtual learning option, XR emulates what it would be like to be in a conference room with your colleagues, or what it’s like to be handling real hardware. This immersion takes the learning opportunity one step beyond—creating an experience that is valuable for both the learner and the organization.
XR is much more than gaming and NFTs
The scope of uses for XR is much wider than it’s ever been. Extended reality has become an accessible, affordable, and approachable option for organizations that want to elevate the delivery of training and other learning solutions.
Don’t let those sci-fi-esque headsets intimidate you—XR technology is more approachable than it seems. While the external perception may be that XR is primarily for avid gamers and tech enthusiasts, XR is really for anyone and everyone, including those seeking flexible, practical learning solutions. Here’s why.
It’s cost effective. As XR solutions are becoming more accessible, cost is much less a barrier than before, making it a practical solution for many enterprises. Consider the cost of flying out an instructor to deliver on-site training, versus having them meet your learners in a virtual environment. Both experiences deliver hands-on learning and interactive approaches, but XR solutions provide an immersive and realistic environment for learners to step up their skill building. And the immersive, hands-on nature of XR amps up the learning experience even beyond traditional virtual learning approaches (such as VILT). Done on a larger scale, VR-led learning is the most cost-effective way of learning. Performed at a scale of 3,000 learners, VR learning costs become 52% less than learning done in a classroom, according to a PwC study.
It works. With XR training methods, skills are learned faster, and are retained longer than other training delivery methods—building confidence and performance among learners. In the PwC study, 40% of learners using virtual reality-based methods saw an improvement in confidence compared to classroom learners, and 35% improvement over eLearners to act on what they learned after training in VR. That means better ROI on your organization’s training strategy.
It’s inclusive. XR is inherently inclusive by design—learners receive high-quality training without having to think about physical or geographical restrictions. This is particularly useful for worldwide organizations and geographically dispersed teams who face challenges and significant expense to accommodate people across the globe. You can worry less about the logistics of training and focus more on the actual learning.
It’s fun. There are a lot of benefits of XR training as we outlined here, but at the end of the day, XR is just plain fun. It’s exciting and engaging. And according to neuroscience studies on learning cited in Educational Leadership magazine, the novelty of a new experience (like XR) actually promotes information transmission through the reticular activating system of the brain—put simply, a fun new learning method makes information stick. How cool is that?
What does XR in action look like?
When the focus of XR is on solving real-world problems, the results are impressive. Let’s take a closer look at how XR can be used to address your organization’s pain points and enhance learning opportunities.
Let’s say you, or your customer, needs to get workers skilled in a specialized area. XR technology brings learning content to workers easily and instantaneously.
Wearable AR (for instance, AR glasses like Google Glass) enhances training by “embellishing” what you see/hear/experience to create learning opportunities in real time. For example, you can overlay information from a manual onto the lens while the worker is using equipment in an industrial environment, creating a truly immersive learning experience. Learners get all the benefits of hands-on learning without any risk to your business or your actual equipment.
Certain skill-building areas are a perfect match for XR delivery methods, like how to install hardware or how to fix a power line. They’ll be much more effective in the metaverse because of the hands-on nature of the task and the need for the instructor (or peers) to actually view what you are doing. Touching hardware, pushing buttons, and anything else with a physical, hands-on component is a great fit for a XR-based training.
Even soft skills (or “power skills”) have XR training potential—collaboration, critical thinking, and problem solving, just to name a few.
A note on XR and sustainability
An unintended but important benefit of extended reality is the connection to sustainability initiatives. Sustainability is a term that’s creating buzz, and consumers are paying close attention to what enterprises are doing, or failing to do, to create sustainable solutions in all areas of the organization.
XR-based training provides an opportunity for skills to be built in a way that is inherently sustainable: no substantial travel, no fuel burned, no huge conference rooms or office spaces wasted, but still a big educational impact with real, measurable results.
Want to experience the latest in education and training technology? HPE Education Services offers extended reality as one of our training delivery methods through HPE MyRoom. With HPE MyRoom, a 3D user interface allows users with wearables to be in the same virtual conference room, viewing a 3D model of the technology.
KristinaLechuga
I am an HPE Education Services Marketing and Social Media Specialist with a love for all things creative. I love marketing especially because I get to combine storytelling with an analytical approach to create exciting content. I'm an avid reader, painter, and music lover.
