Humans of VR: Christophe Mallet
June 18, 2020
3D learning with virtual reality
June 19, 2020Schools are scrambling. Workplaces are testing. Everyone is worrying.
Of all the things we’re missing out on right now—dinners with friends, nights at the cinema, cheering on the local team—learning shouldn’t be one of them.
As the world begins to understand the gravity of the novel coronavirus, more and more trainers are turning to distance learning technologies to bridge the gap.
The virtual reality market is expected to grow from USD 7.9 billion in 2018 to USD 44.7 billion by 2024. From hospitals to the United Nations, educators and trainers are using the power of Virtual Reality (VR) to provide immersive, storytelling-based experiences to learners.
These experiences can substitute face-to-face learning.
Here are five ways VR improves training:
#MeToo. #BlackLivesMatter. Companies around the world are serving consumers with new, urgent priorities. For example, Fortune 500 companies use VR to help executives understand what it feels like to be different, marginalized, or excluded. The United Nations is taking a similar approach. The ITCILO, the training arm of the International Labour Organization, recently partnered with VR company Equal Reality to offer a learning experience in which participants temporarily live the experience of a person who uses a wheelchair. Studies have shown that people who experience VR are 15% more likely to take action to support inclusion than those who read a story.
The takeawayUse VR to address:
· Sexual harassment
· Racial slurs and microaggressions
· Disability awareness
Fifty-seven percent of global leaders believe that soft skills are more important that hard skills. Creativity, persuasion, and collaboration are trending among hiring managers. If you received a standing ovation in Albert Hall, a concert hall in London, would you feel more confident about your persuasion skills? Companies like Ovation VR guide participants through virtual speeches, provide live feedback, and allow instant replays. Self-representation in a virtual environment can influence our behavior in real life, according to a study at Stanford University.
The takeaway
Use VR to address:
· Negotiation skills
· Situational adaptability
· Communication skills
Quality onboarding makes employees happier. They get to learn about the company and discover how they fit into the larger organizational picture. That’s why, in 2016, the ITCILO’s Learning Innovation team created the Maritime Virtual Tour. The 360-degree experience guides labour inspectors through a virtual ship. Immersive employee onboarding is becoming the new normal.
The takeaway
Use VR to address:
· Orientations
· Town hall meetings
· Job training
· Workplace tours
During health emergencies, VR is a unique tool. The spread of the novel coronavirus and the response from some countries (in addition to the WHO guidelines) have created a challenge for trainers and educators. In other contexts, medical students use VR to simulate surgeries, without risking contamination, and fire departments in Australia and the United States use the technology to train firefighters, without damaging the environment.
The takeaway
Use VR to address:
· Emergency-preparedness scenarios
· Safety trainingb
· Training in dangerous or remote environments
VR stimulates innovation. Freed from the constraints of the physical world, learners can experiment with ideas in virtual ones. The UN’s Refugee Commission has developed a VR platform for Syrian children to rebuild famous structures in Aleppo. During a humanitarian crisis, it is important to nurture a sense of hope and creativity.
The takeaway
Use VR to address:
· Brainstorming
· Games
Now is the time to embark on a VR journey.
“Headsets and apps have become 10 times cheaper over the past 10 years,” according to Tom Wambeke, chief of the Learning Innovation team at the ITCILO. “VR training is now an appealing alternative, or complement to, more conventional training options.”
The ITCILO is the training arm of the International Labour Organization. Its Learning Innovation team provides learning and training solutions powered by VR and gamification.