The rapid pace of technological advancement in eLearning offers huge potential for businesses to harness the capabilities of immersive technologies, says Mike Todd
Using the likes of interactive video and VR has the ability not only to change the way in which we learn, but also to improve its effectiveness.
Interactive learning is an incredibly effective training method. It leads to higher knowledge retention than in a conventional classroom setting, because of its immersive nature; it stimulates multiple senses, helping the brain to record the activity with more accuracy.
In fact, Ofcom’s latest Technology Futures report highlights that in a traditional educational setting, students remember approximately 30%of what they hear and 20% of what they see. Whereas students remembered 90% of the material they were taught when using VR technology.
The pandemic shift
Immersive learning is a perfectly placed tool for the world in which we currently live in. Businesses have had to shift, at pace, to working remotely, harnessing technology to remain connected.
When it comes to learning and development (L&D), organisations have had to look at new ways to facilitate training programmes to maintain momentum. One of the challenges of working at a distance is ensuring that learning and development can continue. While it’s not currently possible for many organisations to host physical training sessions, regulatory requirements remain unchanged for many sectors and the need to deliver excellent service is ever-present.
As such, it’s unsurprising that EdTech has seen phenomenal growth. A recent study of global patent applications showed a record 2,175 patents for remote learning tech were filed in the 12 months to 30 April 2020.
The pandemic has undoubtedly ramped up the world’s reliance on technology. Whether it’s video conferencing or virtual workspace sharing, many industries have had to become au fait with new technology and now use it day in, day out. Covid-19 has also accelerated the rate of technological development and adoption by global organisations that have taken the opportunity to transform working processes and many look set to leave the traditional ideas of the workplace behind.
Immersive learning comes with the huge added benefits of scalability which can be done at relatively low cost — making it an incredibly accessible training tool for organisations of all shapes and sizes. The investment in the tech itself is not as large as you might think and, once purchased, it can be adapted and rolled out across multiple geographic locations, making it more cost effective than arranging in-person or on-site training.
Another added benefit is the opportunity that immersive tech presents for safe learning. In medical and laboratory-based professions, or jobs that require working in hazardous environments, immersive tech can accurately reflect the sights and sounds of countless work-based scenarios. Furthermore, the programming can be tailored to allow for unexpected consequences of the user’s actions, creating and presenting a new problem or obstacle to overcome – delivered in a completely safe environment.
How has immersive tech evolved?
There are many different kinds of immersive tech available today, from complete headsets to smart glasses. The user can be transported to a highly realistic and interactive training scenario — anything from a medical emergency, to a construction site or an operating theatre. The immersive nature of the training recreates real-world scenarios and environments, making it an excellent method of training delivery.
We live in an increasingly digitalised world, so the technology is already familiar to many of us in one form or another. This means it doesn’t require specialist knowledge to make use of the tech; anyone with a smart phone should be well able to manage the experience.
The beauty of immersive technology is that it’s completely customisable and allows organisations
to design and deliver, cutting-edge, immersive learning scenarios tailored to the needs of the business.
For example, we recently worked with the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) in England to create a virtual dispatcher experience, with the learner playing the role of dispatcher presented with real-time decisions to make around resource allocation. The video was filmed in the NWAS call centre, making it completely authentic, using a mix of real staff and professional actors to play out the scenarios.
This particular training project was created following a change in national guidelines around dispatch priorities, so call handlers were being retrained. The immersive approach allowed them to test their knowledge and explore their decision making in a safe environment.
We have also used our interactive video tool to produce an immersive learning project for the World Health Organisation’s Emergency Medical Teams programme. Based on the WHO’s Blue Book Guidelines, the course will help establish best practice and standards across the international responder community.
With this technology, organisations can easily create 360° and 180° immersive-learning scenarios. It’s a first-of-its-kind authoring tool that uses web VR technology which means learning scenarios don’t require any expensive hardware and can be played through a mobile phone app for effective remote learning – at scale.
What does the future look like?
Tech is evolving all the time but, in this sphere specifically, some of the most exciting developments will come as product development seeks to encompass more senses into the existing immersive experience. Spatial sound technology is already available, but not widely used, while social touch technology – which includes that ‘sixth sense’ that someone or something is nearby – offers incredibly exciting opportunities.
Ofcom’s recent report stated: “Areas that are likely to see increased use of immersive VR for training include medical training, learning manual skills and crafts (such as joinery, carpentry, building constructions, knitting, sewing), as well as learning and practising music, laboratory-based training, and training to work in hazardous environments that involve aspects such as mining, deep sea diving or working with dangerous chemicals.”
This is further evidence that more and more industries are adapting immersive tech into their L&D programmes and that the application of the tech is practically limitless. Immersive tech provides users with the ability to transcend traditional workplace barriers and will help businesses to future-proof their organisations with training scenarios that reflect the real-world environment that learners are likely to face.
