We should include a new term in our vocabularies: V-learning. There was no doubt that the CoR would significantly impact corporate education thanks to improvements in learning and cost-effectiveness. But as it turns out, the introduction of V-learning has also been accelerated by the current situation of COVID-19.
To clarify what we mean from the start, we are not talking about video education, courses on Zoom platforms, or other forms of e-learning.
Virtual reality is a digitally created world into which, thanks to special virtual glasses, we can fully immerse ourselves and interact with it. It is said that direct experience leads to the most vital memory footprint, specifically what VR has to offer.
Soft Skills and VR? Of course!
Soft skills (a.k.a. Essential skills) are just as crucial for career success as knowledge in a specific field. However, communication courses aren’t always understandable to everyone and sometimes it’s difficult to put what we learn into practice.
V-learning significantly narrows the knowing-doing gap, or increases the ability to use what we have learned and translate it into daily practice.
V-learning participants are 275% more confident in what they have learned. They acquire the necessary skills four times faster and have four times greater attention during training than e-learning or classroom students. They are almost four times more emotionally involved in the practice of the practice than in other teaching types, which is a significant factor influencing the ability to retain information.
Last but not least, V-learning is 52-64% more cost-effective than e-learning. This practical experience is confirmed by a detailed study PWC (The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Soft Skills Training in the Enterprise, 2019)
Pieces of training – the best are tailor-made
Virtual reality is all about preparing tailor-made training. Whether it is a presentation or interaction with the audience, rehearsal of an evaluation interview, conflict management, or media training, it is best to start from the company’s specific situation, the level of employees, and the expected goal.
This kind of training is suitable for both individual training or a group. In the beginning, there should be agreement about the desired result, or what is to be improved by the training. Because it focuses on the company’s specific needs, a scenario is prepared that most faithfully copies reality: expected situations, the most common arguments, examples of aggressive communication, unexpected reactions, etc.
During the training, the participant puts on a VR headset. A trainer who sees both the training environment on his computer and the client’s real reactions modifies the training course and the level of his difficulty. Software analyzes and evaluates the parameters of communication while the trainer provides feedback for improvement, and another module can focus on new areas or anchoring the acquired skills.
In addition to essential skills, working with fears and managing stress has recently become a sought-after topic. If you are afraid of heights, spiders, or making decisions, or you are so scared of failure, virtual reality is also an ideal training environment. In safety and privacy, we can face our fears and gradually learn to manage them.
Advantages of VR for distance learning
Companies confirm that when the possibilities of full-time education are significantly limited, and many employees already spend hours on Skype, Zoom, or other platforms, they are quite reluctant to learn online.
The solution, again, is V-learning. Not only does this education-style have high efficiency but also dissociation from reality plays an important role for many today.
And what about distance learning? It’s simple. The training is prepared in the same way as for a classroom meeting. The company (participant) will then receive complete hardware equipment, which, based on detailed instructions, should be very simple to operate. At the agreed-upon time, the lecturer connects from his facility and guides the participants through the training. The only condition for implementing these training pieces is connecting to a stable internet (the speed at the LTE level).
The popularity of VR-learning abroad is growing, but modern Czech companies are already recognizing its benefits. Robert Bosch, Wotan Forest, Albert, GPN, DFK Group, E.ON, and the Ministry of Agriculture are just some of them. They all confirm that, because virtual reality draws participants into the action and they naturally start behaving the same as in a real situation, virtual training can be a transformational tool with a significant lasting effect.
