10 Dec Virtual Reality for Training

Companies are taking notice of virtual reality for training and it’s proving to be an effective way to teach new employees and upskill current workers. In fact, 45% of companies surveyed said virtual reality simulations are either important or critical to achieving their business goals over the next 18 to 24 months.¹

Businesses that integrate VR into their training curriculum do so for a multitude of reasons. The most common among them include saving time and money, preventing workplace injuries, and setting their employees up for success on the job. Below are additional benefits of VR training to consider when determining if it’s the right solution for your company.  

Retention Rate  

We create fully rendered environments to allow trainees to interact with the virtual world just like they would in the real world. Virtual reality simulations are active experiences that we can program to have interaction points. Retention and recall rates after experiencing a scenario in VR have surpassed traditional training techniques. Recall after performing a VR simulation is at 90%, with video being the next highest at 70%.²

It has lasting benefits, too. The retention rate one year after training with VR is at 80%, compared to 20% after one week of traditional classroom training.³

Engagement 

One study found that participants spent a longer amount of time in the VR training simulation performing a process than it would normally take them in the physical world. When the researchers who conducted the study looked more closely at the reason people were spending more time, they found that it was because the participants enjoyed the VR simulation so much so that they were performing the simulation multiple times.⁴

When a person puts on a headset we have 100% of their attention and we can control what they are seeing in their environment. This helps to remove obvious distractions but it also allows us to provide additional information to assist in the learning process. The experience can be catered to their level of expertise in a Crawl-Walk-Run progression. For instance, at the beginning of the training program, individuals can go through a guided experience with prompts and assistance to learn the proper steps to take. As they become more comfortable we can turn off the guides and offer limited assistance. Once they feel fully confident we can test their knowledge by removing all assistance and randomizing the scenarios that they encounter. We keep people engaged at each step by continuing to challenge them.

Reduced Risk 

Hands-on experience is necessary during the learning process, but trainees can feel intimidated when stepping up to the controls their first time. In a split second, something can go wrong and it may be difficult for the instructor to regain control of the situation. Confidence is key when operating a piece of machinery and the best way to gain confidence is by walking through the steps and creating muscle memory. To reduce the risk of something going wrong when a first-timer operates a machine, we advise putting them through a virtual reality simulation where nothing can physically hurt them if a step is performed out of order. People start to pick up the process and feel comfortable with the location of the controls. When they step up to the real machine, they know exactly which buttons to push and which levers to pull.

Simulating Stress 

Virtual reality can evoke emotions that aren’t usually felt in a traditional classroom training experience. For instance, we can make users feel a sense of urgency and train on how to navigate a dangerous situation under pressure. While traditional power points may be quickest to introduce trainees to processes, putting it into practice in a realistic setting where they can gain muscle memory is essential to ensuring success in the field.

Reduced Downtime  

Machines are expensive and it can be costly to shut down an entire operation to train a group of new employees. When training in virtual reality there is no wear and tear on the physical equipment and operations can resume as normal during this phase of training. In one case study, there was a 30-40% reduction of expenses (material, gas, and power) when using VR for welding training.⁵

With virtual reality training, we can teach workers how to perform tasks in a cost-effective way that won’t put them in harm’s way.

Interested in learning how VR can benefit your business? Contact us to schedule a time to talk one-on-one.