Virtual Reality, the new and exciting trend that is sweeping the world, is being applied in some very interesting ways. Most interesting (to us) is the applications for Virtual Reality in the training and skills development world, specifically in Health and Safety Training.
Following reviews of several programmes and, the development and delivery of a Fire Safety programme, we wanted to share the top 5 benefits of using this game changing technology.
1. VR makes training more visual than any other method
Learning and developing skills is a very visually intensive process that requires us to observe and process a huge amount of information. As we can see from the name of one of the major players in the VR market, Oculus, which literaly means ‘a round or eye-like opening or design’ Virtual Reality is all about visualisation.
The safety training world has continuously looked for new ways to make training more visual, with the use of videos, images and E-Learning technologies, to engage learners as much as possible by appealing to their visual senses. However, with VR, the visualisation that learners will experience when undertaking training will be like nothing ever experienced before in a training course.
2. VR is cost effective
So, it’s fair to say that VR has changed significantly in the last few years. What was a futuristic technology, available to only the deep pocketed multi nationals and the military, is now an affordable option for all. While still in its infancy, the new affordability of high quality VR hardware has and will continue to drive the development of ever more engaging content sand training solutions. With the technology being comparatively priced to other training solutions such as E-Learning programmes or instructor led training sessions, we will certainly see VR being adopted by more and more organisations as part of their training approach.
3. VR is a safe way to train
Safety is clearly the main concern of anyone working in this industry and, we all know the great lengths organisations go to to reduce and avoid accidents. With VR Health and Safety Training offering a 100% risk free environment for learners to practice practical skills in simulations of high risk environments, e.g. incidences of fire, working at heights etc., this solution is clearly attractive to those of us in Health and Safety.
4. VR enables agile learning
Another hot trend in 2018 is agile working, empowering employees to work flexibly, in a way that suits them, to increase efficiency and productivity. With the introduction of E-Learning over the last decade or so, ‘Agile Learning’ has been an increasing occurrence in organisations. Now with E-Learning, effectively becoming V-Learning we can only see this trend continuing to gain momentum in the coming years.
5. VR increases retention and performance
There are numerous examples of scientific studies that demonstrate the huge capabilities that Virtual Reality training has on the retention and performance of learners. For example, this Chinese study, on the impact of VR on academic performance, detailed how students learn astrophysics concepts. The study tested knowledge assimilation immediately after the course and knowledge retention two weeks on from that, with astounding results! The study showed that the students exposed to the VR learning environment performed significantly better on both tests than those students who received the course in the traditional way, scoring on average 27.4% higher immediately after learning and 32.4% better two weeks later. Additionally, students who were underperforming in the traditional learning environment actually excelled in the VR environment, achieving 15.8% better on average than the highest performing students in the traditional environment.
One thing is certain when it comes to Virtual Reality training, things are developing at an exponential rate. There is astronomical amounts of money being invested into it, there are some of the smartest people in the world working on it and pretty soon, it’s going to be in your place of work and in your training rooms. This may be as a turn key training solution or part of a blended learning programme, with instructor led elements and VR practical skills. With the results that have been seen from some VR training programmes, we can’t wait to see the future this is going to shape for the safety training industry and how we can use this technology to protect workforces better than ever before.
Interested in finding our more about VR Safety Training?
Certified Skills delivers Fire Safety Training Courses with a Virtual Reality practical skills module. Delivered by actively serving Firefighters, these courses provide learners with a truly engaging training course, with the addition of being able to practice the skills they have learnt in a safe and immersive environment.
If you would like further information about this or any of the topics we cover, please leave your comments below, or email us at info@certifiedskills.co.uk
