Planning your first virtual training experience and not sure where to begin? Whether you’re struggling to brainstorm VR ideas or deciding which topic will work best as an immersive learning experience, stay tuned.
In this article, we’ll share 3 tips for project inspiration when you’re first getting started with virtual reality.
- Ask Yourself: Why Does This Belong in VR?
Virtual training is especially advantageous for certain situations. That’s why your first question when planning your core training concepts should be: “Why does this belong in VR?”
Here are a few situations where immersive learning provides benefits that can’t be achieved in an online course or at the job location:
- When you’re presenting material that requires the user to practice spacial awareness
- When training would otherwise be on expensive equipment
- When travel to the equipment would be costly or time-consuming
- When safety is an issue because the training is on how to use dangerous equipment (a really smart time to use VR!)
Be sure to take advantage of these types of situations where VR can really shine. For cases where on-location training is easy, safe, and convenient, VR isn’t always necessary—and that’s okay!
- Choose Realistic Scenarios
While you might be excited to create a snazzy 3D rendering of the work environment for virtual training, that isn’t always the best choice. 360 images and video of the actual place that your learner will be working are most helpful.
But maybe you’re concerned about a noisy, dirty, or cluttered work environment—such as a loud factory or a disorganized office. Won’t this make it difficult for the learner to hear and concentrate? Yes! That’s the point. With a realistic VR scenario, you’re preparing the learner for the same challenges that they’ll face on the actual job. That’s a huge benefit of training in the metaverse.
So, go ahead—film the noise and capture the mess.
- Add Branching Scenarios
Immersive learning is a great opportunity to allow your learner to choose their own adventure. Using branching scenarios to teach through choice has many benefits.
For example, failure is an excellent learning experience. Thanks to VR, choosing the wrong path or making a mistake in a branching scenario won’t cost your organization anything. Allow the learner to make mistakes during virtual training, so that they don’t make them when it really matters.
Plus, branching scenarios give the training a game-based feel. They can make even a simple tour or walk-through more engaging and memorable. This is a smart way to get your learner more involved with your content, which will help with recall later when they’re actually on the job.
Conclusion
When you’re ready to begin creating virtual training, remember to focus on situations and tasks where VR provides an advantage to traditional training. In addition, make your virtual environment realistic and incorporate branching scenarios to provide engagement and the opportunity to learn through failure.
Keep these tips in mind, but don’t be afraid to be creative. Immersive learning allows you to take your training to a whole new level.
To read more tips on getting started with virtual reality, download our free eBook: VRoom! Getting Started With VR for Training.
