Ready to create immersive learning scenarios? Virtual reality allows for a lot of creativity—and fun—in the development process, but it’s a whole new world compared to the online training you may be used to making. Keep reading—we’re going to share a few of our best secrets for success to help you build realistic scenarios that engage users and provide an excellent VR training experience.
Here are 3 secrets for creating virtual reality scenarios that work:
The first training scenario you create probably won’t be your best. That’s why you should test your scenes in virtual reality ASAP. Since viewing VR content in a headset is different than consuming it in a browser, testing immediately and often is key.
In virtual reality, things seem closer. Your field of view is also smaller. As a result, you may need to arrange things differently or move the camera around to get it right.
Start small, and after you test in VR, remember to iterate through the filming and creation steps. You’ll likely create and re-create scenarios several times until they’re perfect—it’s all part of the development process.
One benefit of virtual training is learning by “doing”—even if that “doing” is happening in the metaverse. But remember this: when you’re creating these VR scenarios, allow users to be imprecise. For example, if you include drag and drop interactions, provide a wide “hit area” to work with. This allows the pieces to fall into place without making users frustrated.
In addition, use a tactile interface. Instead of using the default set of tactile reactions for selection, hover in, and hover out, try switching them with visuals and sounds that appear more like the real thing. How would this look? You could create a keypad that lights up and makes selection sounds when pressed. Adding these details makes the interactivity feel more natural and real.
This makes a huge difference in the quality of virtual training!
Another benefit of VR is the opportunity to let users learn from their mistakes—safely. As we like to say, “A mistake made in virtual reality is a mistake NOT made in reality.”
With VR, you can allow your users to experience the consequences of a wrong choice in a scenario. For example, does hitting the wrong button cause an explosion? If it does, don’t be afraid to show that dangerous outcome in your virtual training scenario.
Realistic feedback will also help with learner recall, which is crucial—especially when safety is at risk.
Conclusion
When you're creating VR scenarios, remember these secrets for success: test and iterate, add detailed interactivity, and provide realistic feedback. You’ll see that taking the extra steps to build convincing scenarios makes a big impact on the final product and the overall user experience.
Want more tips on creating virtual reality scenarios? Download our free eBook: VRoom! Getting Started With VR for Training. In the eBook, you’ll find our best tips and tricks to help you get started on your immersive learning journey.