Special Feature
Reality reloaded D
Hailed as the next big thing for Learning and Development (L&D), Flora Neighbour investigates how virtual reality can benefit your organisation
espite being promoted as the next big thing for a while, virtual reality (or VR) has only just started to become
a household name for L&D in the last couple of years. This is down to the technological advances, which improve the experience and affordability, allowing businesses to roll out the tech. What’s more, according to CCS Insight, total sales of virtual and augmented reality devices will soar from two and a half million in 2015 to 24 million by 2018. VR can be used as a learning
environment that actively engages a user rather than the participant simply being a passive learner in a classroom. Not only can it improve their skillset and development, but it can also encourage communication between fellow students or employees as they solve problems. Nitin Thakrar, director of eLearning Studios, explained: “VR allows the learner to be fully immersed into an environment they may not be accustomed to, allowing them to gain familiarity.
But, more importantly, scenarios can be interplayed to breed continuous improvement from failure to success, as repetition allows play and reflection.” According to a recent study carried out by Kallidus, VR has captured the imagination of L&D professionals and could prove to be the next big transformational learning technology. The study went on to reveal that 91 per cent of L&D professionals plan to use VR for learning in their organisation, with over a third planning to use it over the next three years. There are many forms of VR available in the world of L&D. It can come as a desktop setup, involve virtual reality glasses made from cardboard and a
smartphone, or virtual reality glasses using a head-mounted display and an input device.
…scenarios can be interplayed to breed continuous improvement from failure to success, as repetition allows play and reflection
The Kallidus survey went on to reveal that most L&D professionals want to implement VR ahead of virtual classrooms, mobile learning, games-based learning and social learning in terms of priority. In addition, the top three subject areas that many would like to see VR being used within their organisations are: technical skills development, health and safety training and on-boarding/orientation. Although VR is set to be a game- changer for L&D, only a small percentage of organisations have already invested in the technology. Rory Cameron, executive vice president and general manager of Callidus Cloud, commented: “Whilst not fully deployed in enterprise environments, I believe VR is going to transform learning within certain verticals and functions, notably field service, where you can eradicate ride-alongs in favour of controlled and prescriptive environments.” Whatever the outcome, virtual worlds are shifting L&D, and will continue to do so. VR offers employees and students the opportunity to learn new skills, such as sharing, spatial awareness, data visualisation and even the development of language, without risk. If you haven’t looked into VR, now is the time to do so. n
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