Designing Digitally
10/22/2018
Virtual Reality (VR) has mostly been associated with gaming. It was never taken seriously by other sectors. But, things are changing now. Many industries are waking up to the advantages of this immersive technology. VR is especially effective when it comes to dangerous industries. They help minimize potential risks and ensure safety standards.
Safety-critical industries like aviation, military, construction, and so on, deal with tasks that are risky. And, the risk is not only to property but human lives, as well. For example, healthcare professionals deal with situations in which there may be a loss of life if mistakes are made.
So, train them, you say? Well, training for them will be on-the-job. That means that they cannot rely on trial and error because a minor mistake can prove deadly. The best way to train is through virtual reality immersive technologies. The VR experience allows the employees to enact the common mistakes that can happen on the job. They can practice the tasks and make mistakes without the fear of causing irreversible damage. Here, they are allowed to make as many mistakes as possible. The idea is to learn from the mistakes and make sure that they do not repeat it at work.
Here are some industries where VR is a boon for employee training.
The mining industry is unpredictable. Miners have to deal with many hazardous situations like escaping from fatal mine outbursts or injuries from deep-sea drilling, and so on. These are life-threatening situations and theoretical training is not enough. On-the-job training is useful but has its consequences. VR simulations are the nearest you can get to a real-life environment without injuring your employees. It provides them an opportunity to practice responding to such disasters without the fear that they might die doing so! Even if they make mistakes, there is no risk of life involved.
Customer service may not involve risk of life. But, service reps have to deal with many different kinds of customers. Some may be rude, some may be reclusive, some may have gone through a recent tragedy. VR simulates each environment and trains the employees on how to navigate the situation. The more they practice, the better they get at such difficult interactions. With VR solutions, you can even track how each employee is performing at handling such situations. This may not be possible with traditional learning methods.
The manufacturing industry was one of the early adopters of VR as they had high stakes. Employees in this industry have a slim margin for error. But, the only training that is relevant for them is on-the-job and application-based. VR simulations help them train without the fear of damage to limb and life. The simulation coaxes them to perform their jobs with stressors but there is no real-world damage involved. Learners can repeat their mistakes as many times as needed and learn from them. VR creates an environment of experiential learning by emulating the exact surrounding the employees work in. The adaptive training helps managers to identify exactly where the employees are making mistakes and why. That way, it is easier for them to identify and close performance gaps.
Aviation training is cost intensive. This is where VR is especially advantageous. It has made aerospace training affordable. There is a high range of advanced VR content that is available, nowadays, like VR full motion headsets. They simulate the real-life flying experience. In addition to flight training, you can use VR to train staff on cabin crew responsibilities, aircraft maintenance, and so on. The learners have the tools to practice repeatedly at a far lower cost. The more they practice, the better they get at their job.
Consider using virtual reality for your employees who are involved in dangerous jobs. It is widely used in several industries. Your employees will thank you for providing them such immersive learning experiences. The better they are trained, the fewer the accidents and damages. This results in fewer production delays too. Ultimately, your employees are happy and loyal to you because you care about their well-being.
At Designing Digitally, Inc. our team of experts has been creating innovative learning solutions for decades. We use technology that makes it possible to simulate true-to-life environments that are safe and affordable.
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