VET News

Why RTOs need a VR strategy to enhance their training delivery & deliver value

VR - Key Facts VR creates a digital environment that replaces the user’s real-world environment VR reduces the time taken to learn & enables better retention of knowledge versus traditional methods VR creates immersive situations that arouse emotions and engage learners VR can repeat training situations over and over again for individual learners VR creates experts quickly, learning how to handle crisis situations swiftly and effectively VR technologies are easy to integrate into a RTO’s organisation VR is affordable for RTOs of all sizes VR can increase client satisfaction VR gives RTOs a competitive edge and opens new sector opportunities VR is used to enhance current training packages

Fay Dart Associate Engineer Real Serious Games

Let’s consider how VR can, and is, transforming the way we learn.

Organisations need to train people not only to understand the way tasks and procedures should be carried out, but also to understand the implications behind the decisions they make and how to make good decisions, particularly in times of crisis when they will be under pressure. 

Learning materials and training seminars, however detailed, can’t fully prepare a learner to act effectively and efficiently in a variety of complex scenarios; to understand and react quickly to patterns of data and to experience how the stress they will feel can affect their decision making. Until VR, only experience has been able to develop that kind of expertise – and that level of expertise comes over time, the individual having been involved with a variety of situations; or by creating actual training scenarios that may be difficult or expensive to build, or potentially hazardous to recreate. With training and upskilling of individuals being prolonged VR can be a cost-effective option, delivering value and ROI.

How do you effectively train personnel on health and safety requirements on a building site or potentially hazardous environments? How do you prepare people to react immediately and to make the right decisions in situations they have never actually experienced?  How do you simulate challenging situations that, if handles incorrectly, could result in injury or death? And how do you get the full attention and buy-in to refresher training that staff think they are already familiar with?

VR can recreate any environment and enable learners to ‘experience’ decision-making in a variety of simulated situations, including critical scenarios. It allows the learner to feel the stress and pressure as they would on the job but provide security of their safety. The result ultimately leaves the learner around 80% job ready, improving production and significantly reducing cost associated to down time.

Learners can also practise procedures repeatedly, understanding not only how they are impacting on what they can see, but also ‘seeing’ the implications of their actions on what is not visible – for example, what would happen inside a piece of equipment or machinery if they didn’t manage a task correctly.

The fully-immersive nature of VR is also extremely effective in gaining the attention of people who are undertaking refresher training of a practice with which they are familiar, and therefore are liable to forget the negative impact non-adhere to regulations may cause.

In terms of feedback, VR helps learners when they get things wrong.  It can track trainees’ actions as they move through scenario and will determine the causes of errors and advise on strategies to avoid mistakes and bad decisions – reducing the cost of personal feedback by an individual for every learner.

Research and our experience have also shown that VR dramatically reduces the time it takes for a learner to fully understand and master training – onsite training that usually takes four hours to deliver can be delivered effectively in 15 minutes with VR. 

For further information please contact Fay at fay.dart@realseriousgames.com or visit the Real Serious Games Website

Date posted May 23, 2019