No matter what work an individual is involved with, their capacity to recognize and assess risk can only be obtained through relevant training and related experience.
That being said, for some industries (such as construction, medical, and aviation), the stakes are a lot higher and the risks far more dangerous and unforgiving than your average job, which is precisely why the benefits of switching to virtual reality (VR) training makes it so compelling.
To understand further, read on for three reasons why virtual reality is transforming training in a variety of industries.
1. VR allows employees to experience possible situations firsthand.
For industries such as construction, medical, oil and gas, and others that are prone to deal with difficult situations, VR enables workers and employees to experience these potential situations firsthand.
For example, both practicing physicians and training medical students can experiment with surgical procedures and other medical operations without jeopardizing the life of a real patient. VR can replicate the pressure of real-life emergencies and help medical professionals get used to reacting to emergency situations without any potential risks to life, equipment or overall safety.
If a student omits to administer medication or overlooks checking a critical patient’s vitals, it doesn’t matter during VR training because they will have to repeat it until they get it right. This, then, decreases the likelihood that they will make the same mistakes in real life, even under pressure
Alternatively, for tech companies that are still developing their products or adding new technology, VR Training can also be incredibly helpful for testing and learning about new tech before it is fully installed. An added benefit is the reduction in the cost of training — most VR simulators are designed for individual learning without the need for the presence of training personnel.
Think of it this way, if VR training can reduce the risk in healthcare — considered the most training-intensive line of work in the world — then it stands to reason that VR could de-risk almost any industry. These are just a couple of examples to demonstrate the vast array of projects that virtual reality technology companies are working on as we speak.
2. VR is the most memorable form of training.
There is no denying that individuals tend to learn best through hands-on experience. For this reason, VR technology is the most psychologically powerful medium that has ever existed as it veers from common learning pathways and implants information into trainees’ brains as experiences. Trainees are left with the feeling that they have actually experienced the hypothetical situation.
For example, VR has already been implemented into the training process of a wide array of companies that do intricate work (like assembling jet engine parts) because of its proven ability to improve retention. The full immersion of this type of training reinforces the associations between the parts of the brain that form and sustain sensory information and the areas of the brain accountable for cognitive processes like decision-making.
As VR training vastly improves retention, it also is responsible for boosting the confidence of individuals concerning their skills, while also improving their test scores. By expediting the process of behavioral learning, there’s no limit for what or where VR can be used.
3. VR occurrences are adaptable, economical and scalable.
One of the most challenging aspects of current training programs is that they are expensive to produce and then unable to be adapted or updated frequently and efficiently. VR technology changes that and brings in as much flexibility as a business needs because VR is an alternative cosmos with infinite limits.
On the other hand, creating physical construction simulations have so many limitations, not to mention that they generally cost significantly more than VR training. The cost of continually running a VR training scenario is minimal, unlike more traditional training in the physical world.
If you are interested in exploring the ways that VR can benefit your training program, reach out to the best virtual reality companies in Dubai (or wherever you reside) to get the brainstorming started.
AUTHOR BIO
Judit Chackal is responsible for the marketing, communication and business development efforts of Reach MENA and its sister company, SENSE-R, the leading MENA-based virtual reality developer for VR branding projects and Industrial Training Simulators. She has over a decade of experience in delivering strategic marketing & business development visions for global clients in the travel, hospitality, events and education sectors. Her passion for content and experiential marketing led her to the field of virtual reality project development.
