Recently, Ford announced that they are using new Bosch VR (powered by Facebook’s Oculus tech) to train their team on the new Mustang Mach-E. “The new training solution, developed by Bosch, uses virtual reality that is similar to playing video games. It is designed to teach technicians repair procedures using gamification to evaluate the effectiveness of learning.” The technology allows them to be fully immersed into the simulated world so that they can fully understand all the components of the vehicle’s high voltage system. They can fail and learn in a safe environment and gain the confidence they will need to perform necessary diagnostics and maintenance. The goal is to roll this out to training on other vehicles within Ford’s portfolio. The secondary advantage to this type of training is that it appeals to a younger generation. This is important since analysts predict that manufacturing in the U.S. alone will have 3.4 million job openings in the next decade— but 60% of them will go unfilled due to a major skills gap. Lastly, VR tech for training allows technicians to train on-demand and virtually anywhere, reducing the need to travel, while also reducing expenses.  

Fidelity has been using VR technology for empathy training for years now. Their employees are handling many different types of situations throughout the day, many are emotional and difficult and many involve complex decisions. They’ve used a “choose your own adventure” or scenarios type VR game that allows the employee to see the client’s situation and her emotional response as she’s sitting at the dining room table looking at a stack of medical bills for instance. The game provides constructive feedback based on the employees decisions and shows the consequences of their responses to the client. “The trainee is able to quickly sense the impact of the help he provided and observe the feelings that are created as a result. He is transported back to his desk to assess and re-evaluate certain steps he made in the conversation.” 

Most importantly, this type of game provides a practice playground for the employee, “VR, triggers an emotional response that is authentic. “Across the VR training spectrum, the term ‘productive failure’ is gaining popularity as organizations and trainees recognize the value of learning from mistakes in a scenario in which failure could have serious consequences.” 

Healthcare

VR technology is also being used in healthcare to train surgeons on the best way to approach their surgery and to gain mastery in new technologies. Assessing a doctor’s abilities in a residency program objectively is challenging as it’s hard to separate bedside manner and work ethic from true surgical skill. Furthermore, surgeons often lack the opportunity to really test the surgical skills they’re learning. With the baby boomers retiring and a projected surgeon shortage, it’s extremely important to ensure a standardized approach to training is established in medical training. Using a VR game to train doctors in residency gives an objective way to assess their ability. As this Harvard Business Review article explains, “These platforms directly address the skills gap by providing immersive, hands-on training that closely simulates an operating room environment. VR platforms offer portable, on-demand training that can be used anytime, anywhere.” This approach to training provides a clear understanding of exactly what the surgeon is doing well and where they need to improve. In a recent clinical validation study at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, they found “VR training on the Osso VR platform improved participants’ overall surgical performance by 230% compared with traditional training methods.” VR training is definitely on the rise in the medical field as it has proven to provide excellent training to ensure surgeons stayed skilled and confident in their speciality.

Education

VR is an excellent tool for teaching in schools. In the classroom, VR helps engage students by fully immersing them into the lesson and help them learn by doing. The VR technology over the years has become lighter in weight, more powerful and less expensive. VR tech can take a student back to the dinosaur age, or to the moon or even inside the human body. The possibilities are endless. This article from EdTechnology explains: “Any teacher will tell you that when pupils lean into a concept or experience, an opportunity arises to capitalize and exploit the immersive effect. Immersion embeds knowledge, sometimes indelibly.” VR tech really allows the students to go beyond the walls of their school and explore.

According to the CDC, over 5.7 million students have Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and it’s on the rise. VR technology can really help students who are struggling with ADHD focus on their lessons. In January of 2019, Microsoft announced that their popular immersive reader product will be available as a virtual application which will allow students who struggle with focus practice reading skills in their own quiet space.

As this article in Variety discusses, VR Technology has been used in schools to teach students soft skills such as compassion, empathy and communication. This technology has been especially helpful with students with learning disabilities and autism. “Students with disabilities often do not learn social skills or pick up on social cues at the same pace as their peers.” They can react to the avatars in the game and truly understand the positive and negative consequences of their actions. VR technology offers a safe place to let students practice these behaviors in a controlled and virtual environment.

VR technology is constantly improving and has shown to provide another resource to help educators provide a stimulating and engaging experience in their classroom. 

With our 13 years of experience creating games to both train and educate, we have the skills and infrastructure to create a VR experience for your company or school. 

Email us at info@thegameagency to discuss your Virtual Reality project.