Staff training is often seen as a necessary evil by both employers and employees. It’s something that needs to be done, but it’s often dull and uninspiring. This is a shame, because staff induction training is a great opportunity to really engage with employees and get them excited and good at their jobs.

In recent years, an increasing number of large companies have turned to 360° virtual training programs in order to provide their employees with the skills they need to drive growth. These programs have been shown to be highly effective in terms of both cost and time savings, as well as in terms of the quality of the learning experience.

Virtual Learning Environments

360° Virtual Training allows businesses to create realistic simulations of their own work environments in a safe and controlled setting. Virtual and immersive technology are ideal for training humans to perform complex or high-risk tasks. This is especially useful for real -world scenarios allowing trainees to experience firsthand what it is like to perform a certain task under specific conditions.

For example, accidents can happen in any work environment, and it’s crucial that employees are properly trained on how to avoid them. One of the biggest challenges of health and safety training is getting employees to actually pay attention and absorb the information. In a fast-paced work environment, there are often many distractions and employees can be quickly overwhelmed with information. As a result, they may tune out or simply forget what they’ve learned.

360° immersive training solutions are designed to save time and effort while management and their staff deal with juggling the other multiple roles.

When employees are asked about their experiences with virtual training, the responses are overwhelmingly positive. Depth of learning and meaningfulness of content are two primary factors that contribute to this satisfaction.

The power of engagement and gamification

The educational theory behind gamification and immersive authentic learning experiences is that they provide learners with motivation and engagement by simulating real-world tasks and scenarios. Gamification can be used to support a variety of goals, such as increasing knowledge retention or encouraging positive behavior change. 

When used in conjunction with other instructional strategies, such as problem-based learning or inquiry-based learning, gamification can help create an immersive and authentic learning experience that allows learners to explore content in a fun and engaging way.

Some common techniques include incorporating points, badges, and leaderboards into the training content, as well as adding challenges and tasks that must be completed in order to progress. The game elements should support the learning objectives and help learners to achieve the desired outcome. It is important that the game elements work together to create a cohesive and objective-based learning experience.

One training program across numerous departments

Another advantage of 360° immersive learning experiences is that every learner type can be accommodated within the same virtual experience. If a company has employees with differing roles, then specific versions of the same simulation, with different levels of difficulty can be created.

Because of the self-directed nature of VLE’s, learners can also move at their own pace, which means they can spend more time on areas that they find more challenging. A safe and supportive learning environment supports weaker learners in feeling more comfortable in taking risks and exploring new ideas.

As a result, employees come away from virtual training feeling more confident and capable. They also appreciate being able to access the training content on their own schedule, without having to work around a classroom-based class.

Importance of investing in staff training 

The global economy is rapidly changing, and naturally, so too are our work practices. A workforce that is equipped with the latest skills and knowledge is more likely to increase productivity and produce higher quality work. However, exacerbated by constant staff turnover, larger companies find themselves with limited training resources that can guarantee these high standards across the board.

There are several reasons why traditional training methods are not always effective. They can be expensive, time-consuming and disruptive to the work environment. It can be difficult to guarantee that all employees receive the same level of training. Finally, it can be hard to keep track of employee progress and ensure that they are retaining the information.

Investing in virtual learning environments is a good way to improve a business. The initial cost may be higher, but are still often cheaper than running traditional eLearning courses. This is because you don’t need to hire instructors or rent classrooms. 

And, once you’ve created a VLE, you can use it over and over again, for different employees or groups of employees. With a VLE, employees can learn at their own pace and in their own time. This is especially useful for employees who have busy schedules or who live in remote areas.

Large companies like manufacturing plants are complex operations that require a lot of coordination and communication. Immersive learning experiences can help employees in these environments to better understand their roles and responsibilities, as well as the overall process. 

Immersive and authentic learning programs are less intrusive, more scalable and more meaningful than passive traditional presentations