What do you do if Virtual Reality (VR) is revolutionizing education and training?

Use it! The world is always evolving. These are tools like any other. Not perfect for all situations, but certainly for many.

Very true! I used VR during my Rehab program after a Spinal Cord injury and it helped triggering nerves and muscles. Hence I am able to stand up and walk a few meters with a walker.

There are many technologies that can improve training and education, and VR is one of them. It is anyone not the only technology available for this purpose, so you should study what are the trends that are happening in your training field. Learn about what the others are using and take inspiration from that. If VR resonates with what you are doing, then go deeper on the topic and investigate what hardware and software your competitors are using. Also, investigate if there are reports that tell what advantages they had (e.g. more employee satisfaction, more productivity, etc...) so in case you have to propose the integration of VR to your boss, you have some data to support your request.

Don't be afraid of change! VR won't replace traditional training, it will just make it more efficient and lead to better training results. If you incorporate VR into your training, you're likely to benefit.

For every tech innovation in education or training, always ask yourself first whether this tech addresses your current needs. Just replacing the old with the new because it's innovative, is not enhancing learning, but merely a marketing strategy. A nice framework to think about this is the SAMR model by Puentedura. Following, always first consider your goals of the learning experience; you should actually design retroactively: start with the end (the goals) and design your cours towards these goals. XR has no doubt several benefits over more traditional approaches, no tap into these and really enhance learning and training.

Jumping right into "one headset per trainee" is probably not the immediate answer. Think about how many people can run an exercise at once with a trainer in mind. Think about the experience of the real world training vs the cost of the headset. If training equipment costs $1500 per trainee , then perhaps there is the ceiling by which you investigate VR/AR.

Ensure your educators are comfortable with the latest relevant VR hardware and software. Do you have a XR Lab to keep exposing those educators to the latest capability? They can then brainstorm how they want to use the capability in their curriculum. They become a partner for adoption and integration of the capability as a teaching and learning tool.

Being in the VR field since when a consumer headset costed $1000, I know well that Virtual Reality can be very expensive. So you have to evaluate if your company has a budget for it. If there is some budget, you have also to study how to fit in this budget, by picking the right type of headset, the right amount of headsets, and the right training software. Usually, if you are in a company, the investment you do for VR training results in spared money for manual (or dangerous) training sessions or in increased productivity of employees. So it is a good investment. If you are in a public school, finding the budget may be more complicated.

Don’t splash the cash all at once. Start with a few VR sets and scale up as you see its benefits. Maybe get a demo or trial first to see how it fits with your goals.

After you have set your goals clearly, talk to experts. Value their time, and compare their proposals. Find someone you trust. From my experience in military training and education, I can tell that VR could be very expensive, but negative training or mistakes during live training, could be even more disrupting. There are a lot of solutions out in the market that could fit your budget and purpose. Or maybe not, but might be just a matter of time. So, invest wisely but invest...and believe in VR.

Content is king. Design a proper learning experience is vital for training. But whatever content you develop, use standards as much as possible. De facto or De jure, standards are important in any industry. With standards, your content can be reused on different platforms, modified by different professionals, understood by everybody.

Considering content creation, this should be a done in an iterative, and collaborative approach, involving all stakeholders, including students, teachers, IT staff members, developers and so on. An important element to take care of towards adoption is the curriculum-alignment and customizability of the XR learning content. Teachers want to be able to tailor the XR content to their own specific needs, which is often difficult with off-the shelf applications. Make sure to take into account the principles of Universal Design to be inclusive in the design. This includes multimodal representation modes, scaffolded support and feedback, individual learning paths and so on.

Get creative with VR lessons. Whether it's a virtual chemistry lab or a trip through the human circulatory system, make it engaging and educational.

There is a critical factor in development known as the "wow" factor. The "wow" factor can be identified as the moment when a person, for various reasons, finds something surprising and curiosity-provoking in the educational experience with VR. In a virtual tour, this could be interacting with a historical figure in a historical context; in a simulation, it might involve doing something that can't be done in reality; in a story, it involves placing the person as part of the narrative. It's important to generate emotional connections that help reinforce concepts.

Research indicates teachers are hesitant to adopt XR technologies in their courses, as they lack both the technical and pedagogical skills to use XR in education in a proficient way. So, a very important element to take into account, is the need for professional development initiatives, empowering educators, both also students. Both groups should first be familiarized with the new tech to avoid extraneous cognitive load negatively impacting the learning process and learning outcomes. This training should be presented to both educators and students beforehand, before the actual learning starts. A facilitator is this might be a colleague who is already familiar with the XR tech, as educators are more inclined to listen to colleagues.

Make sure your teachers are up to speed. A little training can turn them into VR Gurus, ready to guide their students through virtual space!

Whether in a corporate environment or a classroom, the person leading the session must have technical and practical knowledge to ensure that the experience functions correctly. This knowledge relates to three main areas: Hardware, Process, and Software. For Hardware, it includes understanding how to perform initial setups, casting, connectivity issues, and battery management. The Process involves knowing when and how to conduct the training or lesson, as well as how to simplify operations. For Software, it is essential to understand how each part of the content functions in order to properly track and support the user's experience.

Educators are the key to making VR work in education, so they need the right training. This involves more than just a quick tutorial on how to use VR headsets. Think about offering workshops or training sessions where educators can learn how to create VR lesson plans, manage VR classrooms, and troubleshoot common issues. It’s also a good idea to set up a support system, like a forum or chat group, where educators can share tips and ask questions. This way, they can learn from each other and build a community around VR in education.

Measuring impact of XR in education is very important, as 1) results in various studies are still mixed 2) educators primarily look at whether the XR technologies enhance their teaching process, fostering student learning. Considering the design of the VR experience, several measures are of importance, including presence, immersion, embodiment, cybersickness, motivation, and agency. Measuring learning impact is done properly by a pre-post design, but note that ample research indicates VR technologies benefit procedural knowledge more than factual knowledge. Proper measures are sometimes difficult, so consider involving a (research) expert who is familiar with investigating impact, and who can analyze the result properly.

To know if VR is making a difference, you need to measure its impact. Start by setting clear objectives for what you want VR to accomplish. This could be improved student engagement, better understanding of complex topics, or higher retention rates. Use a mix of qualitative and quantitative data to assess the results. Conduct surveys to get feedback from students, and look at test scores or other metrics to see if VR is helping you reach your goals. If you're not seeing the results you hoped for, it's okay to adjust your approach. VR is flexible, so experiment with different applications and teaching methods.

As the XR technologies are maturing and are increasingly being adopted by industry (5.0), it is of importance that students indeed develop their digital skills to stay future-proof. Familiarizing them with these technologies, potentially enhancing their learning process, motivating them towards life-long learning might have a great impact on their future professional careers. As always, tech will not replace people, but people with the necessary digital skills have a head-start which will no doubt positively impact their professional lives. Think also about letting students create XR learning experiences themselves, instead of 'only' consuming them. This will increase their critical reasoning, and creativity.

As VR continues to evolve, it's important to future-proof your skills and those of your students. Stay updated on the latest VR trends and technologies, and encourage a mindset of continuous learning. Consider offering courses or workshops on emerging tech skills, like 3D modeling or virtual production. This will help ensure that your students are prepared for a world where VR and other technologies are becoming more integrated into everyday life.

To make the most of VR in education and training, think about the logistics. Ensure your space is VR-friendly, with enough room for students to move around safely. If possible, create dedicated VR zones to minimize distractions and prevent accidents. Accessibility is crucial, so design VR experiences that are inclusive for all learners. Collaborate with other schools or companies to share resources and best practices. This can help you expand your VR offerings without having to do everything from scratch. And if you're looking for additional funding, explore grants or partnerships with tech companies that support VR in education.

Think about how accessible the VR tech is for all students. You’ll want to ensure it’s not just cool but also fair and inclusive.