Picture yourself having been teleported to Mars in the form of a robotic avatar.
In the VR you inhabit, these other people are also strolling about in a computer-generated universe.
You must all collaborate in order to surpass the hurdles and leave the planet in a space pod. The mission is successful only when all the robots succeed in leaving collectively, and not if some separate from the group and blast off.
This is not an electronic game but rather an instructional session in which you and your colleagues are all donning virtual reality goggles.
Rather than being cooped up for hours in a conference room hearing about your company's plans for the next year, it does sound like more of an enjoyable experience to be out and about.
The team-building exercise named Apollo, created by a UK company called Jenson8 that specialises in virtual reality-based training platforms, is a trip to Mars.
Participants have the opportunity to go through the simulation with their workplace team three or four times, from various angles. They can decide to take a leadership role, act as an automated machine, or simply spectate.
Once the virtual reality goggles have been removed, the collective is prompted to deliberate the factors that contributed to either failure or success.
Bryan Barnes, the head of research and development at Jenson8 states that this immersive experience eliminates the preconceptions people have in the workplace, permitting them to act as their authentic selves instead of pretending to be a “work character”.
He goes on to say that by gaining insight into how they are perceived by their peers, individuals can obtain a deeper comprehension of how their actions influence the group, whether positively or negatively. This can promote open dialogue that will ultimately foster a stronger and more productive collaborative effort.
Lockdowns due to the pandemic have caused millions of employees to be exposed to remote working and video conferencing. As a result, training methods are being altered.
Since March 2020, we have become accustomed to the regular Zoom calls, which have shown us that it isn't necessary for us to be in the same room for meetings. This is also true for many training courses nowadays.
As VR technology has become increasingly developed, more companies are having their employees don VR goggles when it is time for an awayday or needing to update their skills and knowledge.
Mike Wynn, the head of VR-based training at Bank of America, states that since younger employees have experienced immersive computer games for years, they are already comfortable with this type of technology.
He argues that they have been using the same training techniques for a very long time, but that people have evolved, and the ways they take in and comprehend data have also shifted.
Attention spans are not what they used to be in the past ten years or more. We now prefer to consume data quickly and view visuals instead of just reading them.
Is there proof that VR training is more efficient? A study conducted last year by the accountancy corporation PricewaterhouseCoopers showed that personnel who receive instruction through VR do so four times quicker than if they attended classes in a physical classroom. Likewise, the report determined that employees were 1.5 times more attentive in VR courses.
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Edwina Fitzmaurice, who is responsible for the VR technology at Ernst & Young, a global accountancy business, states that one additional advantage of VR-based training is that learners can conveniently keep on honing their skills.
She states that individuals favor the prospect of another chance to try and gain knowledge, which leads to greater retention and enthusiasm.
By repeatedly engaging in the activity, people are able to attain much better results. This is because doing something is always more beneficial than just reading about it; we all understand this.
Others argue that VR training frequently carries a lower cost and is safer than real-world instruction, particularly if hazardous tasks are being taught. Instead of placing someone directly into a hazardous workplace like an emergency room, oil rig or chemical plant, they can go through a VR simulation first.
Furthermore, several providers offer VR instruction that supplants a live supervisor. An example of this is VirtualSpeech, a company located in London that provides VR-based tutorials for developing public speaking and leadership qualities.
It is claimed that certain individuals are more likely to accept negative feedback if it is from a computer. Sophie Thompson - founder and CEO of VirtualSpeech - believes computers are more proficient at distributing criticism.
People are not proficient at providing candid feedback, and you must expressly request it. Conversely, a machine does not have any concern for your emotions.
Despite its advantages, there are those who are critical of VR training. In particular, users have reported feeling discomfort from wearing the goggles, experiencing dizziness or nausea, and experiencing headaches or eyestrain.
Ms Fitzmaurice of Ernst & Young concurs with the consensus that the industry requires further regulation. She posits that the decisive factor is 'achieving a suitable equilibrium between governance and innovation'.
It is necessary to give enough room for innovation to occur, and also to have an appropriate amount of oversight - both are necessary for the process to work.
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