In corporate training, the goal is to upskill employees both efficiently and effectively so that they apply content to relevant situations. As corporations identify needs in their organization, they seek out ways to best meet these needs. With more focus than ever being directed at Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, many of these initiatives require workers to improve upon soft skills. These skills are not developed through reading alone, but require learners to reflect on their behaviors and biases, increasing self-awareness.
Soft-skills training can be done in a number of settings, including traditional classroom environments, e-learning, and virtual reality (sometimes referred to as v-learning.)
With each learning environment comes a cost: the time an employee spends traveling and in training, and the development and dispersal of content. In traditional, in-person trainings, individuals may have to spend multiple days either traveling to or attending sessions. With e-learning, the content can be developed once and sent out to employees; however, learners are much more likely to multitask or be distracted during the experience. This results in learners needing additional time to complete online training in order to retain the same amount of knowledge.
That leaves v-learning — though the initial development costs are higher than the previous learning environments, users are least likely to multitask or be distracted while training in VR. This solution is best for organizations with many employees, as the cost spent in development becomes less significant with each additional employee being trained in VR.
Classroom learning can be very effective if the overall number of employees being trained is small and the organization has a small number of locations in which these need to take place. E-learning can be effective if the organization is larger, though the time “saved” by learning online may not be as effective as in-classroom or v-learning environments. V-learning is unique in that it can be completed quicker than other learning and users are embodied in the learning environment.
When creating development opportunities for employees, choosing the optimal learning environment is an important decision, and with more employees, it may make sense to explore v-learning. Are you interested in learning more about the possibilities of v-learning experiences? Be sure to check out how we’re creating v-learning experiences to build interpersonal skills to support diverse and inclusive workplaces at Blue Sky Innovations.