Building a Business Case for XR in Education

Bringing XR training into the business landscape

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Building a Business Case for XR in Education
Virtual RealityInsights

Published: September 5, 2022

Rebekah Carter

Rebekah Carter

Extended Reality could be the most powerful technology to influence the educational industry in years. Offering unlimited opportunities to immerse students in powerful training experiences, XR could enhance everything from in-person to remote classes.

Already, a host of universities and schools have begun implementing VR, AR, and MR solutions into their curriculums. However, the benefits of XR in education extend far beyond the traditional school space. Around 45% of business leaders in industries like healthcare and manufacturing also believe XR could be crucial to their training goals in the years to come.

With XR training opportunities, businesses can imbue students with everything from crucial soft skills to complex technical talents. Not only do students get a more immersive experience, but businesses can also reduce the costs and risks associated with traditional training.

Let’s explore how you can build a business case for XR training in your company.

Step 1: Find Your Ideal XR Environment

The first step in building a business case for XR education, is knowing which avenue you’re going to explore. There are countless ways for companies to get started with immersive technology. For those on a lower budget, AR applications designed to enhance physical training materials might be an ideal choice. An AR app could scan a QR code in a document and show a 3D version of a product to a student, to a facilitate a deeper level of understanding.

For those who want to take the power of hybrid learning to the next level, mixed reality could be the perfect tool. MR headsets allow users to combine real-world experiences with digital content, holograms, and useful insights. This could even allow engineers and technicians to work on real-world machinery, while getting guidance from a holographic training expert.

Virtual Reality represents one of the most immersive ways to teach students how to complete potentially dangerous tasks in an engaging space. Electricians could discover how to connect wires without the risk of electrocution, while chemists can experiment with different substances without the threat of a dangerous reaction. Finding the right XR environment for your business needs will involve thinking carefully about the kind of training you want to deliver.

Step 2: Consider Your Training Needs

When building a business case for XR education, innovators need to think carefully about the specific challenges they can overcome with the right technology. Many companies are quickly discovering how diverse XR solutions can be for training all kinds of skills. For instance, when it comes to training specific technical skills, VR offers a fantastic opportunity.

According to reports, it’s possible to train students up to four times faster on VR, and these learners are up to 3.75 times more “emotionally connected” to the content they see in a virtual environment. For complex technical skills, VR offers a safe environment to practice skills without putting business resources or employees at risk.

However, there’s scope for more than just technical training in the XR environment. These tools can also be an excellent way to provide learners with more of the critical soft skills they need to thrive in a competitive environment. Companies like Walmart have already embraced VR training as a way of providing staff with the guidance they need to manage complex customer service scenarios.

To ensure you can sell the benefits of XR in education to the stakeholders in your business, create a list of training initiatives you may be able to implement for each section of your team. With the right flexible technology, you’ll be able to introduce different lessons to specific employees using the same ecosystem and hardware.

Step 3: Look at the Potential Outcomes of XR Training

According to PWC, students trained in VR are 275% more confident when applying the skills they learned to situations in real-life. They’re also 4 times more focused on their e-learning outcomes than their peers, indicating a high level of engagement.

While education and professional development are crucial in any business landscape, these initiatives can often be time consuming and expensive. As such, it’s important to ensure any learning program implemented for your team can have the right outcomes for the company. XR training could deliver better results for both professionals and employers alike, by ensuring every student has the best possible experience with each lesson.

Unlike other forms of training, XR solutions can enable students to engage in experiential interactions where they can physically interact with different concepts and objects, without risk. With the right combination of hardware and flexible software, companies can create powerful and adaptable learning simulations which improve knowledge retention and boost productivity.

You could even consider starting your journey into XR education with a few simple test classes, and use the metrics gathered from these experiences to prove your ROI.

Step 4: Introduce Opportunities to Attract New Talent

More than ever, as the world continues to evolve at a rapid pace, employees are searching for opportunities to develop their skills. In every industry, team members are keen to expand their knowledge and skills. In fact, around 40% of employees say they’re afraid their skills are quickly becoming outdated in their sector.

In the age of the Great Resignation, where finding and retaining top talent is becoming a significant challenge, offering new levels of education could be the best way to grow your workforce. By implementing immersive training solutions, you show potential job candidates you’re committed to upskilling and reskilling your workforce.

At the same time, the right learning opportunities will ensure you can position yourself as an innovator in your industry. Companies embracing concepts like XR and Metaverse education will be able to set themselves apart from other organisations when appealing to a new generation of digital natives. As an added bonus, the training initiatives you implement will give your employees the skills they need to compete in a changing world.

Step 5: Remember the Cost Savings

One of the biggest reasons companies avoid implementing new technologies for things like training and development, is they’re concerned about the impact on their budget. While implementing new solutions for XR may have an initial cost associated with it, it’s important to remember the various cost savings you can unlock too.

For instance, creating a virtual reality environment where employees can interact with different tools and machinery in an immersive space is an excellent way to reduce the amount of downtime required among essential tools. You won’t have to switch off devices to show employees how to use them, so the business can continue operating as normal.

Additionally, XR solutions can adapt and evolve with your business. You can implement new training sessions and lessons as your company evolves, without having to pay for a professional training agency to come out and deliver one-on-one support. With XR, companies can deliver future-proof development opportunities to the entire workforce.

 

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