Virtual Reality Training 101

Overview of virtual reality training and it's significance for police and public safety.

Advances in virtual reality and augmented reality technology has opened many opportunities for educators and professionals to use VR simulations and scenarios for academic and training purposes. Since virtual reality provides the ability to experience realistic simulations and enables the students and trainees to build practical skills and in-depth knowledge in their field.

There is certainly not a single company, organization, or association on the face of the Earth that can get by without well-trained and prepared employees and team members. In any case, as much as everybody likes to brag about how powerful their training and preparation program is, the basic certainty is that nothing can beat hands-on involvement and on the job experience.

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Advantages Of Virtual Reality Training

Improving one's skills and abilities in daily tasks and situations, in spite of all the specialized development is eventually what makes an expert important. Also, this one territory where Virtual Reality training and preparation shines above the rest. Virtual reality is ready to be a leap forward innovation for training and preparing, because of its vivid nature and the opportunity it offers to rehearse in practical settings without stressing over results. Advantages associated with VR training:

Accelerated Learning
Remote Implementation
Makes Learning More Visual
Scalable Learning and Training
Minimizes Training Risks
Real World Experience
Increased Engagement
Risk Management
Affordable Training
Reduced Pressure and Enhanced Creativity

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The Potential Of VR Training

How much we can expect virtual reality to truly impact corporate training is a complex equation. Since employee training covers an overwhelmingly broad set of topics, the opportunities are endless. In the early days of virtual reality, VR’s impact on training will focus on safety and manual practice, where many jobs require skilled and practiced movement.

Workplace Training Is Better With Virtual Reality

As more companies turn to virtual reality to train their employees, PwC recently conducted a study on how VR measures up as a training tool for soft skills in comparison to the classroom and e-learning. PwC studied employees from 12 U.S. locations, which were trained in the classroom, e-learn, and v-learn. As seen below, the time to complete the training was up to four times faster in VR than the classroom and 1.5 times faster than e-learning.

The study concluded that VR-trained employees reported higher confidence levels and a better ability to apply the skills on the job. VR learners showed a 40% improvement in confidence over the classroom and a 35% improvement over e-learning training.

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Industries Using VR For Training

Virtual reality has demonstrated its ability to transform and drive results in the corporate learning and training arena–and the world is starting to pay more attention. From traditional classroom learning environments to extreme training situations like Apex Officer, VR reduces investment and increases enrichment across a range of industries. Industries that are currently using VR for training:

Healthcare
Hospitality and Retail
Manufacturing
Law Enforcement
Sales Training
Mechanical Training and Repair
Safety and Risk Management
Tourism
Sports and Athletics
Military and Combat Training
K-12 Education
Health and Fitness
And Much More

In fact, Apex Officer's VR training simulator was recently featured in Forbes' Five Biggest Tech Trends in Policing and Law Enforcement, "In the US, police officers in Oklahoma use a different system called Apex Officer, which helps to train to respond to calls where mental health is an issue. Other systems use 360-degree video walls that surround the trainee, rather than requiring them to wear a headset."

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Cost Savings Of Virtual Reality Training

As a new technological innovation, VR is proving it's use case by delivering significant results. Since virtual reality is focused on improving current processes, the results of VR can be tested, and an organization can easily compare current methods to a virtual learning course. Cost savings of virtual reality take the form of:

Time Savings and Efficiency. If you want to learn German, living in Germany is the fastest way to do it. When you're fully immersed in a virtual reality world, it's almost difficult to NOT retain or remember information from your training experience.
Risk Reduction. For high risk and dangerous industries, one mistake could result in millions of dollars in damage. These scenarios are difficult to prepare for. With virtual reality, police officers, firefighters, pilots, and more can prepare and train for the most dangerous scenarios in a safe and controlled environment.
Planning and Logistics. Planning, scheduling, and organizing training is a long and demanding task. There's a reason why training manager is a full-time job. With virtual reality training, it's easy for every employee to get their training hours.

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