Taylor Maly

How virtual reality can benefit the classroom

(image of dull classroom and maybe a jingle or something)

Learning is an indispensable tool for us as human beings. Just as we use food to maintain

our bodies, we learn as a way to maintain our minds. We as educators are consistently trying to

find ways to make a more fun and interactive learning environment. A new, innovative idea for

branching out training and education is virtual reality. Is VR the future of training?

(image of a fun classroom or vr. headset use in business setting)

Virtual reality in training is used to create real workplace scenarios, giving the employee

an opportunity to safely experience the situations they will encounter on the job. Many

companies are currently using virtual reality for safety training such as (insert image of BP) BP

Oil and (insert image of Exxon) ExxonMobil. (Revert image to training one or Exxon) For

Exxon, the virtual reality training is not limited to safety, they allow engineers and gas operators

run through digital garage simulations. Putting the engineer in the situation to assess complex

scenarios offers “hands on” training that will hone their hard skills safely.

(Change image to someone training with vr headset at Walmart)

Taking the focus away from safety training, there are other avenues that we can explore.

Walmart has taken the initiative with virtual reality training at their “Walmart Academy” training

centers, they put employees into scenarios that simulate real work moments and ask them to

make decisions based on what they see. The goal is to put the employee in difficult situations

that are challenging to duplicate, such as an upset customer or the intense crowds during black

Friday.
Taylor Maly

(Change picture to something positive or someone thinking or maybe to money)

Many may be worried about the cost of virtual reality. The costs of headsets and

equipment are sometimes more reasonable when compared to the cost of training programs, but

you need an exceptionally powerful computer to run the programs. Too slow a frame rate and it

will not run properly. Using virtual reality when training in safety and manual tasks will increase

protection of employees and allow meaningful lessons. This is a fun way to let employees

interact with their work environment.

(Happy picture)
Taylor Maly

References

Gasparevic, D. (2019, August 16). Why Virtual-Reality Training for Employees Is Catching On.

Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/technology/pages/why

virtual-reality-training for-employees-is-catching-on.aspx.

Using VR for Employee Training: Here are real-world examples! (2019, July 25). Retrieved

from https://www.viar360.com/companies-using-virtual-reality-employee-training/.