I am often asked “how do you integrate VR into traditional training programs, such as an Accredited course”? This is a great question and there are actually many options and ways to integrate VR into such courses. Here are 2 ways we’ve seen it done successfully:

Option 1 – Use VR to enrich and enhance the learning program.

Don’t replace anything, keep the course framework while adding in a VR component. Typically we’ve found that roughly 30 minutes of VR within a full day accredited course can add a lot of value. A lot of the time, a full day course will include half day theoretical and half day of practical. If you have a large class size, anytime over 4 participants really, there can be a lot of dead time for the trainer/assessor and participants that can be put to better use by rotating participants between the practical and VR experiences of relevance.

So the participants will be divided into smaller groups when doing the practical elements of the training. One group is keenly supervised completing the practical while the other group completes an engaging VR experience. Then they are rotated through. If they weren’t completing this approach, participants would ordinarily be standing around achieving very little. 

We’ve seen this used to great effect in critical safety courses like confined space, working at heights, fire extinguish, manual handling and numerous others where there are often large participant numbers, a single trainer/assessor and a blend of theory and practical. 
 
This type of approach allows the training program to hit its performance and evaluation requirements as set through Accredited standards, but to add extra value for participants. We’ve found that participants report a more enjoyable training experience, a feeling they learned more and reports that they feel like they participated in something innovative. 

Next World’s Confinded Spaces      Learning Experience

Option 2 – Map the course and issue micro credentials.
 
In this case, we’ve worked with companies who have been looking to gain maximum effect from their integration of VR. As such, they’ve taken the VR experience, mapped it to competency criteria, identified the elements that map into the accredited training package and then removed those elements from the subsequent class or practical delivery components. This has resulted in no additional time required to train participants and the trainer/assessor work burden being reduced. Essentially, the VR package, which may have say 5 of the 20 performance elements that are ordinarily a part of the training package are subsequently removed from the theory and practical and delivered through VR instead. 
 
Accredited training providers are always interested to add new value for their trainees. Whether that be through compressing knowledge pathways, reducing course duration without compromising qualit or trough adding innovation. We’ve found that these two options really easy ways to start a VR and innovation journey with Accredited training without any real risk to the business.