Abstract:

The lecture hall is large, equipped with the latest technology and filled with daylight through the fully glazed side front - and from the inside the view of a green landscape with Mountains in the sun. Instead of folding chairs, the students sit on wide cushions that give the semicircle, which descends step-like to the speaker zone, a relaxed learning atmosphere. No one has to worry about not being able to get a seat or being able to follow events from the back ranks only with binoculars. The generous impression continues in front of the auditorium door: The group-working areas are cozy Islands with leather trimmings and carpets on round parquet floors. Lots of glass also ensures transparency in the direction of the seminar rooms.

Learning can be so relaxed - almost too good to be true. Real - In the sense of physically tangible - the chic campus is not actually. In the online 3D seminars, offered in the "WBS Learnspace 3D®" of the WBS TRAINING AG, Berlin, all participants work together with experts from business, industry and education on fixed dates. A personal avatar represents and accompanies them through a virtual three-dimensional world. They are always connected to their trainer via screen, headset and microphone - regardless of location, live and in exchange with other participants. The seminars impart knowledge in areas such as personal skills, modern working methods and digitization. The focus topics Work 4.0 and New Work point the way to digital transformation.

The WBS Learnspace 3D® now adds another dimension, which opens up new usage options. The three-dimensional environment in which participants can move "as if in real life" enables near-natural communication and social interaction. The simulation depicts a multi-store company building. There, the participants learn and work in real time, represented by their avatars. The sound is located, that is, everyone hears from which direction a person speaks, and perceives, who approaches or removes. The result is a high degree of realism in the sense of immersion and a continuous sense of social presence, although the learners can actually be in different places, such as in the company, in the home office or on a business trip.

Of course, the easiest way to measure virtual learning environments is to incur lower costs compared to classroom sessions: no travel expenses, no hotel fees, less disruption to day-to-day business. In the past however, this calculation often turned out to be a milkmaid calculation because online seminars of the first and second generation did little in the quiet little room. The 3D effect is supposed to change this: It is observed that comparable group-dynamic processes take place in the virtual presence, as well as typical informal actions, such as the spontaneous small talk in breaks. However, it seems that in virtual training many fears and blockades of the learners can be reduced due to the representation through an avatar. This result is a reliable option to offer face-to-face events partially or completely in the form of a common virtual presence.

Keywords:

Collaboration, Learning, Virtual Reality, New Work, Digital Transformation, Training, Innovation.