Abstract:

This abstract outlines the development and roll-out of virtual learning environments (VLEs) and educational content that was created for the enhancement and digitalisation of employee training in two companies from different sectors with different needs.

The literature and multiple case studies have shown that digital immersive technology, such as virtual reality, has the potential to improve training education by reducing delivery time, involving fewer resources, allowing easily repeatable engagement, as well as a safe means of learning and practicing in potentially dangerous environments without risk.

The AgriTech Centre of Excellence (ACE) is a company of digital immersive technology specialists based in Ireland that brings a range of digitalisation solutions to all sectors across Ireland. We consult with our partner companies to tailor digital solutions to best meet the needs of the company, to address skills gaps, and to develop more sustainable, effective and efficient work practices where industry resources can be managed more efficiently. For this project we worked with two companies, one in the Sales sector that operates field-based and customer engagement-based contracts in Energy, Telecoms, and Retail sectors. The second company is situated in the Manufacturing Sector. This company makes products for Water, Environmental and Construction industries.

Both companies have predominantly used standard and common training media such as slide-decks, role-playing and employee shadowing to deliver their employee training. These practices can be time-consuming and do not allow the trainee to have direct experience of the role for which they are training. In order to ameliorate the process we sought to develop, roll-out and evaluate immersive technology training as a means to improving and upgrading their training processes with potential extension across the whole company training operation. In this paper, we will detail the process of creating this content including considering the following:
• Real vs. virtual 360-degree training environments
• Trainer-led vs. trainee-controlled training
• Access to suitable delivery media (e.g. head-mounted displays)
• Suitability of the technology to meet training needs
• Level of trainee engagement/interactivity with the content
• Amount of training information provided to the trainee within the environment

We will detail each company’s training needs and goal then discuss how and why we used 360-degree video and imagery capturing as well as virtual reality software tools to develop the immersive training content and associated VLE. In order to demonstrate the content created, pedagogical, as well as practical benefits, we provide visual examples of the media created. Finally we give an overview of the roll-out of this training within the companies and discuss the outcomes and impact of its delivery as well as the feedback shared with us from both trainee and trainer. In summary, despite the difference in sectors and training environments, the digital adaptation of in-house employee training within the two case studies showed that immersive technology proved to ameliorate training in terms of standardisation, time- and trainer-resourcing, effectiveness and to positively influence company performance metrics.

Keywords:

Employee training, virtual reality, immersive technology, digitalisation, virtual learning environments, 360-degree video.