Immersive learning is an interactive educational experience that uses technology to create a simulated virtual environment where learners navigate real-life scenarios. It is designed to engage the learner by creating an environment where they can interact, practice, and experience skills and concepts in a realistic and memorable way.
The main goal of immersive learning is to enhance the learning experience and make it more engaging, interactive, and effective by allowing learners to practice and apply their skills in a simulated environment, rather than just listening to lectures or reading about the information.
While immersive learning can and should be applied to many types of skills development, it’s particularly useful for building core competencies for today’s modern workforce, such as empathy and inclusive leadership.
By harnessing immersive learning technology, there is immense potential in driving the self-awareness and understanding needed to propel tangible results for DEI. When included in a structured and continuous learning program and reinforced with opportunities to practice newly gained skills, you’re more likely to see lasting behavior change.
Exploring the Benefits of Immersive Learning
Let’s dive deeper into how immersive learning transforms typical learning engagements into dynamic, engaging experiences. By immersing learners in carefully constructed scenarios, immersive learning not only deepens understanding but also enhances the overall learning journey.
Engaging Learning Experience
Immersive learning provides a more engaging and interactive learning experience. By activating ‘presence’ through visual and auditory cues, learners feel that they are actually living out the experience.
More effective skill-building
Unlike traditional training methods, immersive learning allows learners to practice and apply their skills in a simulated real-world environment. Over time, learners build an automatic response process or way of being that’s akin to muscle memory and changes how they show up in their daily lives. This approach, which capitalizes on dedicated knowledge and research about how people learn has proven results, with research showing it can increase knowledge retention by up to 75%.
Promotes a safe learning environment
Immersive learning creates a safe and controlled environment for people to make mistakes and learn from them without fear of judgment or harm. When learning experiences involve decision-making, learners will understand immediately how their choices directly impact scenario outcomes, giving them real-time feedback that they can further reflect on.
Built for scale
When offered on-demand, employees can enjoy immersive learning in the flow-of-work. It doesn’t require the scheduling needed to get everyone together at the same time for an in-person or virtual meeting, making it both more cost-effective and easier to roll-out over larger swathes of an organization.
Ideal for building human skills
While immersive learning is a popular tool for hard skills — anything from performing complex surgeries to building planes — it’s also a valuable tool for building human skills. It gives learners the opportunity to practice navigating difficult conversations, showing up as allies in the face of inequities, and helps people understand what it’s like to experience moments of bias and discrimination from another person’s perspective. The experiential focus is an effective way to develop and improve human skills such as communication, empathy, and leadership.
The Lasting Impact of Immersive Learning
Immersive technologies are more than just a trend; they showcase the significant benefits of immersive learning as a transformative evolution in teaching and learning methods. As we continue to navigate the complexities of modern education and training, immersive learning stands out as a crucial tool in shaping capable, well-rounded individuals feel prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. With its ability to adapt to various learning needs and its scalability, immersive learning is set to redefine educational norms and establish a new standard for effective learning.