Learning has always been a cornerstone of successful business, but only when done right. Most companies treat corporate training as just another business obligation. However, ongoing training and upskilling are more important than ever; they’re growth levers that set organizations up for success, enabling them to weather whatever business challenges they may face. 

This is why immersive learning in the workplace has become a priority for modern businesses. Immersive training directly involves employees in the learning process; instead of being passive recipients of traditional training decks and learning guides, they become actively involved in the learning process to understand business processes and overcome obstacles. But how do you build immersive learning programs that actually work? Let’s take a look below.

5 Essential Tips For Building Robust Immersive Learning Programs

As employees become more engaged and learn hands-on, they automatically acquire the skills to become better performers. Hence, immersive learning can directly lead to better revenues, customer satisfaction, business scalability, and, ultimately, organizational success. 

However, this requires more than investing in cutting-edge methodologies like augmented reality (AR) or simulated learning. Here are five tips for designing impact-driven learning programs:

1. Tailor Learning To Your Audience

Immersive training in businesses is no longer a new concept. As such, there are numerous approaches and technologies available for deploying these training programs, making it easy to feel overwhelmed when choosing.

To narrow down and make the right pick, focus on your team’s current skill gaps and where you want them to excel. For example, if your business involves high-stress scenarios that require quick responses, such as retail, your employees would benefit from learning by doing—getting immersed in simulated and hands-on situations to improve their performance. In this case, a VR-based training program would be a better choice than a gamified course, as it allows employees to be placed in replicated workplace scenarios to develop practical skills. 

2. Know What You’re Training Them For

Blindly implementing training programs will neither benefit you nor your teams. Instead, determine training goals and use surveys, interviews, performance data, and other methods to identify skill gaps. Then, create immersive programs using the right XR (extended reality) technologies to fill these gaps.

Here’s a short overview of common XR technologies and when they’re best used:

• AR: Augmented reality programs work best when you want to physically train employees on products or business processes, with additional information. For instance, healthcare training for using specific medical devices.
• VR: Virtual reality programs are ideal for controlled training sessions, where you are entirely in charge of what employees learn. For example, simulated conversations or VR-recreated customer interactions to help sales teams hone their communication skills.
• MR: Mixed reality programs are for when you want to combine VR and AR for a fully immersive learning experience. For instance, creating virtual learning environments (VLE) for employees to experience business products through AR and learn about their features and desired outcomes through VR.

3. Use The Right Technologies

While various immersive technologies are available to enhance training programs and help employees upskill more quickly, they also entail complex costs and technical requirements. For example, setting up an immersive learning environment can involve storyboarding, equipment such as cameras and VR/AR gear, and 360-degree filming, all of which can add up to a substantial expense. 

To avoid this, choose the right XR technology based on your training content. Evaluate and prioritize your technical needs based on how they can help achieve the learning objectives. This way, you can allocate resources more efficiently and create a learning experience tailored completely to your existing skill gaps, thereby avoiding unnecessary expenses.

4. Include Real-World Scenarios

Immersive training is about helping employees develop skills by navigating real-life scenarios in simulated environments. Instead of traditional videos or guides, they can experience real-world challenges, pressures, and stresses to understand how to overcome them and build the necessary skills to do so. 

This is why including real-world scenarios is key to successful immersive learning. Expose employees to situations they’re likely to encounter, such as dealing with an irate consumer or completing a complex project within a limited timeframe. This way, they can not only learn but also apply their acquired skills to practice, perform better, and yield better business outcomes.

5. Leverage Storytelling

Text-heavy training manuals are seldom effective; organizations need to adopt storytelling, especially when their learning programs are based on real-world scenarios. Simulated scenarios thrive on narratives that engage employees more, as they become an integral part of the lesson itself. Here’s why storytelling is key:

• Connection: Storytelling taps into a learner’s emotions, allowing them to become more invested in their journey. For example, if you create a simulated program where dealing with an irate customer has an actual business impact, the employee will be more invested in learning how to handle the customer better. This ultimately creates a more meaningful learning experience.
• Relevance: A story or narrative gives employees the context for the skills you want them to acquire. Imagine placing your staff in the shoes of a medical team tackling an emergency—they will have a relevant framework to know where they can apply the skills they’re training for in the first place.
• Engagement: Compelling stories keep learners engaged as they become eager to see what happens next, the impact of their decisions, and what skills they are acquiring. An immersive experience without a compelling story yields few, if any, positive results. 

Hence, integrating storytelling into your immersive programs is a must. Storytelling elevates these programs from mere learning exercises to empowering tools for growth, enabling your teams to acquire the necessary skills to thrive in business. 

Final Thoughts

Businesses settling for traditional methods are lagging behind, and the sooner they embrace immersive learning, the better. Every company wants a future-ready workforce, but building one requires more than training decks; it needs tech-forward learning experiences that engage employees, bolster their learning capabilities, and foster confidence. We hope this guide has helped you understand the factors that contribute to building immersive training programs that build the teams of tomorrow.