Meeting the new reality: immersive learning
September 14, 2021
September 14, 2021
Despite spending an average of $1,300 per employee annually on training, research proves that learners forget 70% of the content within 24 hours and nearly 90% in a month. It’s not surprising that over 90% of executives Accenture surveyed agree existing employee training methods need to be more effective for their workforce.
Engaging employees now means going beyond one-way training experiences to engage all the human senses. Typically, the more active the learning, the more effective the outcomes.
Immersive learning, an advanced form of active learning, uses technology to create fully simulated environments where learners interact with the experience—as close to the “real world” as you can get.
Human ingenuity and extended reality (XR) technologies power the innovation behind immersive learning. Success depends on the right scope, scale, and agility—as well as collaboration between the Chief HR Officer/Learning & Development organization and Chief Technology Officer/IT organization. Based on Accenture’s research findings, we know sufficient business integration, workforce reach, and future flexibility are vital.
Following the pandemic, people want to go beyond how things were, to a better normal. To deliver this, organizations need to take the digital technology that we have all become used to and extend it to create more valuable experiences
Organizations must find innovative ways to keep employees engaged or risk losing them. This means investing in employee learning and development, going beyond one-way training experiences to engage all the human senses. By using Extended Reality, enterprises can create novelty and excitement, and offer interactive and immersive learning opportunities.
Executives responding to our Accenture Immersive Learning survey say they're already engaging with XR training.
77%
Believe that integrating XR devices with their broader cloud strategy will make the solution more powerful.
31%
Say they're involved in defining device management policies to enable procurement, management and maintenance of new devices such as XR.
41%
Agree that integrating with an existing learning management system is the biggest challenge when implementing XR for enterprise learning.
79%
Agree that managing security and privacy of employee data is one of the most critical aspects of their XR implementation strategy.
Making the right decisions across infrastructure, hardware, ecosystems and people will help your company and your people reap the most from immersive learning.
90% of executives we surveyed agree that existing employee training methods in their workplace need to be more effective. Yet conventional approaches to training, such as instructor-led classes or online video series, can be less than optimal.
XR can help connect new joiners and build a sense of community when people can’t physically be together. For example, One Accenture Park is a shared virtual space using Microsoft AltSpace VR. It enables immersive onsite experiences, interactive showcases and hands-on demonstrations.
New joiners can wear Oculus headsets to go beyond flat-screen video conferencing into 3D interactive environments, including social ‘water cooler’ moments to connect and network.
Ideally, your chosen partner should have six key capabilities to help speed your organization’s journey:
The ability to understand your priorities and vision.
Expertise to advise on the right levels for the organization.
Experience to capture and analyze data.
Knowledge about how to design the ability to access and launch applications on any device.
The ability to bring together the right mix of diverse talent needed to build an immersive application.
Strength in content creation, consumption and management.