Best Practices in Immersive Learning Design [Video + Free PDF Checklist]
Immersive Technology + Learning & Development = Immersive Learning
Have you ever been inside of a molecule? Have you and your friends ever visited a faraway land in the blink of an eye? Have you ever pictured your coworkers as video game avatars? All of the above and so much more is possible with immersive technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality.
Combine this technology with learning and development, and we step into the exciting world of immersive learning, which is all about designing guided practice for behavior change and performance improvement in virtual and augmented environments (Pagano, 2013). With this type of learning, we need to think big and imagine how we'd teach people without the limits of time and space.
You may think that some brand-new, innovative instructional design methods are used for designing immersive learning experiences. However, the tried and true ADDIE framework is still one of our best options. ADDIE stands for analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation, the five main phases instructional designers use for creating almost any type of training. Let's see how ADDIE holds up as a framework for best practices in immersive learning design.
In a nutshell, there are three best practices that all immersive learning designs should follow:
First, determine the performance objectives that state what someone will be able to do by the end of the training. These are selected by thoroughly analyzing their learning or working environment and finding failure points that need practice and improvement. [Analysis]
Second, create a virtual world where learners practice skills to help them achieve their performance objectives. This world should have an engaging storyline and provide a safe space, sometimes free of assessment, for the learner to play, fail, take risks, fail again, eventually improve, and even have fun, regardless of the subject matter. [Design + Development]
And third, determine how success will be measured through performance metrics. Also, determine how the learner will receive feedback and success measurement throughout their experience. [Implementation + Evaluation]
If you were paying attention, you noticed that we just went through all 5 phases of ADDIE. Want to learn more? Check out this detailed, immersive learning design checklist – free download!
Download the Best Practices in Immersive Learning PDF!
3 Examples of Immersive Learning in the Workplace
Training #1: La Brigade de Cuisine
Target audience: Members of a 3-starred Michelin restaurant that uses the Brigade de Cuisine kitchen heirarchy
Description of the experience: In a low-stakes virtual world, the kitchen staff role play as other members of the staff to learn about the function they play in the kitchen heirarchy. This experience is designed to help the staff members understand each other's roles, learn to respect those roles and each other, and work together as an efficient unit. This saves resources from being wasted in the kitchen.
Measurable Performance Objective: If kitchen staff members have learned about and practiced the skills associated with a role other than their own in the brigade de cuisine, they should be able to demonstrate that role's skills by completing a customer's meal as a team in under 10 minutes.
Possible Technology: Strivr (VR); elements made in Zapworks Studio (VR)
Training #2: Good Cop, New Cop
Target Audience: New police officers learning to make tough yet safe decisions in the heat of the moment
Description of the Experience: New police officers are placed in immersive simulations of documented real-life scenarios to learn how to react and make decisions. They are partnered with virtual seasoned officers that demonstrate in-the-moment decision-making tactics. The new officers are placed in similar situations coached by their partners. Branching scenarios are utilized so users can see the consequences of different choices, and a gradual release of responsibility is given to the new officers as they release less assistances from their partners.
Measurable Performance Objective: If new police officers have learned about in-the-moment decision-making tatics that lead to safe results, they should be able to analyze new scenarios and make asafe, ppropriate decisions by completing branching scenarios with 100% accuracy without assistance from their virtual partners.
Possible Technology: Strivr (VR)
Training #3: Onboarding Scavenger Hunt
Target Audience: New hires in a mid-size company or within a department of a large company
Description of the Experience: New hires use their mobile devices to tour the office space and learn about the location of offices, their function, and who currently works there; about the company's history and mission; about the products and services the company provides; about any research, design, and development processes involved making products; and more.
Measurable Performance Objective: If new hires have completed the AR onboarding experience, they should be able to recall information about the company and the office space by training a virtual new hire in VR with 80% accurancy.
Possible Technology: Mobile phones or tablets; Lightship (AR); Strivr (VR)
References
Henry, J. W. (2022, December 21). Immersive Learning Design Today: Best Practices. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/immersive-learning-design-today-best-practices
McClintock, S. (2021, October 4). Onboarding with augmented reality. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/onboarding-with-augmented-reality
Pagano, K. O. (2013). Immersive learning. American Society for Training and Development.
