General – Mazerspace https://mazerspace.com Wed, 11 Sep 2024 16:17:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://mazerspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/cropped-favicon-mazerspace-32x32.webp General – Mazerspace https://mazerspace.com 32 32 From 2D to 3D: Transitioning Traditional Training into the Virtual Reality Space https://mazerspace.com/2d-to-3d-training/ Thu, 26 Sep 2024 16:09:52 +0000 https://mazerspace.com/?p=27977 VR training is often much better than traditional one, mainly due to one particular aspect—transferring the training materials from 2D to 3D. However, to do so, you need to know how to transition (and have confidence in this switch by knowing its benefits). This is exactly what we shall focus on in this article, so read on if you want to find out more!

The Benefits of 3D Training

For starters, let’s look at the perks of transitioning from 2D to 3D training. These benefits are often connected with the tech used for 3-dimensional interactions, such as 3D goggles or VR. What are they in particular? Take a look below.

Enhanced Engagement and Immersion

A 3D training is much more immersive than a 2D one. With the latter, the participants are fully aware that they are looking at training materials, but with the former, the boundary fades. As a result, a much higher level of immersion is possible, which translates directly to improved learning.

See also:

Fun and Joy

3D training is much more fun! Why is it so important?

Joy stimulates dopamine production and, in the end—better knowledge acquisition. Moreover, it will lift the morale, help your employees avoid burnout, and reduce their stress levels. This way, your training won’t only be more effective when learning is concerned but will also add to the wellbeing of your teams.

Practicing Real-Life Scenarios

Finally, by transferring from 2D to 3D training, you can simulate real-life scenarios. This enables your employees to practice in situations that could occur in the workplace, preparing them better for the challenges, hazards and risks related to their jobs.

Challenges When Transitioning from 2D to 3D/VR Training

Would you like to reap the benefits of 3D training? Well, you need to overcome some challenges first, but do not worry—they are not as difficult to tackle as it might seem. The potential blockers might include three elements:

Technology

You need tech both to translate your 2D materials to 3D and to conduct the training in the latter. For this, you will need to:

  • Opt for 2D to 3D converters online or create your 3D training manually based on the materials, using platforms like Mazer Trainer.
  • Buy the technology required for conducting 3D training:
    • hardware—for instance, VR goggles; see our best VR headsets ranking,
    • software—a platform to create and conduct your training, dedicated applications with particular courses.

Costs

3D training does not have to be costly, but it all depends on the type of platform you will be using. In some cases, about $200/month is enough; in others, you might need to make a single, significant investment in a VR application.

Naturally, you need to include hardware on this list.

Learning the Technology

Finally, you and your team will need to get accustomed with the 3D training tech. It might take some time to master, so don’t expect to be fluent in it right away.

2D to 3D Training: The Takeaway

Transitioning from 2D to 3D training might seem difficult, but it is much easier than it seems. Naturally, this does not mean that you will not have to overcome certain challenges, but with the right approach and thorough research, no obstacles should be able to stop you. So, what are you waiting for? Invest in 3D training tech and take your corporate learning to the next level!

You might also read: VR Training Revolution: How Mazer Trainer is Simplifying No-Code Training Creation

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The Gamification of Learning: How Mazer Trainer in VR Makes Cognitive Training https://mazerspace.com/vr-gamification-of-learning/ Tue, 24 Sep 2024 16:00:46 +0000 https://mazerspace.com/?p=27974 Is gamification of learning important? Yes, it is! Thanks to it, you can make training experiences more enjoyable and motivate your employees/students, enhancing the effects of each session/lesson. In this article, we will delve into this topic more deeply, showcasing how VR can help in this area. We invite you to read on!

Gamification of Learning: Definition

The term gamification is a combination of two words: “game” and “education.” It refers to the application of elements known from games (point scoring, competition, clear rules) to learning experiences, in order to improve knowledge acquisition.

Gamification of learning has numerous benefits—you will find the most crucial ones below.

  • Increased engagement.
  • Enhanced motivation.
  • Incentivized collaboration.
  • Improved learning and knowledge retention.
  • More hard data on the training/learning process.
  • Fun learning experience.

Gamification in VR

As a digital environment, VR offers many more opportunities to introduce gamification in training and learning. This is one of the biggest benefits of using VR in training and education. How can you reap the benefits?

First of all, you can introduce gamification to almost any aspect of your VR learning experience, often including those that would be possible but difficult to implement in life outside virtual reality. Take, for instance, individual training undertaken by multiple employees at the same time. With VR, you can measure the time each employee needed to complete the scenario effortlessly while letting them work simultaneously.

It’s also easier to introduce elements like badges and rankings into virtual reality or even to conduct training/learning sessions that are more like games than lectures. The possibilities are virtually limitless; that’s why VR is the future of training.

Gamification of Learning in VR with Mazer Trainer

At Mazer, we offer you our own platform for training in virtual reality: Mazer Trainer. Let’s look at its features and see how you can use it to promote VR gamification in your company.

For starters, let’s take our XR quizzes. They are a feature woven into our platform that enable you to test the knowledge of your trainees during the training. It’s a good way to both evaluate the effectiveness of a given session and to incentivize your employees to acquire knowledge more consciously…plus it is fun!

On the other hand, Mazer Trainer offers you a small, but crucial function: 3D emojis. Thanks to them, training participants can evaluate their colleagues in real-time, in a fun and interactive way. It’s great for capturing attention and creating the game-like atmosphere.

Finally, with some packages (see Mazer Trainer pricing), you can create and use multiple VR spaces at ones. Progressing from one to another will, itself, feel like exploring a game, giving your employees a sense of development, boosting their self-confidence and motivating them.

Naturally, the above are just a few examples; as our platform comes with multiple training tools, you can create your own training scenarios and use VR to embrace the gamification of learning in multiple other ways. The only restriction here is your imagination.

VR Gamification of Learning:The Takeaway

The gamification of learning is crucial if you want your training to be more effective, engaging, and fun for the participants. Therefore, we strongly recommend embracing it. With VR, it’s even easier to add elements known from games to your learning courses, so you should definitely try this technology out and see what it is capable of.


You might also read: VR Training Revolution: How Mazer Trainer is Simplifying No-Code Training Creation

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Enhancing Employee Engagement with VR: Benefits Beyond Traditional Training Methods https://mazerspace.com/vr-training-vs-traditional-training/ Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:29:10 +0000 https://mazerspace.com/?p=27968 Training in VR goes far beyond the capabilities of traditional methods. It is more engaging, it is better, and it lets employees practice in real-life situations simulated in the digital world. Therefore, in this article, we shall look at it more closely. How does it outperform traditional training and what are the benefits of VR training? Find it all out!

VR Training vs. Traditional Training

The best way to show the power of virtual reality training experiences is to compare them with traditional training. So, in what aspects is the former better? Take a look at our list of VR training’s advantages below.

Engagement

Can traditional training be engaging? Yes, though it largely depends on the speaker’s skills, the setting, and the equipment they can bring. On the other hand, VR training will almost certainly be engaging.

Why? You can select the setting and design a space that meets your needs and is related to the topic of the training. Moreover, it enables you to utilize 3D elements—you just have to design them, not own (and transport) them. Add to that embedding videos or visualizing data in 360°, and you can grab your audience’s attention much better than with traditional methods.

Diversification and Quality

Another aspect in which VR employee training wins over traditional methods is quality. Due to the customization options of the VR worlds, you can simply create a better training environment that you often have at your disposal physically.

For instance, imagine a VR fire safety training. How would you imitate the flames in your office so that they would move naturally and act as the threat they are? This would be extremely difficult. But, if you recreate your office in VR, you can introduce digital flames, showcasing your employees the true dangers of fire.

At the same time, VR enables you to practice different situations related to such fires. For example, fire spreading from various points in the office. Thanks to this, it becomes possible to practice handling different scenarios and types of the same threat, and not only a standardized one, making the training significantly better.

Scalability and Automation

Both scalability and automation have become buzzwords, but when it comes to VR training vs. traditional training, there is much more to them. Why?

  • Traditional training—it is not scalable; the more people take part in it, the harder it is to prepare and you need to get ready every time you conduct it.
  • VR training—you can create a training scenario once and re-use it as many times as possible. You may introduce NPCs to the training to automate it (completely or partially), reducing subsequent sessions’ costs.

Expenses and Convenience

VR training might require a higher initial investment vs. traditional training. However, in the long run, it costs less.

After getting the right platform and purchasing the VR equipment, you just need to design the training scenarios, and voila—your training is ready. After that, the costs go down when compared with traditional methods, mainly because:

  • You do not have to cover transportation costs for team members from different offices.
  • You do not need a large space to accommodate everyone you want to train.
  • You do not have to organize catch-up meetings and additional workshops since the training is more engaging—your employees learn more from it.
  • You can automate parts or the whole of your training.

In the end, VR training is not just better than traditional training—it is also cheaper.

VR Training – Benefits and Conclusions

VR training has a plethora of advantages over traditional methods. Therefore, companies will benefit from implementing it. If you are looking for a reliable, customizable solution, contact us at Mazer and learn more about our VR Trainer—the ultimate tool for preparing and conducting VR training for finance, healthcare, education, and corporations.

You may also read: VR Training Revolution: How Mazer Trainer is Simplifying No-Code Training Creation

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Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Mazer Trainer in Your Company https://mazerspace.com/implementing-mazer-trainer/ Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:22:51 +0000 https://mazerspace.com/?p=27965 How do you implement Mazer Trainer in your company? Start by selecting the package. Even here, you need to consider your organization’s size and the need for VR training to select the one tailored to your needs the most. After that, start deploying the platform; remember to train the trainers in your company—they need to be able to design their own training scenarios without any help. Finally, start training your teams. Do you want to learn more? Then keep reading!

Implementing Mazer Trainer Step 1: Defining Goals and Selecting the Package

The initial step of your implementation requires you to select one of the three available Mazer Trainer packages. Here, you should focus mostly on your goals and your organization’s needs.

For instance, as a small business, you can pick the Basic Package. However, it only offers one space for up to 8 users simultaneously, so it won’t be a good choice if you’re planning large-scale training efforts or if your teams are larger.

On the other hand, the Gold Package offers you 4 spaces for up to 20 users, which will be more than enough for many businesses—why pay for something you will not use? Therefore, you should start by considering the size of your teams and the need for virtual training space.

With that done, you need to think about the nature and type of your training. Do you need the advanced Mazer Trainer tools, or will the basic tools be sufficient? This is yet another question that you have to answer before selecting the package.

Implementing Mazer Trainer Step 2: Getting the Platform and Learning How to Use It

One of the main benefits of Mazer Trainer is its intuitiveness—you do not need to be able to code to design your training scenarios. This means that it is good to teach all the employees who might become trainers how to use it.

This should not be a long process, as the platform is not complicated to use. However, learning the ins and outs of Mazer Trainer together will stimulate engagement and knowledge acquisition, so it’s good to organize group training for this.

implementing Mazer Trainer Step 3: Deploy the Platform

With everything ready, you can test the platform in practice and conduct the first VR training in the company. Remember that for this, you will need proper equipment (see our VR headset ranking). Additionally, you should give your employees some time to adapt to the new training setting. Why?

Entering VR for the first time is usually confusing and takes a little bit of getting used to. This could hinder your employees’ focus. Therefore, you can start by organizing a light-themed training session on…using VR. This will acquaint your team with the feelings of exploring the VR world so that they won’t be distracted for the next, more serious training.

This is also a great opportunity to test some of the tools in Mazer Trainer. Although all of them are helpful, not every type of training and feature will be good for every learning group and situation, and conducting a light-hearted session will give you a great opportunity to test different solutions and see how your employees react to them.

The Takeaway

As you can see, implementing Mazer Trainer is relatively simple. At the same time, it offers a plethora of benefits. Therefore, if you still hesitate, feel free to contact us. We will dispel your doubts and tell you more about utilizing our platform to conduct the best corporate, medical, educational, or safety training possible!

You may also read: Leadership Skills Development: How Virtual Reality Training Enhances Leadership

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VR Empathy: Embracing Others’ Perspectives Through VR https://mazerspace.com/virtual-reality-empathy/ Mon, 29 Apr 2024 10:39:51 +0000 https://mazerverse.com/?p=5107 Despite being relatively new, virtual reality has quickly proven to be a powerful educational tool. VR training is already widely used. Training in empathy and understanding other people’s perspectives is one area where VR can bring great success. Let’s follow the scientific research on this topic to better understand the benefits and effects of such training.

Using Virtual Reality to Discover Empathy

How can VR training help develop empathy and perspective-taking skills? To build positive interpersonal bonds, empathy is inextricably linked to prosocial behavior. Society and individuals function harmoniously when these bonds are present.

Researchers and training participants agree that VR environments are ideal for practicing empathy and taking the perspective of others. “Building long-term empathy: A large-scale comparison of traditional and virtual reality perspective-taking” conducted by scientists at Stanford University in 2018, is an example of documented research on this subject.

Empathy, Perspective-taking, and VR Training

A study describing the results was published in the scientific journal Plos One. It was assumed that empathy and perspective-taking are two key aspects of building understanding and bonds between people that can be strengthened by VR training. Scientists defined empathy as understanding and sharing another’s feelings, while perspective-taking as an ability to see the world from one’s perspective. Based on their prejudices toward homeless people and people of different ethnicities, participants were evaluated on both values.

VR training enhanced participants’ empathy and perspective-taking skills in several ways, according to the study. Those who completed eight weeks of perspective tasks showed more positive attitudes and signed more petitions supporting homeless initiatives than those who only imagined being homeless or completed less involved perspective tasks.

The Perspective of Others in VR Simulations

An additional study, also conducted by Stanford University, shows that virtual reality increases cognitive empathy for others. Based on the research mentioned above, this study concluded that virtual reality experiences can increase prosocial behavior. In a series of games, partners were tested on their ability to adopt the perspective of their partner when faced with normal life situations, such as helping someone with communication issues who has difficulties reading or using a wheelchair. Participants interacted with a partner – a student from the same university – in a registered laboratory experiment.

Experimental results confirmed that VR training increased participants’ subsequent tendency to adopt their partner’s perspective (an aspect of empathy). However, this happened when the partner was the same person whose perspective the participants took in the virtual reality simulation. This confirms the theory that VR can enhance the ability to take a goal-specific perspective.

VR and Everyday Challenges: Benefits

Studies on the development of empathy skills and taking the perspective of others using VR strongly confirm the benefits of VR. According to researchers, VR training offers participants the following benefits:

  • Increasing empathy and perspective-taking skills;
  • Improving communication and cooperation;
  • Developing new strategies for resolving conflict.

VR can also be used in training aimed at developing empathy in an extremely wide variety of ways. Among them are:

  • Simulations: Users can experience different situations from the perspective of different people, e.g. a homeless person, a refugee or a disabled person.
  • Interactive games: VR games can teach cooperation and bonding between people from different backgrounds.
  • Stories: VR can be used to tell stories from different perspectives, which can help users develop empathy for different social groups.

VR offers enormous possibilities for increasing empathy and learning to take a different perspective. As a society, we can be optimistic about reducing prejudice and promoting appropriate social attitudes as technology advances.

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Leadership Skills Development: How Virtual Reality Training Enhances Leadership https://mazerspace.com/virtual-reality-leadership-skills-development/ Tue, 23 Apr 2024 13:10:04 +0000 https://mazerverse.com/?p=5096 Developing leaders in organizations requires leadership training. The financial resources allocated to this component of organizational development demonstrate its importance. The effectiveness of such programs is greatest when they are based on practical experience and face-to-face interaction. Leadership skills training must also take the specificities of the organization into account in order to be effective. Is virtual reality (VR) technology going to revolutionize leadership training? In this article, we examine scientific research on virtual reality leadership skills development.

Is It Possible to Teach Leadership Using VR?

The use of virtual reality to develop business leadership skills is still a new area that is being explored. Scientists emphasize the importance of teaching through practical experience, which is why technology that integrates experience, perception, and action is becoming increasingly popular. The development and understanding of leadership skills can be enhanced through VR simulations.

VR training facilitates the development of key business leadership skills by reflecting realistic business scenarios. It is possible to develop empathy through virtual interactions, which is useful in global business environments. With VR training, it becomes easier to understand cultural contexts, understand perspectives of different cultures, and communicate across cultures. Being able to understand another person’s perspective is essential to developing empathy. Leaders who adopt this perspective achieve better results in the workplace and are perceived as caring about their subordinates’ development.

In comparison with traditional teaching methods, what are the main advantages of VR training? Participants learn from a virtual reality environment in a purely practical way, which enables them to retain up to 67% of information, according to research. A virtual reality training environment can be customized to suit the needs of each organization due to its flexibility. Unlike traditional methods, VR does not have time or geographical limitations. Leadership skills can be regularly enhanced with the use of VR technology for leadership training.

Intercultural Dialogue: an Example of VR Simulation

A VR training focused on developing empathy and leadership skills in business was described in The ISM Journal of International Business. VR simulation allows users to participate in a global business meeting in Asia. There are two parts to the training: observational and interactive. In the observation part of the program, participants have the opportunity to interact dynamically with other managers from different cultures. Participating in the interactive part involves assuming the role of one of the managers at the meeting. Training personnel have access to the thoughts, cultural assumptions, prejudices, and feelings of the characters they play.

The simulation was carefully prepared in many aspects. In order to maintain the cross-cutting context, both the dialogue and the characters’ thoughts were developed carefully, and 360-degree cameras captured their interactions with actors representing different cultures and countries. The training experience was designed to foster empathy and understanding among training participants, including those from other cultures.

Business Leadership Training with Virtual Reality

This training aimed to prepare managers for global operations, actively cooperating with partners around the globe. The opportunity to observe global business interactions from the perspective of “flying on the wall” in the first part of the training enabled them to better understand the sources of misunderstandings and conflicts that often arise from cultural differences. Through interactive exercises in virtual business scenarios, such as motivation, negotiation, conflict resolution, and strategic decision-making in a global context, leadership skills can be improved over time.

Researchers: Mingce Bi, Danyi Liao, Danielle Myung, Yuqi Sheng, and Fei Wu conduct research focusing on similar objectives: Studying the Efficacy of Virtual Reality Leadership Training. There are 40 managers involved in the study, divided into two research groups. One group undergoes traditional training, while the other uses virtual reality. Leadership skills will be assessed in both groups. A key objective of the study is to determine whether virtual reality (VR) training improves leadership skills over the long term and results in better performance. Also, whether virtual reality (VR) training can be used to develop leadership and management skills in employees noticeably.

The results of the scientists’ research should be known in a few months, and we will share them on our blog. Research, existing training materials, and participant testimonials all support the theory that personalized VR training is more efficient and effective than traditional training methods for developing strategic leadership skills.

Read also: Mastering The Art Of Public Speaking: VR Training And Dynamic Presentations

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Breaking Barriers: How Virtual Reality is Reshaping Training Across Industries https://mazerspace.com/how-vr-is-reshaping-training-across-industries/ Fri, 19 Apr 2024 10:55:55 +0000 https://mazerverse.com/?p=5112 Virtual reality is an extremely versatile technology, and using it for employee training is one of the best ways to utilize it within any organization. However, its role rises even higher due to the possibility of simulating real-life scenarios, especially in industries like healthcare or aviation, where preparing for the most dramatic circumstances in advance is key. In this article, we shall look into the way VR impacts training across different industries – we invite you to read on.

VR in Aviation Training

First, we shall examine the role of VR in aviation training. In this case, it can be utilized to help both pilots and the rest of the cabin crew.

For starters, virtual reality enables training on each machine type. This is quite useful for acquainting the pilots with the cockpit of the particular type of aircraft and letting the cabin crew explore each machine to understand the safety procedures better. Yet, this is just the beginning.

Apart from exploring the different types of aircraft, VR training enables you to simulate particular scenarios in them, from turbulence to emergency landings. As a result, you can ensure that the crew has the best training possible. And, if this is not enough – VR training for aviation professionals is often less expensive than traditional simulator training.

VR in Healthcare Training

In the case of healthcare, virtual reality provides a set of opportunities and possibilities that would be impossible to achieve with traditional training methods. What is more, it is possible to use this technology across different areas in the whole industry. Let’s take a look at the role of VR in medical training in more detail.

Doctor’s Training

The first instance where VR has a major advantage over traditional training methods is in students’ practical training. Typically, those who wish to become surgeons can practice or view particular surgeries only two to three times before they perform them themselves. Virtual reality can change that.

With a deep reconstruction of a human body in VR, medical students can practice on their own in a controlled environment where no risks of causing damage are posed. As a result, they are able to emerge well-prepared when finally taking their role as surgeons/physicians

EMS Training

One of the key challenges in emergency medical services (EMS) is that it all takes place in conditions much different from those in a hospital. But with VR, you can recreate them.

When using VR in EMS training, it is possible to simulate all the sounds or even physical obstacles that could affect the work of paramedics and doctors. This way, they can get used to different conditions and learn how to work around them. Additionally, such training can be conducted to increase EMS workers’ safety – for example, in conditions with a high risk of electric shock or fire.

VR in Sales/Customer Service Training

It is also beneficial to use VR in sales training. In this case, it combines the strong sides of real-life and online learning together, letting your employees practice in the most beneficial environment. How does it work?

  • You provide your employees with materials on the VR platform, including use cases and knowledge sources.
  • You simulate real-life scenarios where your sales specialist can practice.
  • You can evaluate and improve not only the substantive elements of the work but also aspects like body language.

The same methods can be applied to your customer service training.

VR in Military Training

As the last example, we need to discuss VR in military training, as it is yet another area transformed by this technology. Why is it so crucial in this case?

Firstly, VR is much less expensive than traditional methods. Instead of using up regular ammunition, it’s possible to train the recruits in using different weapons purely in the VR, with only one or two real-life sessions after their initial practice in virtual reality.

Secondly, you can use VR to practice different scenarios and conditions. After all, a mission in the Middle East requires being able to handle the environment there, and VR enables you to train soldiers in that.

Finally, VR is helpful for warfare vehicle training. Here, the perks are the same as for general aviation training.

The Takeaway

Virtual reality is a great aid for training, no matter what industry or sector we discuss. It enables better, more accurate practice, hence producing better-versed professionals ready to do their jobs effectively. Therefore, if you are not using AI yet, we recommend that you introduce it to your training programs as soon as possible.

Still not convinced? Read our article on the evidence for the effectiveness of VR training!

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Conflict Resolution in Virtual Reality: Using VR to Build Better Relationships and Find Solutions https://mazerspace.com/conflict-resolution-in-virtual-reality/ Mon, 15 Apr 2024 11:23:20 +0000 https://mazerverse.com/?p=5086 Trainings that offer conflict resolution in a virtual reality environment are rapidly gaining popularity among both employers and employees alike. The benefits of conducting classes this way are undeniable. Numerous scenario development experiments can be performed in a completely safe environment by simulating realistic conflict situations. Such training offers participants an opportunity to develop communication skills and strategies for resolving conflict. Does VR make conflict resolution training more effective? This article examines what scientists and their research have to say about this subject.

Communication Skills Development and VR Training

Angry Stan, an innovative conflict simulator, was used to train future nurses at Newcastle University, Australia. Training simulates the real environment of an emergency room. In this assignment, students must react to an unannounced conflict situation that introduces tension and stress to the team. The course participants interact with Angry Stan through a VR headset. A highly stressful, unpredictable situation requires them to remain calm and skillfully manage it.

Developed in cooperation between the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and the University’s IT Innovation Team, the course appeared in the study program. A VR training based on real-time biofeedback, such as the heart rate of a person, is the first of its kind. “The days of teaching en masse are behind us. Traditionally, conflict resolution has been taught ad-hoc with textbooks and paid actors, which can be pretty uninspiring or very expensive,” said Ms. Vendela Pento, Project Manager of the IT Innovation Team, about the training.

How Virtual Reality Training Can Help Resolve Conflicts

Numerous scientific studies have confirmed that VR training has many advantages over traditional training methods. A similar research project was conducted by Columbia University’s Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (NECR) program. The subject was the Yazidis: a religious and ethnic minority living in northern Iraq. For decades, this group has been subjected to religious persecution.

An exhibition on the Yazidi Genocide at the Institute of Peace in Washington included a 12-minute film in which students immerse the viewer in the events leading to the genocide. Study participants’ opinions best demonstrate the power of VR training. The most common feelings among students were an increase in empathy, the ability to develop conflict resolution strategies and an improvement in communication skills.

This was my first experience with virtual reality, and it was incredibly impressive and overwhelming. In conflict resolution, I am intrigued by the potential use of VR in mediation. This immersive presentation can increase mutual understanding and open the way to exploring more inclusive solutions,” said one of the study participants. Another student confirmed: “The VR experience was unique and an effective tool for educating users about conflicts and presenting the state of the region after the conflict. It evokes a strong sense of empathy thanks to its interactive and immersive nature.”

The Role of Virtual Reality Training in Conflict Resolution

Does the interactive and engaging nature of VR simulations make learning more effective and memorable? The article “Virtual reality-based conflict resolution: The impact of immersive 360° video on changing viewpoints and moral judgment in violent intergroup conflict” published in 2021 in New Media & Society confirms this theory.

A study on 360° immersive video’s impact on critical perceptions of Israeli-Palestinian conflict actions examined 360° immersive video’s effect on critical perceptions of Israeli-Palestinian conflict actions. Viewing the same scenario from the point of view of the outgroup changed participants’ perceptions of the behaviour of the simulated conflict compared to watching it in a two-dimensional movie. As the researchers state in their study conclusion, the use of virtual reality for conflict resolution is still largely unexplored, but these results provide evidence of its potential.

Building Better Relationships in the Workplace Through VR Training

VR training in conflict resolution, handling stressful situations, and improving communication skills has the potential to revolutionize workplace interpersonal dynamics. Not only do these trainings improve participants’ interpersonal skills visibly and measurably. Increasing empathy also improves the atmosphere within teams, resulting in a healthier, less stressful working environment. Thus, the latest technology can improve the organizational culture of today’s workplaces.

Read also: VR Fire Safety Training

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Maximizing Engagement: Strategies for Designing Effective VR Training Experiences https://mazerspace.com/effective-vr-training-experiences/ Thu, 04 Apr 2024 12:00:04 +0000 https://mazerverse.com/?p=5066 How can you design effective VR training experiences for your employees, ones that will captivate their attention and promote active learning? Firstly, you need to consider your learning objectives and how they are related to your specific target audience. Then, you have to select a platform that is in line with your objectives. Finally, you need to design the specific training scenarios, test them and decide how you want to evaluate your training. Read on to find out more.

Best Practices for Designing Effective VR Training Experiences

So, what are the best strategies when designing the perfect VR training for your employees? Let us explore them.

Start with Goals

Before you design your VR world or even select the platform, you need to set up your goals. Here, you need to focus first on what skills you want to polish. This will help you plan out all the other steps required to design a virtual reality training experience, including the choice of the platform or the metrics used to measure the effectiveness of your learning process.

Here, you should also ask yourself one question: why am I conducting this training in virtual reality? Is it for the financial benefits of VR corporate learning? Or, maybe, because you rely on remote teams, and this is the most engaging and convenient way to organize a larger training session? This will define how you use virtual reality and what to prioritize when implementing it, so you have to start from the goals.

Select the Training Platform

When you already know your goals, you can proceed with choosing the right platform. Since business and Metaverse, or other platforms, are already strongly interconnected, you will likely find several ones suiting your purpose – for instance, you can easily find at least three options when it comes to active shooter training. This also means one other thing – an app or world tailored to your training needs probably exists; you just need to find it.

Take your time when selecting the right platform or app, and carefully consider all their pros and cons. This choice will define your training concepts and scenarios. Therefore, it has to be well thought through.

Conceptualize Your Training and Potential Scenarios

With your goal and platform ready, it’s time to conceptualize your training and prepare training scenarios. Take the capabilities of the platform into consideration – you can have marvelous ideas, but if they don’t work in the given platform, it might be better to abandon them.

Remember that although you’re using VR, you don’t have to rely purely on it. You can combine traditional learning methods, like digital platforms, with simulations in virtual reality for the best possible outcome. Don’t restrict yourself to VR – use it wherever it is better than the traditional ways.

When you’re ready, write down your plans and scenarios and prepare them on the platform and in real life. Remember to conduct initial testing. Check whether everything works as intended and add any improvements if necessary.

Define Success Metrics

After testing out your scenarios and processes, you need to define your success criteria or simply said: what proves that the training was effective. Evaluate your training based on this and use the collected data to improve your further learning processes. After all, you do not want to repeat the same mistakes over and over again, and success metrics will help you prevent that from happening.

Gather Feedback

Like with anything else, you must gather feedback from your VR-driven training. This is the best way to get valuable insights directly from those involved in the training – your employees.

Why is feedback so critical? Maximizing engagement during your VR training is a lengthy process, and each session is an opportunity to introduce improvements, so listening to those who take part in the training can help you gather conclusions and implement changes.

Conclusions

Follow these best practices for designing effective VR training experiences, and you will create truly engaging learning experiences. Remember, though, that the results will not be immediate – it takes time to perfect a skill, and so it will take you a few sessions to optimize your VR-driven training.

You may also read: Creating Immersive Learning Experiences: Best Practices for Incorporating VR into Corporate Trainer Development Programs

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5 VR Headset Trends Worth Watching in 2024 https://mazerspace.com/5-vr-headset-trends-worth-watching-in-2024/ Thu, 22 Feb 2024 11:29:47 +0000 https://mazerverse.com/?p=4981 What are the VR headset trends in 2024 that you need to be aware of? Firstly, it is probable that more enterprise-level software will be created for such devices, making them less gaming-dominated. Secondly, VR will be more widely introduced in sectors such as education and retail. Thirdly, such headsets should become more affordable. Fourthly, we might expect the development of native VR advertising. Finally, the technology used should be developed as well.

Do you wish to discover more about these trends? If yes, read this article as we discuss each in detail here.

The 5 Most Important VR Headset Trends for 2024

All of the abovementioned trends might play a critical role in developing augmented and virtual reality. Therefore, it is good to know about them, as this may help you predict the future and prepare for it. Without any other further ado, let us explore the most important VR headset trends for 2024.

More Enterprise-Level Software

Currently, VR sets are most commonly used for gaming – according to Fortune Business Insights, it had 22.9% of the market share in 2022. However, with an increasing number of businesses utilizing VR for marketing purposes or even to conduct business, we are bound to see a shift in that tendency.

With more companies utilizing virtual fitting rooms, business meetings in the digital realm, and other similar solutions, more specialized, enterprise-level software will be needed. Additionally, this might also lead to the development of corporate VR headsets, as organizations will strive for secure, effective solutions to utilize when shaping the Metaverse to their advantage.

VR Headsets Utilized in More Sectors

This particular VR headset trend is strictly connected to the next one. With the lower prices of such tools, they will become more widely available, thus used in more general sectors. For instance, schools will soon be able to afford VR headsets and utilize them to offer students an enhanced and more insightful learning experience.

Affordable Headsets

The price of VR headsets naturally drops over time. With newer technologies introduced and more affordable models prepared by the leading manufacturers, we should expect an increase in the number of VR headset users in 2024. This will have a major impact on the virtual reality market.

First of all, with more users, VR marketing, such as the one done in Metaverse, will become critical as a large chunk of the market will move away from the old traditional and digital channels to virtual reality. This will mean that using the impact of Metaverse on business will become even more paramount, and operating in virtual reality will no longer be an advantage – it will become a must.

Secondly, a larger number of users will lead to more use cases of VR headsets in different fields, as depicted in the previous trend.

Native VR Advertising

With better and less expensive headsets, businesses will be able to develop native advertising in VR. This includes brand placements along with other content, which can now be observed mainly in gaming.

But, 2024 should bring a shift to this tendency and introduce advertising and branding all across the user’s journey through the virtual world. Due to the more efficient and accessible headsets, we should soon see personalized content marketing served across VR.

Improved Headsets – Software and Hardware

Finally, one to rule them all – the main VR headset trends in 2024 will be connected to hardware and software developments. Improved video quality, eye tracking, wrist trackers that do not restrict our movements – these and many more improvements are bound to be developed in 2024.

With such technology introduced, people will become even more incentivized to purchase new headsets, and brands will have more options to tailor the virtual landscape to their advantage.

Conclusion

Which of these 5 VR headset trends in 2024 interests you most? Which, in your opinion, will accelerate the growth of VR to the largest extent? Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts with us!

You may also read: VR Headset Ranking For 2023!

Sources:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/virtual-reality-market-101378
How will the shift towards more enterprise-level software impact the VR market?

The transition towards enterprise-level software signifies a diversification of VR applications beyond gaming, which has dominated the market. As businesses begin to utilize VR for marketing, virtual meetings, and virtual fitting rooms, the demand for specialized, secure software and corporate VR headsets will increase. This shift is expected to expand the VR market into various sectors, making VR solutions a critical tool for companies aiming to leverage the Metaverse for business advantages.

What role do affordable VR headsets play in the expansion of VR into new sectors?

The reduction in VR headset prices plays a pivotal role in their adoption across new sectors such as education and retail. As headsets become more affordable, they become accessible to a wider audience, including schools that can use them to enhance learning experiences. This trend not only increases the user base but also encourages the exploration of VR applications in various fields, thereby broadening the impact and utility of virtual reality technology.

How will improvements in VR headset hardware and software shape the future of virtual reality?

Improvements in both hardware and software are set to significantly enhance the VR experience. Developments such as improved video quality, eye tracking, and less restrictive wrist trackers will make VR more immersive and intuitive. These advancements will not only incentivize consumers to purchase new headsets but also enable brands to create more engaging and tailored virtual experiences. As the technology becomes more advanced, the possibilities for its application will expand, further driving the growth and evolution of the VR landscape.

Unlock the future with Mazer: Your innovation partner.

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