Team developers testing virtual reality headset

ATD Blog

Ask a Trainer Video: Using AR and VR in Learning

By Tim Slade, Betty Dannewitz, Destery Hildenbrand

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

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It’s overwhelming to think about how much technology has changed the learning industry over the last 10 years. As technology continues to advance, we keep finding new and exciting ways to incorporate it into the learning experiences we create. This is especially true for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). But how do you get started with AR and VR?

For this month’s Ask a Trainer episode, I invited Betty Dannewitz and Destery Hildenbrand to join me to help tackle your questions about using AR and VR in learning. Enjoy!

Subtitles

Tim Slade, Betty Dannewitz & Destery Hildenbrand Answer Your Questions About Using AR and VR in Learning

In this video, Tim Slade, Betty Dannewitz, and Destery Hildenbrand answer questions about using AR and VR in learning.Questions answered in this video:-What are some of the best beginner and advanced softwares for developing AR and VR training experiences?-In what situations does it make the most sense to use AR or VR for training?-How far away are we from practical and affordable application of AR and VR in everyday training programs?Interested in submitting a question for a future video? Every month we solicit your questions on LinkedIn and Twitter around a common topic. You can submit your questions by posting on LinkedIn or Twitter with the #ATDAskATrainer hashtag. Check out the complete ATD Ask a Trainer advice column at td.org/ask-a-trainer.

What other tips do you have about using AR and VR in learning? Share them by commenting below!

Do you have learning questions you’d like me to tackle? Email them to [email protected]. Also, make sure to visit the Ask a Trainer Hub to check out your questions and my answers!

About the Author

Tim Slade

Tim Slade is a speaker, author, award-winning
e-learning designer, and author of The eLearning
Designer’s Handbook.

About the Author

Betty Dannewitz

Betty Dannewitz is an immersive experience designer with more than 17 years in corporate L&D. She is also a podcaster, speaker, high-performance coach, and content and curriculum consultant.

About the Author

Destery Hildenbrand

Destery Hildenbrand is an XR Solution Architect with Intellezy. Destery has over 17 years of experience in training and development and seven years focusing on immersive technologies. Destery has spent time in corporate environments and higher education, working on integrating augmented and virtual reality for everyday use. Destery's primary focus is helping organizations plan, design, and develop engaging learning experiences through Immersive technology.

9 Comments

Robert Leier

October 13, 2021 10:02 AM

eLearning is usually streamed from an LMS. Will people be able to access AR/VR content in the same way, or will a group of files (like a SCORM) have to be downloaded and then played? How large will the grouping of files be?

Destery Hildenbrand

October 15, 2021 11:30 AM

For VR, you will be able to download the experience into your headset and then connect it to your data collection of choice. That could be the LMS or an LRS, and VR provides a much more robust set of data collection in xAPI format. For scalability, there are ways to manage deployment to headsets in an organization from a central location. For smaller applications, they can be hosted and downloaded individually as well. The key is to connect the data being collected to those who need to see it.

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Janet Lienhard

October 13, 2021 07:07 AM

Thanks - this was great information - I'm motivated :-) Just starting to use VR but will start looking at AR as well.

Destery Hildenbrand

October 15, 2021 11:31 AM

That is the first step. Gather as much info and experience as you can in both AR and VR so you can start to think of quality use cases to make it work.

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Eric Walker

October 12, 2021 05:57 PM

I first used VR training back in the mid 1990's while I was in the Navy.
It was much simpler, but very effective. The ability to perform a hazardous skill in a safe and comfortable environment is priceless. There are many hazards in todays training environments, not just physical hazards.

Eric Walker

October 15, 2021 03:00 PM

Originally the simulator I spoke of was actually in the early 2000's. It was basically a Wii with custom software. I enclosed a link of where the program is now... https://www.onr.navy.mil/techsolutions/04.html
From 2006 to 2010 I was involved with training using a virtual parachute descent trainer..https://parasim.com/ . Students loved this training. It was only part of a larger survival training course.

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Destery Hildenbrand

October 15, 2021 11:33 AM

There are. VR is perfect for putting your learners in dangerous situations without putting them in hazardous conditions. They can build those metal reps with hands-on interactions in a CGI VR environment. I would be interested to hear more about those early 90's VR experiences.

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