Learning by doing, we often talk about it, but we don’t always have the chance to actually do so. As a company, we value linking up education with the actual work taking place in and around the aircraft and at the airport. But it’s simply not always easy to take our work into the classroom. Did it stop us in our aim to contribute to the best possible training for a future job? Of course not. Instead, we went the extra mile and developed aviation training in VR together with the Albeda Rotterdam The Hague Airport College and the Deltion College in Zwolle. This is what we did.
Connecting a jet bridge and putting out fires in an airplane; not everybody’s day-to-day business. For future airline employees, it is. But with most jet bridges occupied at airports during the day, how do you learn to handle one? Well, that’s what we thought.
And how about putting out a fire in an overhead compartment? Not something you would like to handle in your expensive aircraft mock-up. Let alone, having passengers respond to it. In this new virtual environment, students from Deltion and Albeda can now learn all about connecting a bridge to an aircraft and extinguishing a fire on board.
As such, VR offers the colleges an integrated learning environment. The module for Fire Safety contains an exact representation and configuration of a KLM aircraft, enabling students to train their skills in a realistic manner as well as apply them in an environment such as that on board a KLM aircraft. In the virtual fires in Fire Safety, passengers simultaneously demand attention, and students are confronted with extensive smoke development, a fire alarm, and the effects of this on visibility.
As real as it gets. Take a look yourself.
This new module enables instructors to coach students on situations that affect their duties, aside from just putting out the fire. Students become better equipped as a result, and better prepared to communicate and perform their duties under pressure.
“VR enables us to provide students with the most realistic impression of their future working environment, bringing their duties into perspective in a more direct and concrete way during training. We are happy and proud that we have developed these modules for Albeda and Deltion. In so doing, we’re setting a new standard in the IT landscape and in the cooperative arena, uniting education and business.”
– Aart Slagt – Executive Vice President Information Services & CIO
Fun and effective education
During the introduction rounds, KLM, Albeda and Deltion saw that students react enthusiastically to the VR modules. Albeda even asserts that VR is enormously appealing to students, making learning even more fun.
KLM’s VR modules not only help students be better prepared for their traineeships or future jobs, but also give the trainers an opportunity to better supervise students in developing certain skills.
“Because students have to apply the protocols they’ve learned in these VR sessions, our teachers immediately see where they still need extra support. This enables them to tailor the lesson to the students’ needs.”
– Diane Smits – Advisor Educational Innovation Deltion College
“We’ve joined forces to create something great for our students in the aviation services programme. Learning skills in a safe and efficient way, both of which are of great importance in the airline industry. It is a brilliant way to offer personalised training. At all levels, a great achievement for education.”
– Yvonne Heiligers – Training Manager at Albeda Rotterdam The Hague Airport College & Albeda Facilitair & Veiligheidscollege
VR development
KLM has been developing VR projects and products for years and leads the field at home and abroad. For example, passengers can take a look inside the cabin of the aircraft carrying them before boarding. Employees are also trained internally with the aid of VR, for example in cockpit and aircraft maintenance.
KLM has been working with Albeda and Deltion for years in the field of aviation education. The modules for Albeda and Deltion were developed by the KLM XR Centre of Excellence itself and are a one-to-one translation in VR of KLM’s work and working environments at Schiphol Airport and on board KLM aircraft.
“Learning should be fun, and if you’re doing something you enjoy, you will retain the information more efficiently and swiftly. In our experience, this is the power of VR. We have our own team that focuses on developing and improving our training programmes on a daily basis. That’s why we maintain contact with both colleges to see where we can achieve improvements.”
– Daisy Navarrete Schuiten – Product Owner Virtual Reality KLM XR Centre of Excellence
Lecturers at Albeda and Deltion use the software independently and can use it as they see fit in their lessons.
So besides dreaming, start doing. Even in difficult times. You will enjoy the ride as much as we did!
Quelle:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/connecting-jet-bridge-from-classroom-longer-dream-klm/
