If you want to set up a project in the field of corporate learning or school / university and are looking for potential partners, then get an overview of the international market.
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Over 250 Vendors are assigned to 11 categories.
If you want to set up a project in the field of corporate learning or school / university and are looking for potential partners, then get an overview of the international market.
You need…
– The next stage of virtual reality’s development is avatar embodiment experiences
– By making VR experiences more realistic, avatar embodiment has the capacity to even change a user’s behaviour
The high immersive capacity of virtual reality is often acknowledged as its main virtue when compared to other media and communication technologies. It is indeed a defining virtue. However, when it comes to the virtue that could really position VR as a powerful positive technology in the market, we have to look at another key feature: avatar embodiment.
Avatars are digital entities that represent users in a virtual world. When we embody an avatar, it becomes our body in virtual reality. We have control over its movements. If we look down, we see the body of our avatar where our real body would normally be. If we look into a virtual mirror, we see ourselves transformed into that avatar.
Our avatar is also the way in which other people in the same virtual world see us. In turn, we also see – and interact with – other users through their avatars.
Not all virtual reality experiences involve avatar embodiment, though. In fact, it is still not common to have full avatar embodiment in mainstream VR products. For instance, we are used to using a head-mounted display (HMD) to visualise a virtual landscape in which we do not have an avatar, or in which we only saw its hands.
Similarly, we are used to playing online games in which we see our avatar on the screen and control its movements with a joystick. We wouldn’t consider this to represent an avatar embodiment experience, though, as it lacks the spatial coincidence between the user’s body and that of the avatar.
Experiencing an Avatar as If It Was Our Own Body
When we embody an avatar, something extraordinary happens. We experience the illusion of body ownership, as if the avatar has temporarily become our own body, a phenomenon that has been widely reported in virtual reality.
Researchers have also found that, in addition to body ownership, our sense of self gets transported to the body of our avatar. In a way, we become our avatars while we are in VR.
The avatar embodiment illusion is achieved using visuomotor synchronisation between our body and the avatar. To do this, users are generally equipped with an HMD, which is a device worn on the head that allows them to visualise immersive environments while occluding the real surroundings.
Users’ gestures are tracked and mapped to the avatar with the use of body tracking technologies so that the user and the avatar are synchronised. Hence, if we raise our right arm, the avatar raises its right arm accordingly. Head movements are used to update the perspective in the virtual environment in real-time.
The rubber hand illusion, which was a fascinating psychological experiment conducted in the late nineties, helps us to understand why ownership illusions over avatars occur.
In the rubber hand illusion, the subject’s hand is hidden and a rubber hand is put in its place. As the rubber hand and the subject’s real, concealed hand are stroked in a synchronised manner, they experience a sense of ownership over the rubber hand and lose a sense of their own, real hand.
Multisensory correlations between our real body and a fake limb or virtual body – either in the form of visuomotor (as in virtual reality) or visuotactile correlations (as in the rubber hand illusion) – seem able to easily deceive our brain. The brain fairly quickly interprets the fake body or limb to be a part of its own anatomy.
Note: You can easily replicate the rubber hand illusion at home by filling out a rubber glove and asking someone to simultaneously brush your real hand (out of sight) and the filled rubber globe with two thin paint brushes. You should start noticing the results in less than two minutes.
Avatar Embodiment Can Modify Our Behaviour
Researchers have been studying the psychological effects of avatar embodiment experiences for more than a decade. There is significant evidence that these experiences are capable of modifying our behaviours and even elements of our cognition.
One of the first empirical demonstrations of this transformative capacity was named the Proteus Effect. This effect, documented in the late 2000s, describes a phenomenon by which the appearance of an avatar has the ability to modify the behaviour of the person that embodies it.
The Proteus Effect is linked to the way in which people associate certain traits with the appearance of an avatar. We might, therefore, engage in certain behaviours in response to what we believe is expected from our avatars, based on the appearance that the avatar has.
Some of these initial experiments showed that participants with more attractive avatars disclosed more personal information and approached other avatars more readily when compared to other participants with less attractive avatars.
Also, they showed that participants with taller avatars displayed more confidence in a negotiating task compared to participants with shorter avatars.
VR researchers have been exploring how avatar embodiment transformations could potentially be useful to society. Could they provide us with tools to become the best possible versions of ourselves not only in virtual reality but also in our real lives?
Importantly, we have evidence that the behavioural changes resulting from avatar embodiment experiences can persist even after the virtual reality experience is finished.
Among many other findings, we now know that avatar embodiment experiences can be used to encourage pro-environmental attitudes and prosocial behaviour or to decrease social phobia. These experiences can also help reduce negative stereotyping of the elderly or forms of racial bias.
Recent studies have looked not only at behavioural and attitudinal changes but also at cognitive modifications. They got surprising findings, such as the fact that avatar embodiment can even increase cognitive performance.
The experimental setup. The body of the participant was substituted by a gender-matched VB, viewed from 1PP, onto which body and head movements were mapped in real time. (A) The Einstein virtual body. (B) The Normal virtual body. (C) Participants were fitted with an HTC VIVE head-mounted display, and their body movements were tracked by 37 OptiTrack markers. Source: Frontiersin.org
Note: The reader might be wondering whether avatar embodiment experiences could likewise negatively influence our behaviour or lead to harmful consequences. In a previous article, we noted the existing gap of studies that examine the potential negative outcomes of avatar embodiment experiences and pointed out some ethical, moral, and legal issues that need to be promptly addressed.
VR as a Positive Technology
Virtual reality is seen as more than a tool for entertainment or communication, but the applications and benefits of virtual reality in areas such as health or education could be significantly enhanced if avatar embodiment experiences are implemented.
So far, the transformative capacity of avatar embodiment has mostly been explored in experimental contexts through studies conducted in pioneer VR labs, principally, the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University and the EventLab at Barcelona University.
It is important to promote these findings beyond the walls of laboratories, as they are key to unlocking the full potential of virtual reality as a positive technology.
Quelle:
Foto: Participant flying in VR. Source: Journals.plos.org
https://vrroom.buzz/vr-news/trends/being-tall-vr-can-make-us-more-confident-irl
Virtual reality (VR) training for enterprise use cases is becoming an important addition for many businesses looking to embrace the latest technology. Talespin, a developer of enterprise-focused XR solutions has just announced an expansion of its training platform Talespin Runway to improve the learning process for client employees.
New modules have been added to Talespin Runway targeting particular subject matter such as insurance-specific VR training. Also including is Talespin Propel, designed for object and process-based training across a multitude of use cases.
The first modules include:
Construction Materials Basics
In this learning module, the learner quickly learns the core construction materials, components, and concepts that go into building a residential home. The module’s experiential nature improves the retention of foundational knowledge, helping insurance employees gain critical subject matter familiarity to deliver the best possible customer experiences.
Scoping Basics: Water Damage
In this learning module, the learner is tasked with investigating and scoping a residential water damage claim in VR. Playing the role of a Claims Representative, the learner rapidly builds experience by breaking the physical boundaries of what is typically possible in training and virtually experiencing what it’s like to perform this task in the real world.
Auto Claim Shared Responsibility
In this learning module, the learner takes on the role of a Claims Representative and engages in virtual role-play with an AI character representing a 3rd party claimant. The learner must practice conversational techniques to discuss the claimant’s shared responsibility in an automobile accident, developing confidence and critical interpersonal skills to deliver a great customer experience in a moment that can greatly impact a customer relationship.
“There is no question that virtual reality is beneficial for accelerating learning and making training more efficient,” said Talespin CEO and co-founder Kyle Jackson in a statement. “The challenge is that VR software is typically expensive to implement. We’re lowering the barrier to entry with our expanded platform, which helps any company better train its workforce and share knowledge with its employees. Our off-the-shelf content library for the insurance industry is just the beginning of our mission to help all industries bring the benefits of XR to their transformation story.”
The two core products in Talespin Runway are:
Talespin Propel, for learning object- and process-based knowledge
Object-based learning modules accelerate familiarization and memorization for core concepts and objects, like recognizing residential construction materials, memorizing automotive parts, and identifying damage states within a home.
Object-based learning modules are designed to provide the knowledge base employees need to excel at more advanced process-based tasks and conversational learning modules.
Process-based learning modules simulate complex tasks and help employees rapidly build experience before their first day on the job.
Talespin CoPilot, for soft skills training with virtual role-play
The platform’s conversational learning modules are powered by CoPilot, and task employees with conducting role-play with virtual humans. These learning modules help employees develop critical leadership and communication skills, and provide a safe space to practice challenging conversations.
For details on implementing Talespin’s solutions head to its official website. It’s not the only company working in this field, yesterday Pixvana revealed a workplace training experience, FundamentalVR focuses on surgical training, while Pitchboy is all about VR sales training.
Quelle:
Talespin Runway Expands Training Library to Improve Enterprise Learning
It’s almost a cliché to say this, but the best art does more than just look appealing. It reaches into your brain and soul and won’t let go. You’ll still be thinking about it days later trying to piece together what exactly you experienced. Arcadia Earth, a fully immersive art installation focused on environmental issues, is exactly that kind of experience.
Experiential artist Valentino Vettori is the brain behind the design of this 15-room journey examining the plight of our planet. Human scale art installations, many of them making use of augmented and virtual reality, overpower your senses, and force you to contemplate the subject matter.
Each of the rooms has been created to highlight a specific challenge facing our environment—challenges including overfishing, plastic pollution, food waste, deforestation and climate change.
An impressive roster of environmental artists—Samuelle Green, Tamara Kotianovsky, Etty Yaniv, Cindy Pease Roe, Poramit Thantapalit, Jesse Harrod, Justin Bolognino/META, Katie Donahue, Katharina Hoerath, Charlotte Becket and Emmy Mikelson—have worked to use upcycled and reusable materials to create their awe-inspiring pieces.
One room hits particularly close to home for New Yorkers, a cave created out of 44,000 recycled plastic bags by artist Basia Goszczynska that reflects upon the New York state ban on bags. That number isn’t just a coincidence either, 44,000 is the number of bags that New Yorkers use every single minute!
Each installation makes you confront the damage that we are doing to our planet on a daily basis. While it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the enormity of it all, that’s not the point, and each installation contains a placard with tips for what you can do to help on a daily basis.
Arcadia Earth has partnered with Oceanic Global, a non-profit dedicated to ocean conservation, and proceeds from all ticket sales will go to further raise awareness about how humans are damaging our ecosystem.
Arcadia Earth is located at 718 Broadway and is open to the public through January 2020. Tickets for general admission are $33, student tickets are $27 and tickets for children ages 6-14 are $12.
Quelle:
Foto: Arcadia Earth, David Mitchell
The Gartner Hype Cycle highlights the 29 emerging technologies CIOs should experiment with over the next year.
Today, companies detect insurance fraud using a combination of claim analysis, computer programs and private investigators. The FBI estimates the total cost of non-healthcare-related insurance fraud to be around $40 billion per year. But a maturing emerging technology called emotion artificial intelligence (AI) might make it possible to detect insurance fraud based on audio analysis of the caller.
Some technologies will provide “superhuman capabilities”
In addition to catching fraud, this technology can improve customer experience by tracking happiness, more accurately directing callers, enabling better diagnostics for dementia, detecting distracted drivers, and even adapting education to a student’s current emotional state.
Though still relatively new, emotion AI is one of 21 new technologies added to the Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2019.
“The 2019 Hype Cycle highlights the emerging technologies with significant impact on business, society and people over the next five to 10 years,” says Brian Burke, Research Vice President, Gartner. “Technology innovation is the key to competitive differentiation and is transforming many industries.”
This year’s emerging technologies fall into five major trends: Sensing and mobility, augmented human, postclassical compute and comms, digital ecosystems, and advanced AI and analytics.
This trend features technologies with increasingly enabled mobility and the ability to manipulate objects around them, including 3D sensing cameras and more advanced autonomous driving. As sensors and AI evolve, autonomous robots will gain better awareness of the world around them. For example, emerging technologies such as light cargo delivery drones (both flying and wheeled) will be better able to navigate situations and manipulate objects. This technology is currently hampered by regulations, but its functionality continues is continuing to advance.
As sensing technology continues to evolve, it will aid more advanced technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT). These sensors also collect abundant data, which can lead to insights that are applicable across a range of scenarios and industries.
Other technologies in this trend include: AR cloud, autonomous driving levels 4 and 5, and flying autonomous vehicles.
Augmented human technologies improve both the cognitive and physical parts of the human body by including technologies such as biochips and emotion AI. Some will provide “superhuman capabilities” — for example, a prosthetic arm that exceeds the strength of a human arm — while others will create robotic skin that is as sensitive to touch as human skin. These technologies will also eventually provide a more seamless experience that improves the health, intelligence and strength of humans.
Other technologies in this trend include: Personification, augmented intelligence, immersive workspace and biotech (cultured or artificial tissue.)
Classical or binary computing, which uses binary bits, evolved by making changes to existing, traditional architectures. These changes resulted in faster CPUs, denser memory and increasing throughput.
Post-classical computations and communications are using entirely new architectures, as well as incremental advancements. This includes 5G, the next-generation cellular standards, which has a new architecture that includes core slicing and wireless edge. These advancements allow low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites to operate at much lower altitudes, around 1,200 miles or less, than traditional geostationary systems at around 22,000 miles. The result is global broadband or narrowband voice and data network services, including areas with little or no existing terrestrial or satcom coverage.
Technologies in this trend include: Next-generation memory and nanoscale 3D printing.
Digital ecosystems are web-like connections between actors (enterprises, people and things) sharing a digital platform. These ecosystems developed as digitalization morphed traditional value chains, enabling more seamless, dynamic connections to a variety of agents and entities across geographies and industries. In the future these will include decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), which operate independently of humans and rely on smart contracts. These digital ecosystems are constantly evolving and connecting, resulting in new products and opportunities.
Other technologies in this trend include: DigitalOps, knowledge graphs, synthetic data and decentralized web.
Advanced analytics is the autonomous or semi-autonomous examination of data or content using sophisticated tools beyond those of traditional business insights. This is the result of new classes of algorithms and data science that are leading to new capabilities, for example transfer learning, which uses previously trained machine learning models as advanced starting points for new technology. Advanced analytics enables deeper insights, predictions and recommendations.
Other technologies in this trend include: Adaptive machine learning, edge AI, edge analytics, explainable AI, AI PaaS, generative adversarial networks and graph analytics.
About the Hype Cycle
The Hype Cycle for emerging technologies distills insights from more than 2,000 technologies that Gartner profiles into a succinct set of must-know emerging technologies and trends. With a focus on emerging tech, this Hype Cycle is heavily weighted on those trends appearing in the first half of the cycle. This year, Gartner refocused the Hype Cycle to shift toward introducing new technologies not previously highlighted in past iterations of this Hype Cycle. These technologies are still important, but some have become integral to business operations and are no longer “emerging” and others have been featured for multiple years.
Quelle:
https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/5-trends-appear-on-the-gartner-hype-cycle-for-emerging-technologies-2019/
Black Mirror au bureau, c’est quand… Ta RH te propose de faire ta prochaine formation via un casque de réalité virtuelle, dans un environnement 100% numérique. Les yeux ronds, tu l’écoutes t’expliquer que grâce à l’IA, tu vas mieux et plus vite assimiler de nouveaux skills. Intox, blagounette ou carrément science-fiction ? Pas du tout : elle te propose de tester l’apprentissage immersif, ou encore appelé “immersive learning” chez nos voisins anglais, via le mécanisme de plus en plus reconnu du “serious game”…
Jamais entendu parler de cette modalité de formation relativement nouvelle dans le monde professionnel ? Envie de savoir de quoi il s’agit, comment cela s’applique au monde de l’emploi et d’en connaître les limites potentielles ? Cet article devrait éclairer ta lanterne.
Selon William Peres, fondateur de Serious Factory, une entreprise qui édite des solutions pédagogiques innovantes de type simulations, l’immersive learning « permet de s’entraîner dans un environnement virtuel maîtrisé, avant de se confronter à la situation réelle. Grâce à sa solution logicielle Virtual Training Suite basée sur ce principe, Serious Factory transmet des savoirs utiles au bureau et développe des savoir-faire et savoir-être. »
Guillaume Ruzzu, le responsable marketing et Communication de l’entreprise, précise : « l’apprentissage immersif consiste à plonger l’apprenant au sein de sa formation dans un univers immersif virtuel où il pourra s’entraîner dans des situations réalistes. L’objectif est de le confronter à une réalité qu’il pourrait difficilement rencontrer en vrai (par exemple, des situations à risques dans l’armée, des pathologies rares dans le domaine médical…). L’enjeu est de le mettre face à des cas sur lesquels il apprendra, d’autant plus qu’il pourra faire des tests et des erreurs sans conséquences. »
Cette technique est axée sur l’idée qu’on apprend mieux par la pratique. Guillaume a bien insisté sur cela en arguant que « l’idée derrière l’immersive learning, c’est qu’il vaut mieux apprendre et mémoriser par l’expérience. Quand on le fait en complément de l’apprentissage magistral et théorique, on développe les bons automatismes et réflexes. Et surtout, on mémorise beaucoup mieux. Plusieurs études, notamment de Stanford ou de l’Université du Colorado, ont d’ailleurs prouvé que c’est beaucoup plus puissant en terme d’impact sur l’apprenant, de mémorisation et d’apprentissage sur le long-terme. »
Nous avons voulu en savoir plus sur ces recherches. Guillaume nous a aidé à en comprendre l’essence. L’Université de Stanford fait partie des pionniers dans les recherches liées aux techniques de Game Design et des neurosciences pour montrer leur impact au travers des jeux vidéo notamment dans l’éducation. On retrouve le fruit de leur travail sur ce site.
Par ailleurs, une étude conduite par l’Université du Colorado sur l’impact des simulations et des jeux en formation a montré que les apprenants ayant participé à une expérience de formation gamifiée obtenaient de meilleures performances que lors de formations traditionnelles. Ils ont en effet constaté une augmentation de 14% sur les compétences réelles évaluées, de 11% sur les connaissances acquises en formation et de 9% de rétention sur l’ensemble des contenus dispensés.
L’immersive learning est en pleine prise de vitesse. Apparu vers 2010, il était à l’époque coûteux, car les objets numériques étaient rares. Il était à l’origine utilisé par l’armée américaine, pour faire s’entraîner les soldats dans des situations factices de danger extrême. L’objectif : les préparer en toute sécurité à ce qu’ils allaient vivre en situation réelle. D’où le nom donné à certaines formes d’apprentissage immersif, les serious games. Entre temps, la commercialisation massive de casques de réalité virtuelle, notamment par Samsung ou HTC, ainsi que le progrès des technologies, ont rendu les outils abordables et permis la floraison d’un marché tout neuf.
À présent, cette méthode vient régulièrement en complément de formations théoriques en ligne ou en présentiel, car elle garantit de fixer durablement les apprentissages. Selon Guillaume, « en jouant, on apprend mieux. Avec des simulations, on a des meilleurs taux de mémorisation, car on est plus impliqués. Et cela s’adapte à tous les domaines. C’est par exemple très utile au sein de l’industrie, car on va recréer en 3D des environnements, des chantiers, et on peut sensibiliser les ouvriers aux bonnes pratiques. Apporter ces savoirs et savoir-être de manière ludique rend les employés beaucoup plus réceptifs. »
Justement, si le fait que ce soit ludique rend les employés plus réceptifs, quels sont les autres avantages de l’immersive learning et comment les mettre à profit dans son job ?
L’apprentissage immersif est pensé en complément d’autres formes éducatives. Chez Serious Factory, l’équipe l’intègre à des programmes de formation en présentiel ou l’ajoutent à des cours suivis en ligne, suivant les besoins de l’entreprise. Et ce parce que cette forme éducative, grâce à l’environnement unique qu’elle crée, enrichit l’expérience des apprenants et lui donne plus de relief. Ce qui conduit à une très bonne assimilation de ce qu’on y apprend. Pourquoi ?
Le premier gage d’efficacité de l’immersive learning est le fait que les apprenants sont plus “dedans”, autrement dit plus concentrés sur ce qu’ils apprennent. Ils sont actifs, présents, et c’est bien cet engagement qui rend les études efficaces. Guillaume insiste sur la notion décisive de plaisir. « On sait, nous a-t-il dit, que si l’apprentissage est gamifié, il acquiert cette dimension ludique qui amuse et fait aimer les études. On aime cela parce que c’est fictif, qu’on se projette et qu’on s’identifie, comme quand on regarde un film, une série ou qu’on joue sur un ordinateur. Benjamin Bloom, chercheur en sciences éducatives, a notamment montré que quand on se projette de manière expérientielle, une très forte volonté d’apprendre se développe via ce plaisir, et que l’engagement quant aux études est bien plus important. Cela décuple donc la mémorisation. »
Le serious game s’intègre parfaitement dans un parcours de formation pour compléter l’apprentissage en présentiel. D’une part car c’est expérientiel et cela permet à l’apprenant de mettre en pratique ses connaissances ; mais également parce que ces modules peuvent être joués plusieurs fois avec des embranchements différents en fonction des interactions choisies par l’apprenant. Or, l’entraînement régulier aide à développer réellement ses compétences. Guillaume avait un professeur de DUT dont le leitmotiv était : « la répétition fixe la notion ». Le responsable marketing de Serious Factory fait le lien avec la mécanique du serious game : « On retient vraiment bien. Il y a le fait de s’être entraîné en situation réelle bien sûr. Mais tout l’intérêt est également que cela s’intègre avant le présentiel, pour le préparer, pendant, pour dynamiser la formation, et après pour s’entraîner régulièrement quand le formateur n’est plus disponible. Or, 10-15 mn de temps en temps suffisent pour réactiver ce qu’on a appris. Cette mécanique change absolument tout pour la mémorisation et une véritable maîtrise des compétences. »
Le troisième avantage c’est qu’en serious game, comme son nom l’indique, on n’est pas dans la vraie vie. On prend l’exercice au sérieux, mais si on se rate, cela n’aura pas de conséquences dans le réel. Cela désinhibeénormément, et en même temps, permet de former sur des situations qu’on rencontre peu.
« Le serious game est adéquat pour former aux situations délicates, mais dans lesquelles il est primordial de savoir réagir, note Guillaume. Cela peut être, par exemple, se mettre dans la peau d’un patient schizophrénique avec un casque de réalité virtuelle pour un futur psychiatre. Ou alors, réaliser une simulation d’opération difficile en médecine. Ou encore, apprendre les normes de sécurité ou à utiliser des machines dangereuses dans le milieu de la construction. Dans le bâtiment, nous formons beaucoup d’employés qui sont sur le terrain, qui ont peu accès aux formations et que ça enthousiasme beaucoup d’être formé de cette manière très “ludique”. Nous sommes heureux que cette méthode puisse répondre aux enjeux des entreprises dans leur objectif de développement continu des savoir-faire. »
Et c’est d’autant plus vrai qu’au contraire du présentiel où on peut se sentir jugé, là on est libres de faire ses propres expériences, de prendre le risque d’échouer sans peur du ridicule. C’est ce que Guillaume note : « on est derrière un personnage qui est notre ombre, on ne risque rien. Pas de trac pour prendre la parole, faire, tester. On appelle cela l’effet Protée, du nom du dieu grec qui pouvait changer de forme. Des études ont démontré que les interactions virtuelles par avatars montraient des apprenants plus impliqués, plus désinhibés, qui prennent des risques, sont actifs, et développent les bons réflexes. Ils n’ont pas peur de se tromper ou faire des erreurs, car l’impact dans le monde réel est nul. C’est donc un formidable terrain de jeu pour apprendre. »
Contrairement aux formations en présentiel, l’immersive learning fait travailler les qualités comportementales. Or, elles sont tout aussi importantes que les compétences techniques. Du fait d’être immergés dans un environnement, les apprenants s’identifient aux personnages qui sont devant eux. Personnages qui leur répondent souvent, grâce à l’intelligence artificielle et au machine learning : « nous avons développé une technologie avec des personnages qui montrent des émotions qui évoluent en temps réel, avec des attitudes spécifiques. Par exemple, si dans le jeu on accueille mal un client, il va se mettre en colère. En voyant cela, les apprenants développent des savoir-être : l’empathie, l’écoute, l’adaptabilité, tout cela pour répondre à l’état du personnage virtuel. Grâce à ces exercices, ils combinent donc des compétences techniques et comportementales, pour apprendre tout ce qui est nécessaire en poste. »
L’immersive learning est une excellente solution pour les entreprises qui ont des équipes dans plusieurs pays ou en remote. Les outils peuvent être fournis et toute l’expérience réalisée n’importe où. C’est aussi une modalité de formation flexible, puisque l’apprenant peut faire un module quand il le souhaite, et revenir sur certaines parties si nécessaire.
Au vu de ces avantages, ce n’est donc pas étonnant que l’immersive learning trouve naturellement sa place dans des programmes de formation de grandes et petites entreprises. Grâce à lui, les collègues responsables des ressources humaines peuvent :
Selon Guillaume, le monde de la formation prend conscience qu’il faut aller au-delà de l’acquisition de connaissances. « Notre postulat se base sur la règle des 70 / 20 / 10. C’est simple : 70% de ce qu’on maîtrise est relatif à l’expérience. 20% provient de nos interactions sociales : avec des professeurs, des mentors et des collègues. Au maximum 10% enfin, vient de ce qu’on a appris théoriquement. »
Pour réussir à ancrer ces 70%, Guillaume l’assure, rien de plus redoutable que l’expérience. « Le meilleur moyen, dans un cadre digital et de réduction des coûts des organisations, c’est la simulation ». Demain, l’immersive learning devrait donc prendre de la vitesse et se mêler à d’autres formes éducatives, créant des parcours de formations hybrides que l’on appelle “blended learning”, ou encore “classes inversées”.
Cette forme éducative pourra aussi être utilisée par les responsables des ressources humaines.
« Nous avons créé un Serious Game immersif dans le cadre d’une campagne de recrutement pour les métiers de la circulation ferroviaire avec la SNCF. L’objectif était de susciter une prise de conscience sur la diversité des missions liées au métier de technicien aiguilleur. L’opération a été un succès ! », raconte Guillaume.
« Chez Serious Factory, nous avons un programme d’onboarding sous forme de serious game, où on a recréé nos locaux et où l’on découvre les différents services. L’avatar de notre CEO est le coach virtuel qui accompagne les nouveaux dans la découverte de l’entreprise. » Guillaume.
« Nous formons aussi avec des outils en interne sur des choses spécifiques. Par exemple, cela sert aux commerciaux, car nous avons réalisé un module de présentation de notre suite logicielle, qui sert en prospection marketing mais aussi en interne pour faire découvrir notre argumentaire marketing et avoir les bons arguments. C’est un peu une mise en abyme de notre outil qui fait en même temps la promotion de l’outil. »
Et si, pour revenir à notre épisode de Black Mirror, demain, le serious gamedevenait encore plus serious, et qu’il servait aussi à virer les collègues qui ne parvenaient pas à acquérir les bonnes compétences assez vite ? Une chose est sûre, cette modalité éducative en plein boom n’est pas près d’épuiser ses ressources.
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Photo by WTTJ
Quelle:
https://www.welcometothejungle.co/fr/articles/apprentissage-immersif-immersive-learning
By: Anne Garçon, Digital Communications Adviser
Humanitarian Leadership Academy
As the frequency and complexity of humanitarian crises continue to rise, the demand for highly skilled humanitarians, capable of preparing for and responding more effectively and efficiently to disasters, is only going to increase in the coming years. At the Humanitarian Leadership Academy (‘The Academy’), making learning available to the people who need it most is our mission. We recognise the need for a more engaging, scalable and impactful learning in the humanitarian sector, in order to build resilient societies and save more lives.
What makes the Academy unique is our combination of three core elements. First, our free digital learning platform, Kaya, which offers over 450 online courses in up to 10 languages. The platform is already being used by over 100,000 humanitarians worldwide, with most of them coming from crisis-affected countries such as Syria, Yemen and Sudan; this shows that our learning is reaching those who need it the most. Second, our network of global partners on the ground, assessing local needs, and creating and sharing locally relevant learning. Finally, our focus on identifying and testing innovative learning tools and technology, which enables us to push the boundaries of high-quality humanitarian learning at scale and in challenging contexts.
Our approach to innovation leverages not just new technology, but new tools and methodologies to solve problems in locally relevant and creative ways. We focus on two key areas: ‘Learning about Innovation’ and ‘Innovations in Learning’.
Learning About Innovation
We want to help humanitarian professionals and organisations understand what innovation means, and why it is so important. We believe that anyone can be empowered to take more innovative approaches to humanitarian action with the right frameworks, tools and techniques and a focus on user-centred design (UCD) and co-creation. We have developed online courses specifically for that purpose and made them freely available on Kaya.
Innovation Essentials provides humanitarian professionals and volunteers with clear first steps on how to bring innovation to life within their own organisation and includes a series of real-life examples of innovation from around the world. 900 humanitarians have already enrolled in the course.
Last year we teamed up with the Institute for the Future (IFTF) to explore some of the links between global trends and disasters, with a specific focus on the East Africa region. We discussed how to best equip humanitarian professionals and organisations with the right tools and skills to navigate and adapt to these new realities. This collaboration led to the development of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Humanitarian Futures and Foresight. Despite its specialised content, the one-week course attracted 830 humanitarian leaders worldwide, giving them the opportunity to learn about humanitarian trends and the practical tools needed to use foresight in a humanitarian context.
“Foresight is important because it helps us plan for the future. Major disasters can be averted or even managed properly. This approach helps us see possible mistakes that could be made in the future”, said a learner from Nigeria.
Innovations in Learning
The nature of learning and education as a whole is changing very fast, with an increase in the use of personalised learning, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), gamification, nano-degrees and micro-credentials; and we are always willing to uncover new ways of creating and delivering learning to users in different cultures and contexts. This means scanning, testing and scaling the latest learning technology solutions from within and outside of the humanitarian sector. Our innovation work currently centres on three areas; gamification, low-cost/low-tech virtual reality/360, and artificial intelligence in education (AI-in-Ed).
Gamification for Humanitarian Learning
Since 2015 we have run several workshops in Kenya, Jordan, Bangladesh, India and the Philippines, looking at local learning needs, and how to then turn them into learning games through the application of design-thinking methodology and gamification technologies. Once created, the games can be integrated into existing online courses, allowing learners to test their knowledge on specific issues, and to learn in new ways. The games enable learners to go through various scenarios and narrative-based journeys, and can include role-playing through virtual teams as well as group simulations. Learners can make active decisions, solve problems, and are also given time to reflect on their experiences, allowing for greater engagement and retention.
Immersive Learning
Building on previous research from academia, such as Stanford VHIL’s use of Virtual Reality in empathy building, we have started to explore enhancements in crisis-immersion and empathy building using low-cost, low-tech virtual reality for volunteer and staff training. In 2018 we started creating short VR films that integrate with existing e-learning pathways on our platform, Kaya, and portray different stakeholders’ points of view in humanitarian contexts. This kind of immersive learning influences people’s empathy levels, making them relate more to the situation they are virtually experiencing. Our first 360 film, You Can Not Argue with a Floodimmerses learners in the conflict-torn city of Marawi in the Philippines. Available both in English and Tagalog on YouTube, the film has been integrated within the Volunteer Essentials e-learning pathway on Kaya to help make the learning experience even more engaging and immersive.
We are currently working on similar projects focusing on the Rohingya and South Sudan crises, experimenting with combining 3D illustrations, sound and video, to help build stronger links between learning and real-world situations, and help to inform better decision-making in humanitarian workers.
Artificial Intelligence in Education & Chatbots
We have started to explore how artificial intelligence can help to provide personalised and predictive content that is most relevant to individual learners in their specific contexts; ideally before a disaster even happens. With over half a million followers on our Facebook page we felt the need to find a better way to respond to people in a relevant, timely manner. The use of simple chatbots seemed like an interesting option to better engage future and existing learners, both before and during the learning process. Our chatbot enables learners to engage with Kaya through a series of online conversations where they can learn more about the courses that are most relevant for them. We have built short, narrative driven journeys to help learners understand the role of volunteers in the field and to help them select relevant Kaya courses. Feedback has been positive to date with learners showing interest in interacting with our bite-sized content, course trailers, and interactive quizzes.
Conclusion
The need for more engaging, scalable and impactful humanitarian learning has never been greater than it is today. As innovative learning solutions such as games, immersive films and chatbots begin to show great potential, one of the next challenges we face is ensuring local humanitarians and organisations can successfully access and adapt these tools to their specific learning needs in difficult contexts. At the Academy, we believe that the creation of better learning opportunities leads to better crisis preparation and management for humanitarians all around the world. Investment in knowledge sharing is an investment in the skills of humanitarians, which will ultimately help save more lives.
Get involved and help us make this a reality.
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Foto: Watch the 360° film: You Cannot Argue with a Flood
If you are thinking about attending an executive education course this year, be prepared to have a lot of choices. Today’s crop of executive education options offer a vast range of topics, formats and learning channels, most of which are designed to help learners transform their leadership style for a more digitally driven workplace.
This is good news, as recent research suggests that executives need a lot more education to keep up with the rapidly changing workplace. Executive Development Associates’ “2019 Trends in Executive Development” report determined that “digital culture shock” is driving most of the interest and evolution in executive education today as leaders seek new knowledge and skills to help them adapt. Changing business strategy (34 percent) and digital transformation related to AI, analytics, blockchain and other technologies (22 percent) were cited as the most influential issues facing executives today.
These pressures are changing the kinds of content that executives — and the learning organizations that are paying for their education — are seeking, said Michael Chavez, CEO of Duke Corporate Education. “Strategy courses have become a lot less relevant in the shadow of disruption,” he said. They are rapidly being replaced by content and modalities that challenge leaders to think differently and to engage more fully in the learning process.
Learning by Doing
The days of spending three hours listening to a lecture are over, Chavez said. The new crop of courses are far more participatory. Today’s leaders can choose from a variety of experiential learning environments, where professors leverage design thinking strategies, cross-department collaboration, and immersive learning scenarios that force participants to interact, engage and even act out their roles in leadership scenarios.
This trend is being driven by organizations that don’t want to pay for their people to just sit and listen, and by instructors who recognize that immersive learning can be a transformational experience. It is also proving to be an appealing model for learners, who are often surprised to find they enjoy the opportunity to engage more fully in the learning process.
That was the experience Alex Katzman had when he attended University of California, Berkeley’s three-day on-site High-Impact Leadership Program. Katzman, who is chief growth officer of Enervee, an online marketplace for energy-efficient products, wanted a course that would help him evolve his leadership skills to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding workforce. “A lot of other executive ed courses felt more like management training or they were industry specific,” he said. “This one focused on how to be a better leader.”
Katzman also liked Berkeley because of its respected name and proximity to his office in Los Angeles. But he was surprised by the format the workshop took. All of the instructors came from acting and performance backgrounds, and the content focused primarily on helping participants build their leadership presence and learn how to make emotional connections through leadership. “It was very interactive,” he noted. The course included many physical exercises, work on posture, voice projection and using inflections to create tension in storytelling. “We spent a lot of time practicing how to tell a story in two minutes while creating excitement,” he said.
Katzman hadn’t expected to spend so much time engaging and performing, and he was a little uncomfortable at first, but he’s glad he took the class. “Learning by doing is so much more powerful than just listening,” he said. He’s now applying those skills on the job, and he feels like it has helped him develop his skills as a leader, mentor and coach.
Take Charge of Your Career
While not every executive education course is taught by actors, this kind of interactivity and collaboration is becoming much more popular among trainees and their employers. It’s also bringing new players into the space, including acting schools like Second City in Chicago, which offers an improv-based leadership workshop. In other programs, students work collaboratively to solve hypothetical business problems, and even take on roles in immersive experiences, like having to rescue skiers trapped in an avalanche, or negotiate the release of hostages — both courses offered by Group Experiential Learning.
It may sound more like an adventure vacation than education, but these learning programs can have a powerful impact. They force participants to make decisions quickly using ambiguous information, and to collaborate and problem-solve in high-stress situations — all skills they need to thrive in today’s workplace.
That doesn’t mean every executive needs to be ready to strap on snowshoes to become a better leader. But they do need to know what they want to get from an education, said Ed Hoffman, senior lecturer in the Master of Science in Information and Knowledge Strategy at Columbia University in New York. “Leaders today are working in a high-octane environment that no-one has ever experienced before,” he said. They have to constantly be assessing their current skills and what they will need to stay competitive in the future.
That includes evaluating whether your current skill set could one day be replaced by technology and what you can do to remain relevant, Hoffman advised. He noted that one of the most in-demand skill sets today is applied data analytics, but it’s possible that in a decade, those tasks will be largely automated. “It is dangerous to think that the skills you have today will carry you for a career.”
He also noted that executives can no longer rely on their company to make these decisions for them. “You have to take care of your own career,” he said. While some organizations are good at creating and acquiring learning opportunities for their high performers, it is foolish for any ambitious leader to assume that someone else will take care of their learning needs.
Hoffman believes it’s an executive’s job to constantly update their career plans and to commit to being a lifelong learner.
“If you are at a stage in your career where you need to improve your skills, or you want to become a driving force in your organization, executive education can help with that,” Katzman said. He urged learners to look for a program that speaks to them, and to be open to new modalities of learning — even if it makes them uncomfortable. “It can help you develop skills you know you aren’t great at, and that can be a real benefit.”
This article was originally published as “The Experiential Leader” in the July/August 2019 issue of Chief Learning Officer.
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Virtual Reality (VR) ist das perfekte Medium, um Kommunikation im Unternehmen emotionaler und relevanter zu machen. Mit zunehmender Verbreitung von Virtual-Reality-Geräten auf dem Markt tritt VR langsam aber sicher ihren Siegeszug in die Unternehmen an. Welche Möglichkeiten VR für die Unternehmenskommunikation bietet und für welche Unternehmen die Technologie besonders interessant ist, beschreibt unser Gastautor.
Praktisch jeden Tag treffen wir Kunden aus den unterschiedlichsten Branchen und erklären ihnen, wie Virtual Reality in Zukunft Geschäftsprozesse, Produktpräsentationen und nicht zuletzt auch die Unternehmenskommunikation verändern wird. In nahezu allen Fällen erzeugt VR eine starke emotionale Reaktion – und das Feedback ist positiv. „Wow“, „unglaublich“ oder „fantastisch“, bekommt man oft zu hören.
Interessanterweise gibt es bei den Reaktionen auf das neue Medium keinen gravierenden Altersunterschied. Zwar lernen gerade Jüngere die Bedienung der Technologie schneller. Allerdings erkennen sowohl die Generationen Y und Z als auch Schulkinder oder die Generation 50+ schnell die Vorteile der Technologie für ihren Alltag. Besonders oft greifen 25- bis 44-Jährige auf VR-Inhalte zu; 63 % davon sind männlich.
In der Virtual Reality spielt der sogenannte Grad der Immersion eine bedeutende Rolle – inwieweit VR die Sinne des Menschen beeinflusst. Je höher die Immersion, desto weniger merkt ein Mensch, dass er sich in einer virtuellen Realität befindet. Mit der heutigen Technik kann man Bild, Ton und zu einem gewissen Grad Haptik realistisch bereits simulieren. Auch Bewegung ist heutzutage frei möglich, da vermehrt mobile Datenbrillen zum Einsatz kommen.
Mit hochrealistischen Avataren kann man in absehbarer Zukunft eine digitale Version von sich selbst erschaffen, die nahezu nicht mehr vom eigenen Abbild zu unterscheiden ist. Damit kann man einen Menschen in Umgebungen versetzen, die nahezu einem Holodeck gleichen, wie man es aus Star Trek kennt. Gleichzeitig wird es dabei möglich, auch über physische Grenzen hinweg – und ohne „störende“ Technologie wie ein Smartphone – mit anderen zu kommunizieren. Virtuelle Realität macht die Kommunikation also wieder menschlicher.
Nahezu alle Arten von Unternehmen können von der VR-Technologie profitieren, für einige ist sie jedoch besonders interessant. Gerade Unternehmen im Industriesektor sind beispielsweise darauf angewiesen, ihre schwer beweglichen Produkte auf Messen zu präsentieren. Durch den Einsatz von VR lassen sich Kosten sparen und der Verkaufserfolg deutlich erhöhen. Die gesamte Produktpalette eines Unternehmens live erleben zu können, erhöht gleichzeitig die emotionale Bindung zum Unternehmen.
Auch Anbieter von chemischen Produkten können die Anwendungsbereiche ihrer Produkte den meisten Mitarbeitern und Kunden nur schwer vermitteln. Hier kann VR dabei helfen, den Einsatz von Chemikalien in Produkten zu visualisieren.
Viele Unternehmen experimentieren nun auch im Bereich Human Resources mit VR. Beispielsweise lassen sich Führungswerte und Arbeitsweisen besser vermittelt, indem man ein „Erlebnisprogramm“ kreiert. Mitarbeiter können sich mithilfe von 360-Grad-Aufnahmen an Produktionsstätten ihres Unternehmens versetzen, Produktionsprozesse und Arbeitsbedingungen kennenlernen, ohne reisen zu müssen. Werte wie Mut, Risikobereitschaft oder Teamplay können über interaktive Apps mit Gamification-Elementen simuliert werden – virtuelle Escape Rooms oder andere Teambuilding-Maßnahmen sind denkbar.
Nicht nur Unternehmen können von Virtual Reality profitieren: Im Rahmen des Projekts „Digitale Kunsthalle“ machten wir in Kooperation mit dem ZDF Ausstellungen diverser Museen, die momentan nicht physisch gezeigt werden können, in einem komplett virtuell konstruierten Museum wieder der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Außerdem waren wir an der Schaffung der weltweit ersten Virtual-Reality-Zeitreise beteiligt: Hier können Besucher mithilfe von VR-Brillen die Stadt Luxemburg des Jahres 1886 erleben.
Storytelling: In eine virtuelle Realität einzutauchen ist wie in einem Film mitzuspielen: Die Welt reagiert auf den Nutzer und biete ungeahnte Interaktionsmöglichkeiten.
Bewegung: Virtuelle oder erweiterte Realitäten verleihen einer Erzählung Bewegung. Wie Visuals in einem Text bieten auch sie neue Bedeutungsebenen und neue Tiefe
Eintauchen: Der Benutzer fühlt sich tatsächlich, als wäre er Teil der Erzählung. Dies kann ein stärkeres Einfühlungsvermögen begünstigen.
Komplexität: Virtuelle Realitäten können dabei helfen, komplexe Daten auf eine verständliche, ansprechende und einprägsame Weise zu vermitteln.
Quelle:
https://www.pressesprecher.com/nachrichten/mit-vr-emotionen-die-kommunikation-bringen-577883239
Immersive audio is an underutilized and often forgotten element for creating great XR experiences. (XR includes virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, merged reality, and 360-degree video.) To understand audio’s potential impact within XR, consider whether you’d rather learn a new language such as Spanish from an XR experience with detailed and realistic 360-degree video but one-dimensional and poorly recorded audio, or simple animated video but lifelike, three-dimensional, and interactive audio.
Most people would choose the latter scenario because it’s more likely to create a feeling of presence, despite the animated visual field. This article explores what immersive audio is and why it’s so important to creating great XR experiences.
Immersive audio is 360-degree audio that mirrors real world soundscapes within XR experiences. Sounds emanate from all directions and are nonlinear (i.e., interactive). For example, if you see a dog barking to your right in a VR simulation, immersive audio will match the location of the barking sound with the dog’s visual location even as you move around in the virtual space. Designers can also use nonlinear audio cues, such as voices, music, or even a barking dog, to direct a visitor’s attention to points of interest. This helps visitors focus, stay engaged, and navigate through an XR experience. Ultimately, immersive audio considerably increases the sense of presence in XR experiences—the feeling of really being there—which, in turn enhances learning.
Binaural audio and Ambisonics are common types of immersive audio recordings. Binaural audio captures sounds similar to how we hear in the real world, where sounds reach one ear slightly before the other. However, it is not responsive to visitor input. Ambisonics, originally developed in the 1970s, captures full 360-degree spherical sound (i.e., front to back, left to right, and top to bottom) and responds to visitor movement and rotation.
Immersive audio uses microphones (i.e., Ambisonic, binaural, omnidirectional single-channel, etc.) placed on people, objects, or cameras to capture and pinpoint voices, the ambient environment (i.e., background), and/or other close and distant sound sources.
Recording, mixing, editing, and experiencing audio for XR is (relatively) new and unchartered territory. Options for recording immersive audio can be expensive and somewhat limited. Much of the recording technology is do-it-yourself or experiment-as-you-go. For example, you can experiment with omnidirectional lavalier or Ambisonic microphones in new ways, choosing the combinations that best meet your budget or space constraints.
Similarly, you may need to edit immersive audio using software that may not be specifically intended for XR experiences. For example, you could use game engine software such as Unity or Unreal Engine 4, or you could use sound and video software such as Adobe Premier Pro, G’Audio Works and Craft, and Steam Audio. You may need to test multiple options to see what works best for your own XR experiences and level of technical expertise.
Note that while you can record an infinite number of audio channels, anything beyond 3rd order Ambisonics, or 16 channels, doesn’t improve the perceived sound quality. Sound quality is also limited by the output hardware that visitors will use for most XR scenarios, which is likely two channels, or a normal pair of headphones.
Research conducted by Harold Pashler et al. has shown that students are not primarily auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learners as is commonly believed, but a unique blend of each. Their research has concluded that our “primary focus should be on identifying and introducing the experiences, activities, and challenges that enhance everybody’s learning.” As L&D professionals, we can we can increase learning retention, engagement, and accessibility for more people by creating XR experiences with a combination of high-quality immersive audio, visuals, haptics, and other multi-sensory elements.
Immersive audio is a valuable tool worth remembering when creating XR experiences. While not every XR experience needs professionally produced, 16-channel Ambisonic audio tracks from start to finish, many training simulations and other XR learning experiences could certainly benefit from adding higher quality immersive audio. Paying just a little more attention to the audio design in your XR experiences could dramatically increase the sense of presence. And the potential impact of presence on learning is a big part of why we create XR experiences in the first place.
Pashler, Harold, Mark McDaniel, Doug Rohrer, and Robert Bjork. “Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence.” Psychological Science in the Public Interest, A Journal of the Association for Psychological Science, Vol. 9, No. 3. December 2008. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/journals/pspi/PSPI_9_3.pdf
Quelle:
https://learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/immersive-audio-the-forgotten-element-of-great-xr-experiences