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Soft Skill

Cornerstone Acquires Talespin for its Virtual Learning Suite

The combined technologies create a comprehensive corporate training solution

Cornerstone OnDemand has acquired Talespin to bring new immersive learning capabilities to its corporate training solutions.

The leader in learning and talent experience solutions not only gain’s Talespin’s XR learning experiences, generative AI and skills analytics, but it will also profit from the domain expertise of Talespin’s team.

Although the cost of the acquisition was not disclosed in Cornerstone’s press release, it did share its aim of creating an end-to-end learning content solution that would ‘power the future of work’.

Himanshu Palsule, CEO, Cornerstone, commented on the acquisition of Talespin: “As a leader in learning and talent experience for over two decades, we embarked on a journey of redefining the future of work.

“We’ve evolved to provide engaging, personalised tools centred around growth for employees to pave their own path.

“A natural evolution from personalised is providing truly immersive learning experiences through spatial computing and GenAI.

“Talespin is another important step in our vision to provide a holistic, integrated continuum of learning solutions with the right content at the right time — and now — with the right modality.”

Expanded Learning Technology

According to Cornerstone, Talespin’s XR learning capabilities will go hand in hand with its content subscriptions, creation, curation, and insights technology.

XR spatial learning, which includes augmented, mixed, and virtual reality, enables learning in the flow of work within relevant virtual spaces that simulate real-world situations that workers might find themselves in.

One use case Cornerstone points to is within healthcare organisations, which will be able to increase time-to-floor for medical staff.

Within the manufacturing industry, it says companies will be able to grow and reskill employees without negatively affecting production outcomes.

Alternatively, customer service representatives can engage in realistic conversations to build their confidence and experience, allowing them to learn from mistakes that won’t lose real world customers.

Talespin’s immersive learning content is now available via Cornerstone’s Content Subscriptions and can be utilised within its learning solutions.

Cornerstone’s customers can also use Talespin’s immersive training platform as an off-the-shelf or customisable solution, including its AI, no code XR content authoring tool, generative AI lab services, and Talespin Designer.

Kyle Jackson, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Talespin, “Cornerstone and Talespin have always been focused on ensuring employees are ready and skilled for the constantly evolving world of work.

“Talespin’s innovative XR experiences, team, and AI capabilities will further strengthen Cornerstone’s industry-leading learning and talent development solutions to bring even more value to customers.

“Together, we are accelerating the adoption of spatial learning, uniting under the shared ethos of ‘Better Together’ and with that the possibilities for what the future of work can hold are boundless.”

Why Talespin?

In a recent blog post, Josh Bersin, Global Industry Analyst for all aspects of HR, leadership, corporate L&D, and HR technology, explained that this acquisition will help to stave off competition from some of its younger and more agile rivals.

Bersin believes that vendors such as Adobe, SAP Litmos, Docebo, Sana Labs, Learnupon, 360 Learning, Fuse Universal, Uplimit, and many more are stealing potential clients away from Cornerstone.

One of the key ways that these companies are able to do this is through innovative new AI technologies, which is a major part of what Talespin will bring to the table.

Bersin also sees Talespin becoming a leading end-to-end provider of the VR market. Cornerstone quoted Bersin on some of the the related market statistics he shared:

“The immersive learning market is already estimated at $4 billion and is expected to grow at 31% CAGR over the next five years.

“This amazing new technology, which has been proven to almost triple learning impact, is now breaking out. I’m excited to see Cornerstone take a lead and provide an end-to-end solution in this market.”

What is more, with the release of VR headsets like the Meta Quest and Apple Vision-Pro, Bersin predicts that the “[VR] market is ready to explode”.

Quelle:

Cornerstone Acquires Talespin for its Virtual Learning Suite

25. März 2024 0 comment

Examples

VR Soft Skills Training

Virtual Reality (VR) technology has revolutionised the way soft skills training is delivered in various industries. With the ability to create immersive and interactive environments, VR offers a unique learning experience that goes beyond traditional methods. Soft skills, which encompass interpersonal and communication skills, can now be honed in a virtual setting, allowing for practical and realistic scenarios that promote active learning.

One of the key advantages of VR soft skills training is its ability to provide learners with a safe space to practice and receive feedback. In traditional learning environments, individuals often fear making mistakes or being judged by their peers. However, VR eliminates these barriers by enabling learners to engage in simulated situations where they can experiment with different communication techniques and observe the consequences of their actions.

This hands-on approach not only increases confidence but also enhances the retention and transferability of acquired skills to real-world scenarios. Additionally, the immersive nature of VR training allows for a heightened sense of presence, where learners feel fully present in the virtual environment and are more likely to be emotionally engaged and invested in the learning process.

What are Soft Skills?

Soft skills play a crucial role in the professional success of individuals across various industries. These skills refer to the personal attributes and abilities that enable effective communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership. In today’s highly interconnected and diverse work environments, possessing strong soft skills is more important than ever before. One of the primary advantages of developing soft skills is their transferability across different roles and industries. Regardless of the specific job or function, individuals with excellent soft skills are better equipped to navigate complex social dynamics, build productive relationships, and adapt to changing circumstances. Whether it is active listening, teamwork, time management, or emotional intelligence, these skills contribute to improved performance, increased job satisfaction, and enhanced career prospects.

VR ‚v‘ Traditional learning

Virtual reality (VR) training is gaining popularity as an innovative approach to soft skills development. Unlike traditional learning methods, VR offers a more immersive and interactive experience. Through VR simulations, individuals can practice and refine their soft skills in a realistic virtual environment. This enables them to gain practical experience and confidence in dealing with real-life situations. Furthermore, VR training allows for repetitive and personalized learning, facilitating a deeper understanding of soft skills concepts and their application in various scenarios. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, VR training enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of soft skills Classroom lectures and role-playing exercises may provide a foundational understanding of soft skills, but they can fall short in terms of practical application. Traditional methods may lack the dynamic and experiential nature that VR training offers, limiting the ability to fully engage learners and replicate real-life scenarios.

Additionally, traditional learning may be constrained by the availability of trainers and physical resources, making it more challenging to provide consistent and personalized training experiences. Embracing VR training over traditional methods can revolutionize soft skills development, empowering individuals to acquire and refine essential skills in a more immersive and efficient manner.

Typical Use Cases

VR technology has quickly become an innovative and effective tool for soft skills training in various industries. It brings a new dimension to traditional learning methods, offering a more immersive and engaging experience. Whether it’s for culture and new hire onboarding, customer service, or new manager training, VR has proven to be highly beneficial. When it comes to culture and new hire onboarding, VR allows organisations to create virtual environments that can closely replicate the actual workplace. This enables new employees to familiarise themselves with the company’s values, policies, and procedures in a realistic setting. Through interactive scenarios and simulations, they can experience firsthand how to navigate different workplace situations, fostering a sense of integration and confidence.

Similarly, the use of VR in customer service training has shown remarkable outcomes. By immersing trainees in virtual scenarios, they can practice handling various customer interactions, ranging from simple inquiries to more complex situations. VR facilitates the development of essential skills like active listening, effective communication, and problem-solving, without the risk of real-life consequences. It allows trainees to learn from their mistakes, receive immediate feedback, and refine their responses, ultimately enhancing their overall customer service skills.

Culture & new hire onboarding

Culture and new hire onboarding play a crucial role in the success of any organization. Traditional methods often involve lengthy presentations and orientation sessions, which can be overwhelming for new employees. However, VR soft skills training offers a more immersive and engaging experience. By simulating real-life scenarios, new hires can easily understand and adapt to the organization’s culture, values, and expectations. They can explore different situations, interact with virtual colleagues, and receive instant feedback, which enhances their learning experience. Moreover, VR allows new hires to adjust at their own pace, increasing their confidence and helping them feel more prepared for their roles. In addition to cultural assimilation, VR soft skills training can also address various aspects of new hire onboarding. It can help develop skills such as effective communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, which are essential for employees to excel in their roles. Through virtual simulations, new hires can practice handling difficult situations, collaborating with colleagues, and making informed decisions in a risk-free environment. This not only accelerates their learning process but also equips them with the necessary skills to contribute effectively to the organization from the start. Furthermore, VR training offers the flexibility to customize onboarding programs based on individual roles and responsibilities, ensuring that new hires receive targeted training that aligns with their specific needs.

Customer service

Customer service is a critical aspect of any business, as it directly impacts customer satisfaction and loyalty. In today’s fast-paced digital era, where customers expect quick responses and personalized assistance, companies must equip their customer service teams with the right skills.

Virtual reality (VR) soft skills training offers an innovative solution to enhance customer service abilities. Through immersive simulations, customer service representatives can practice handling various scenarios, such as handling irate customers or resolving complex issues. VR training allows individuals to develop their communication, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills in a safe and controlled environment without the risk of negative consequences. Moreover, VR soft skills training provides a unique advantage over traditional learning methods for customer service training. While traditional training often relies on role-playing exercises and theoretical knowledge, VR goes beyond by recreating realistic scenarios. This enables customer service representatives to experience and respond to different situations as if they were happening in real life. VR simulations can accurately depict the challenges and emotions that arise during customer interactions, allowing trainees to develop the empathy and emotional intelligence needed to address customer needs effectively. Additionally, the interactive nature of VR training enables trainees to receive instant feedback and guidance throughout the exercises, accelerating the learning process and ensuring continuous improvement

Empathy building

In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, empathy is becoming increasingly important in various industries. Empathy building is a crucial aspect of soft skills training, as it allows individuals to develop a deeper understanding and connection with others. Virtual reality (VR) offers a unique and innovative approach to enhancing empathy skills.Through VR simulations, individuals can immerse themselves in realistic scenarios that replicate real-life experiences. This interactive and engaging training method enables learners to step into someone else’s shoes, experiencing different perspectives and emotions. By doing so, they can develop a heightened sense of empathy, leading to improved communication and relationship-building skills.VR-based empathy building training programs can be applied to a wide range of use cases. From enhancing customer service interactions to fostering a more inclusive and supportive work culture, VR simulations provide a safe environment for individuals to practice empathy skills. Moreover, VR training can be particularly valuable in preparing managers for challenging conversations or helping employees navigate difficult situations with compassion and understanding. In conclusion, empathy building through VR has the potential to revolutionize soft skills training. By harnessing the power of virtual reality, organizations can create immersive and impactful learning experiences that promote empathy, understanding, and effective communication. The possibilities for VR-based empathy training are vast, and as technology continues to advance, we can expect even more innovative solutions in the future.

New Manager training

New Manager training plays a crucial role in grooming and developing individuals who are transitioning into leadership positions. It equips them with essential skills and knowledge to effectively lead and manage teams. These training programs aim to enhance their abilities in areas such as communication, delegation, conflict resolution, and decision-making. One key aspect of New Manager training is focusing on building strong team relationships. Managers are taught how to foster a positive working environment, establish trust among team members, and cultivate a sense of collaboration. They learn strategies to motivate and engage their team members, which ultimately leads to improved productivity and employee satisfaction. Additionally, New Manager training often includes modules on effective goal setting, time management, and prioritization, enabling managers to align team objectives with organizational goals and drive success.

Crisis communication & difficult conversations

Navigating crisis situations and engaging in difficult conversations are essential skills in any professional setting. With the advent of virtual reality (VR) technology, the opportunity to train and enhance these skills has become more accessible and effective. VR soft skills training offers a unique and immersive learning experience that allows individuals to practice and sharpen their crisis communication abilities.In crisis situations, it is crucial to remain calm, think on your feet, and convey information effectively. VR training simulations provide a safe and controlled environment where individuals can experience high-pressure scenarios and develop the necessary skills to handle them. By simulating realistic crisis situations, users can learn how to make quick and well-thought-out decisions, communicate with confidence, and manage emotions under pressure. The interactive nature of VR allows individuals to engage in difficult conversations, practicing active listening, empathy, and assertiveness, all of which are essential skills for resolving conflicts and mediating challenging situations.

Exploring Soft Skills in VR

Coaching: Feedback & performance review

When it comes to coaching employees on feedback and performance review, virtual reality (VR) training has emerged as a powerful tool. With VR, employees can engage in realistic simulations that mimic real-life scenarios, providing a safe environment to practice and receive feedback. This immersive experience allows individuals to develop the necessary skills and confidence to provide constructive criticism and effectively evaluate their colleagues‘ performance. By providing a virtual platform for coaching, VR can enhance the quality of feedback and performance reviews, ultimately leading to improved employee development and organizational growth. One of the key advantages of using VR for coaching is the ability to provide personalized and tailored feedback. Through VR simulations, employees can receive immediate feedback based on their actions and decisions within the virtual environment. This real-time feedback allows individuals to identify areas for improvement and make adjustments in a timely manner. Moreover, VR enables coaches to provide targeted guidance and support, ensuring that the feedback provided is specific, actionable, and aligned with the individual’s unique needs and goals. This personalized approach to coaching can foster a culture of continuous learning and professional growth within an organization.

Digital Energy & Bodyswaps

Digital Energy specializes in providing practical support for deploying and managing Virtual Reality (VR) content. Their services are aimed at a wide range of institutions and organizations, including colleges, universities, councils, and private companies. This support likely encompasses technical assistance, strategic planning for VR implementation, and ongoing management and optimization of VR resources. By facilitating the integration of VR into educational and professional settings, Digital Energy plays a crucial role in modernizing training and development programs. Their expertise ensures that institutions can effectively leverage VR technology to enhance learning outcomes and engagement. Here some example case studies of our collaborative work:

Southampton Council

Portsmouth City Council

Sheffield Hallam University

De Montfort University

Bodyswaps focuses on creating VR simulations designed with psychological safety in mind. Their simulations are specifically tailored to improve soft skills, such as communication, empathy, leadership, and teamwork. The emphasis on psychological safety means that these simulations are created to be inclusive, supportive, and free from fear of judgment or failure. Bodyswaps‘ approach to VR content creation addresses one of the significant challenges in soft skills training: the need for a safe environment where learners can practice and make mistakes without real-world repercussions. This is particularly important for soft skills development, where experiential learning and the ability to experiment with different approaches in a risk-free setting can significantly enhance the learning process.

Quelle:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/vr-soft-skills-training-mark-cullens-pwcue/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via

8. März 2024 0 comment

Examples

WHAT IS IMMERSIVE LEARNING? – AN INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING IN THE METAVERSE

What is Immersive Learning?

According to Training Industry, immersive learning provides individuals with an“interactive learning environment, either physically or virtually, to replicate possible scenarios or to teach particular skills or techniques. Simulations, role play, and virtual learning environments can be considered immersive learning.“

‍Accenture’s definition states: “Immersive learning, an advanced form of active learning, uses technology to create fully simulated environments where learners interact with the experience—as close to the “real world” as you can get.”

No matter the exact definition you find, the key aspects of immersive learning include offering learners a higher level of engagement, realistic experience, the opportunity to practice and apply skills, and yes, immersion, when it comes to learning new subject matter and skills development.

Immersive Learning in the Physical World

6278e58b83e32b1767889666_What is Immersive Learning - Flight Simulator (1)

Immersion simulations have been used for decades as a way to give learners a means to realistically practice and apply skills.

Humans have always relied on immersive learning to master skills. It’s the reason why firefighters have fire training structures to learn how to navigate real-life situations. It’s why NASA does parabolic flights – where airplanes take steep dives in order to create the weightless environment their astronauts will experience in space. And it’s the same reason role play is a staple for learning and development organizations across the world. By enabling people to take what they’ve learned and put it into practice and application, they get to simulate what it’s like to perform tasks and navigate situations, gaining invaluable experience for when the time comes to perform those tasks for real.

There are tremendous learning benefits to staging simulations in the real world, but there are downsides as well. Even in a staged fire, there is still the inherent risk of running into a fire. It’s expensive and wasteful for NASA to burn fuel during these parabolic flights. Role play for difficult conversations can lack realism, and isn’t scalable. In other words, creating immersive simulations in the physical world has challenges and limitations, making it difficult to reap the aforementioned benefits. But what if we could deliver the benefits of simulated experiences another way, without those limitations?

Immersive Learning in the Physical World

6278e5bdac94b803bb06f55c_What is Immersive Learning - virtual reality

Immersive learning simulations that use XR technology offer the benefits of immersion, without the costs or constraints of staging simulations in the real world.

A better way to offer learners immersive simulations exists – creating these experiences using extended reality (XR) technologies like virtual and augmented reality – that provides the realism and benefits of immersive learning without the cost, limitations, or risk. NASA’s pilots can practice simulations of their training in the virtual environments of the Metaverse an infinite number of times, while firefighters can get tremendous experience without hazards in a safe virtual environment, and employees can practice role play with virtual characters. XR technology can be used to realistically simulate virtually any environment or task, opening up a new world of possibilities for learning.

In immersive learning simulations, learners use an XR headset, or 2D desktop devices to enter a virtual environment where they are presented with digital twins, or virtual versions, of elements from the physical world. This includes everything from virtual versions of tools to virtual human avatars representing people. These experiences gamify skills development, making it more engaging (see more on efficacy below), and adding fun features typically found in games like game mechanics, scoring, avatars, and 3D graphics.

When it comes to immersive learning content, learning designers are able to create simulations for just about any learning goal, and thanks to the technology of the Metaverse, can set learning experiences to take place in any virtual environment, no matter how challenging it would be to recreate that environment in the real world.

‍Why Immersive Training Simulations Work

6278e5f850acbb35356493a4_What is Immersive Learning - augmented reality

The ‘immersion principle’ suggests that people learn better with immersive media content than they do with less immersive media.

The realistic nature of virtual environments and the simulations that take place within them make immersive learning engaging and impactful. This impact is described in academic research as the ‘immersion principle,’ or the idea that people learn better with immersive media content than they do with less immersive media. When consuming immersive content, learners experience a high degree of realism and interactivity – whether it be engaging in a simulated conversation with a virtual character, practicing assembling a piece of virtual equipment, or another simulated training experience.

The strong sense of presence that these simulations create increases “knowing” over “remembering” and taps into the learners’ real-life cognition. Higher levels of presence have been associated with better factual memory recall and increased episodic memory – the memory of personally experienced events. Learners are able to recall memories of their learning experience and relive them in the moment as the protagonist of a scene they were in, increasing the strength of the memory and retention of their learning. In other words, the experiences learners have in XR simulations produce real memories, and in turn, foster the development of real knowledge and skills.

Efficacy and Impact of Immersive Learning

The theory behind immersive learning methodologies has been further proven in recent years as organizations across the globe deploy XR technology for different learning goals and examine its results. Realizing the impact that immersive learning can have as a skills development medium can’t come soon enough, as global workforce trends point to the need to introduce new and improved learning methodologies.

‍The Need for Immersive Learning

There’s been a problem brewing for years with corporate training. As skills gaps have increased, organizations need to upskill, reskill, and hire talent at volume in order to develop workforces adaptable enough to keep pace with the transformation of their businesses. Factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and technology adoption have exacerbated these issues, as companies navigate hybrid models for work, and in some cases, entire workforces have started working remotely.

Despite these apparent skills gaps, studies have shown that current training methods are ineffective. Accenture found that learners forget 70% of training content within 24 hours and nearly 90% in a month. There’s a reason why 90% of executives surveyed by Accenture also say employee training needs to be reimagined.

At the same time, the Great Resignation is taking place. Companies need ways to more effectively train employees, and to recreate their culture in a virtual world – many new employees have never met their colleagues in the real-world. This goes beyond video conferencing: research shows – as we’ll see in the next section – that immersive learning is much more engaging and effective than video training and other types of programming. While remote work gains more traction and is widely adopted, the Metaverse is a perfect avenue to ensure efficient employee onboarding and impactful training, while creating a tangible company culture in a remote world.

‍Immersive Learning Efficacy

6278e626757549b7e35095f1_What is Immersive Learning - VR training study

A 2020 study from PwC tested the efficacy of VR soft skills training, and found it to outperform e-learning and classroom learning across metrics.

Another big 4 firm, PwC, conducted its own survey looking at the efficacy of different training methods and the results were eye-opening. PwC’s VR soft skills training study found that „learners trained with VR were up to 275% more confident to act on what they learned after training — a 40% improvement over classroom and 35% improvement over e-learn training.“

The study also found:‍

VR learners required less time to learn: VR-trained employees completed training up to 4x faster than classroom learners, and 1.5x faster than e-learners.
VR learners demonstrated higher confidence in what they learned: VR-trained employees were 275% more confident to act on what they learned after training – a 40% improvement over classroom learners, and a 35% improvement over e-learners.
VR learners had a stronger emotional connection to training content: VR-trained employees felt an emotional connection to training content that was 3.75x greater than classroom learners, and 2.3x greater than e-learners.
VR learners were more focused: VR-trained employees were 4x more focused during training than their e-learning peers, and 1.5x more focused than classroom learners.

PwC suggests that some of the reasons VR may be more effective than e-learning is that today’s learners have more distractions than ever – other open tabs, their smartphones, getting pinged on work messaging platforms. Because immersive learning is just that – immersive – learners are more focused, engaged, and not distracted.

‍The Benefits of Immersive Learning

‍The benefits of immersive learning go beyond the learners’ experience. VR learning also greatly increases the impact talent development teams are able to affect in their functions. Talent development teams are able to spend less time on administering training and onboarding, freeing them up to do more impactful, strategic work as they design the talent programs that will carry their organizations forward through business transformation. Immersive learning is also a better investment at scale, PwC found, with companies seeing up to 52% higher cost effectiveness than e-learning training.

In a broader context, Accenture found six main benefits of immersive learning. Immersive learning delivers the ability to:

Mirror real-life situations
Remove distance barriers between people and job sites
Reduce operational costs
Allow workers to learn through mistakes
Increase learner engagement
Provide better analytics on user behavior

These benefits could make us all better workers – but also make our companies better places to work. Some organizations are even leveraging immersive learning to bring about a more inclusive work environment and diverse workforce. These exercises work to make learners aware of discrimination, uncover implicit biases, and foster empathy toward colleagues.

We’re just scratching the surface when it comes to harnessing the power of immersive learning.

Real-Time Feedback and Skills Assessment

The reason immersive learning’s efficacy is tangible is that it delivers detailed and accurate data on a learner’s performance, as well as historic data about a learner’s skills development journey. This is made possible thanks to XR technology, which offers a higher level of interactivity than other learning modalities, and the ability to collect data on a learner’s interactions and performance while using the technology. A rich data set is created when a learner completes an immersive learning module, enabling talent development teams to capture data that goes far beyond a completion statement for a particular module, or piece of learning content.

Examples of data that can be collected from XR learning platforms include tracking decisions made at key decision points within a simulation, a user’s movement within a 3D environment, head movements while wearing an XR headset, and eye tracking, or gaze analysis to examine where users focus during a simulation. This type of data can be utilized to assess and validate specific skills based on a learner’s decisions and actions within a learning simulation.

For example, a learning module focused on simulating a performance feedback conversation will require learners to exhibit skills like delivering constructive feedback, conflict resolution, and managing difficult conversations. Different decision points within the learning module will require the use of these skills, and based on how the learner handles various decisions in the virtual role play conversation, those skills will be measured. These decision points are opportunities for learners to receive feedback so they can adapt their behavior, and also serve as opportunities for talent development teams to collect skills data to measure skills, and inform talent development programs.

Overview of Immersive Learning Use Cases

Because of its versatility and proven impact, many companies are already taking advantage of immersive learning for a variety of training use cases. These use cases typically fall into two broad categories:

Immersive soft skills training: Where learners use virtual reality or augmented reality to practice conversational skills with virtual characters representative of colleagues and customers
Immersive hard skills training: Where learners use virtual reality or augmented reality for object-based learning, or to practice processes and complex tasks that may be difficult to realistically simulate in the real world

Quelle:

WHAT IS IMMERSIVE LEARNING? – AN INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING IN THE METAVERSE

15. Dezember 2023 0 comment

Examples

Virtual Reality…but real-world impact

A lot of my job involves public speaking…but it can still be nerve wracking gearing up for a big presentation in front of an audience. Imagine how daunting that can feel if you’re just starting out in the world of work.

And yet more and more employers are calling for skills just like these, so how do we give our students a head start?

A new pilot project at Morley’s North Kensington Centre for Skills promises to use virtual reality to provide a safe yet immersive environment for students to practice these key skills…from public speaking to interviewing to embracing diversity and calling out instances where there’s a lack of respect in the office.

The virtual experience

I had the chance today to roadtest the technology, which Morley will make available to a limited number of NK-based students over the coming weeks as we explore its potential to deliver the skills employers are looking for.

The experience starts with donning the futuristic gear: a headset that immerses you in a digital world, a pair of headphones, and two devices that you hold to control your virtual hands.

Momentarily it’s disorienting, but you soon get used to it: a 360-degree virtual office, presentation hall or any other professional environment peopled by virtual colleagues with your own avatar hands and arms reaching out before you.

I tested a few scenarios.

First I was asked to observe a conversation and use my digital forefinger every time I picked up an instance of sexism in the conversation.

Afterwards I could explore the themes I’d picked up on – interrupting, minimising, belittling – and instantly zip back through the conversation to verify my answers.

The virtual me: having your avatar play back your speech can be unnerving…

Next up, a more interactive challenge – I had to deliver a presentation to a virtual audience. Literally speaking out loud, gesturing with my hands, maintaining eye contact with the audience.

The technical wizardry gave me an instant readout on how I’d done and – rather unnervingly – played back my performance via an avatar that I watched as my own voice filled my ears.

I scored well on speed of delivery, eye contact, ‘joining words’…but was told to up my game on hand movements and gesticulation.

Lessons learned for my next virtual experience – this time a job interview, where thankfully my handiwork got better marks.

I’m told that developments in artificial intelligence (AI) are continuously making this kind of interaction even more useful, with software able to provide personalised feedback based on the inputs from the user.

The real-world impact

I spoke with Elyse Stokley, Customer Success Executive at Bodyswaps, who explained more: “Bodyswaps is an award-winning, immersive platform that brings realistic simulations and AI-enabled feedback to soft skills training. Students can practise and fail safely without repercussions while building the communication, teamwork and leadership skills needed for successful careers.”

Vusa Nkomo, Morley’s Head of Student Services, said: “We’re working with Bodyswaps here at North Kensington to pilot how we might use VR and AI to engage students in really building the skills that we know employers look for.

“I’m really excited to see how our students react to this cutting edge style of learning, which I know will complement the teaching we do here in the classroom and the other forms of learning that Morley is so passionate about, whether that’s creating a podcast or curating an exhibition.”

Quelle:

Virtual Reality…but real-world impact

25. Oktober 2023 0 comment

Examples

Gesprektechnieken prototypen met virtual reality

Bij het oefenen van gesprektechnieken worden werkvormen bedacht waarbij studenten in tweetallen bij elkaar zitten. Soms wordt een acteur ingehuurd, wordt er met echte cliënten gewerkt en heel soms oefenen ze de gesprekken al met virtual reality (VR) modules. Binnen deze modules zijn diverse gespreksscenario’s beschikbaar. Onlangs is een nieuw EdTech project gestart over VR gesprekstechnieken met een bijzondere invalshoek.

360 graden film met keuzemomenten
Fontys Verpleegkunde is al bezig geweest met de kennisopbouw over gespreksvoering van studenten zelf, dus vóór het daadwerkelijke gesprek. Dat doen ze door studenten een 360 graden film te laten maken met daarin diverse keuzemomenten. Het script is onder begeleiding van experts geschreven en samen met de deskundigen van het XR-team van Fontys Verpleegkunde verfilmd en uitgewerkt.

Aanpasbare VR technologie
Bij het nieuwe EdTech experiment ‘gesprekstechnieken prototypen met VR’ wordt onderzocht wat er gebeurt met de kennisopbouw als studenten niet alleen een script schrijven, maar over een periode van acht weken ook echt gaan plannen en ontwerpen. Met daarbij de nadruk op het zelf uitwerken, evalueren en bijstellen van het gesprek. Twintig studenten van de opleiding Pedagogiek uit Sittard, die zich hebben aangemeld na een inspiratiesessie over het onderwerp, gaan aan de slag met dit experiment.

In tegenstelling tot de 360 graden film variant werkt de nieuwe VR toepassing met echte 3d avatars en omgevingen die eenvoudig en snel aan te passen zijn. Dit stelt studenten in staat om steeds meer te leren over hoe dynamisch een gesprek kan verlopen. Het resultaat van het ontwerp kan met laagdrempelige software direct in een immersive omgeving worden getest. De studenten krijgen daardoor snel feedback en kunnen die direct in het ontwerp verwerken.

Ze worden daarbij gespreksinhoudelijk ondersteund door de docenten van Fontys Pedagogiek en technisch door leden van het XR team vanuit scrumteam Fontys Blended Learning. Later in het jaar start ook een groep studenten bij de opleiding Fontys Sportkunde. Alle door de studenten ontworpen gesprekken kunnen door andere studenten plaats- en tijdsonafhankelijk gebruikt worden als trainingsmateriaal, al dan niet binnen een blended vormgegeven curriculum.

Nicolle Janssen-Heijnen, Fontys Pedagogiek “Mijn ervaring tijdens de inspiratiesessie was dat studenten Pedagogiek echt onder de indruk waren van het ‘authentieke gevoel’ dat ze ervoeren bij het dragen van VR bril met de Avatars. Het voelde ondanks de virtuele wereld toch als ‘echt’ gaven ze terug. Studenten die zich hebben aangemeld om mee te doen met gespreksvoering in de VR variant gaven aan dat ze echt nieuwsgierig zijn naar of ze op deze manier wellicht dieper aan de slag gaan met de inhouden van gespreksvoering. Een student opperde zelfs in de gehele groep om na afloop een vergelijking te maken in de ontwikkelde gespreksvaardigheden tussen de studenten die wel en niet de VR variant hebben gevolgd.
Ik verwacht dat studenten echt dieper aan de slag gaan met het van perspectief wisselen en inleven in de ouder/verzorger/medeopvoeder enerzijds en de rol van de pedagoog anderzijds. Ik schat in dat ze serieuzer aan de slag gaan met oefenen en intrainen. De uitdaging zal erin zitten om de balans te vinden tussen aandacht voor het programmeren en de inhouden rondom gespreksvoering aan bod laten komen. We zullen steeds in dialoog gaan met elkaar over wat we afspreken ter voorbereiding en continu feedback geven.”

Resultaten
Over acht weken verwachten we de eerste resultaten van het experiment. Niet alleen om te zien wat de studenten allemaal gemaakt hebben, maar zeker ook om te weten te komen of deze aanpak van prototyping met gesprekstechnieken bijdraagt aan het behalen van de leerdoelen van de studenten. Vanuit Lectoraat Mens en Technologie onderzoeken we samen met onderzoekers van de Nieuwste Pabo de acceptatie en het gebruik van zo’n nieuwe onderwijsmethode. Dat doen we door studenten vooraf middels een survey te vragen wat hun verwachtingen zijn ten aanzien van de VR prototyping tool: verwachten studenten dat de tool ze gaat helpen om meer te leren over gesprekstechnieken? Hoe gemakkelijk verwachten ze dat de tool is in het gebruik? Maar ook: is dit een prettige en misschien wel vermakelijke manier om nieuwe kennis en vaardigheden op te doen? Verwachten studenten dat deze manieren van leren en oefenen bijdraagt aan hun beroepsidentiteit?

Met de opgedane inzichten scherpen we ons onderzoeksplan verder aan voor de tweede ronde, waarin we uiteindelijk de VR prototyping tool willen gaan vergelijken met meer traditionele vormen van onderwijs, zowel op leeruitkomsten als studentbeleving.

Quelle:

https://www.fontys.nl/actueel/gesprektechnieken-oefenen-met-virtual-reality/

2. Oktober 2023 0 comment

Examples

Learning in a digital world. VR, AR, clinical simulation and motion capture create new opportunities at University of Northampton

Learning at University of Northampton is evolving thanks to a burst of virtual and augmented reality teaching technologies.

As the world undergoes a continual technical revolution, universities need to walk in tandem with rapid technological development and embrace the opportunities they present.

University of Northampton’s Waterside Campus – opened in 2018 – was created with teaching and learning at its core. This approach includes creating space to bring in new and emerging digital practices and technologies to supplement students’ learning, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and motion capture cameras.

The innovations below provide a ‘snapshot’ of the platforms, software, research* and other workstreams at University of Northampton.

The University has four Meta VR kits for permanent use and trial access to Bodyswaps software and skills library. Bodyswaps allows the user to have a go at a training or learning scenario and then then ‘swap’ places with their ‘assessor’ for more impactful feedback.

UON’s kits are being used for research about student counselling and mental health, plus developing students’ job interview confidence and skills. Findings will be fed back to Bodyswaps to help develop the technology at educational institutions across the globe.

In the Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology (FAST) the Music Production team have started on the ‘AR road’ after delivering a sound and vision installation. For Of Sound Mind, they created a fun opportunity for the UON community to drop in and chill out by creating a tune by playing ‘musical plants’ or immersing themselves with surround sound music and sound effects. They have plans to add to this by working more closely with the University’s Games development teams.

FAST has also acquired Azure Kinect DK ‘motion capture’ cameras for volumetric capturing (a three-dimensional space such as a location or performance) and body motion tracking. Although still early days at UON for this state-of-the-art kit, the team is looking to use it to create interactive experiences, gaming, logistics, robotics, healthcare. There is also scope for possible cross-course usage for performance degrees including Acting and Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics for the Stage and Screen.

The Faculty of Business and Law is also making the most of Virtual Reality in a partnership with Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Stephen Mold, who, has provided them with a Virtual Reality in a Box kit of 25 VR headsets and a 360-degree camera kit. Students use the equipment to develop safety-related VR scenarios with the PFCC’s crime prevention specialists and the campus safety team as their clients as part of a communications module.

Last year they successfully designed and created a VR experience as part of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s Safer Streets initiative which was launched at the Merged Futures Conference on campus. They are currently working on a Water Safety VR experience for Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service.

The Faculty of Health, Education and Society has long-established VR learning for Nursing students and has a new addition for Paramedic Science.

The Paramedic teaching lab has an immersive teaching and learning space with 360 projectors and ‘smart’ screens that visually and audibly represent various emergency scenarios. These Immersive learning simulations can be created as bespoke items by the teaching team. Students can interact by pressing the screen/building wall to answer various scenario questions, with immediate feedback on their responses.

On the horizon for FHES will be a high fidelity, AR midwifery mannequin, with students able to visualise the foetus internally, and gain an amazing insight into its journey through the pelvis.”

Rob Howe, UON Head of Learning Technology, says: “Considering we are only a few years into settling into our purpose-built campus, it’s astonishing to see how far we have come with digital teaching and learning and what is on the horizon.

“Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality form a series of building blocks to create an impressive ‘wall’ of digital teaching and learning. Now, we see these blocks slotting nicely into place.

“This is just an overview of some of what we are doing to fully utilise all that VR, AR and motion capture has to offer our students’ learning experience. Keep an eye on our news page for more as this evolve over the coming weeks and months.”

* The University’s Centre for Active Digital Education (CADE) is involved in researching and supporting the use of some of these technologies.

Quelle:

Foto: UON staff members use VR headsets

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/education/learning-in-a-digital-world-vr-ar-clinical-simulation-and-motion-capture-create-new-opportunities-at-university-of-northampton-4182220

5. Juli 2023 0 comment

Examples

Talespin and Pearson Launch Groundbreaking Immersive Learning Product to Navigate New Reality of Work

Talespin, a spatial computing company focused on workforce skills development, today released a first-of-its-kind learning product entitled „Where’d Everybody Go? – The Business Leader’s Guide to the Decentralized Workforce.“ The product launched in partnership with Pearson, the world’s leading learning company.

“Where’d Everybody Go?” features a virtual storyworld, virtual human simulations, and an interactive narrative reminiscent of a role-playing video game (RPG)—a combination that’s never been done before in the enterprise extended reality (XR) learning market. Presented in 30+ new immersive learning modules, the content empowers business leaders to practice key skills like building teams, managing people, and shifting mindsets.

Today’s workplace leaders face a new reality: Accenture found that 63% of high growth companies utilize a hybrid workplace model, and 83% of employees prefer that system. These workforce trends are colliding with enterprise adoption of new technologies like remote work solutions, Web 3.0 and the Metaverse, the latter of which is estimated to be a $678.80 billion market by 2030.

The XR learning simulations in this new storyworld arm managers and executives with the tools they need to address the new hybrid and remote work business frontier. This product announcement also arrives as the next generation of XR hardware devices are released by companies like HTC Vive, Lenovo, Meta, and eventually Apple. Talespin will make “Where’d Everybody Go?” available immediately to its network of customers and certified partners as the latest addition to its immersive learning content library.

“‘Where’d Everybody Go?’ redefines the immersive learning content category,“ said Stephen Fromkin, Chief Content Officer and Co-Founder, Talespin. “It combines the engagement and narrative of a role-playing video game with the learning efficacy and business ROI that enterprises need in a leadership development product.”

„Talespin is a leader in immersive learning, and we’re proud to collaborate with them to deliver this groundbreaking solution. Our recent Power Skills research showed that soft skills are the capabilities most in demand with employers, so these courses will help our customers and their leadership navigate the modern workplace,“ said Mike Howells, president of Pearson Workforce Skills.

About “Where’d Everybody Go?”:

In the “Where’d Everybody Go?” storyworld, learners take on the protagonist’s role of city commissioner in the fictitious, resurgent city of Levitt Heights. As their journey unfolds, the learner must help local startups and enterprises navigate challenges that real-world businesses face today, like leading hybrid workforces, exploring the adoption of new technology, and instilling equitable workforce practices.

“Where’d Everybody Go?” is presented in four learning content tracks:

Applying Web3 to Business Strategy and Operations
Management Upskilling
Equity & Values of the Modern Workforce
Critical Thinking

Learn more at: https://www.talespin.com/weg-immersive-learning-world

Quelle:

https://www.talespin.com/news/talespin-and-pearson-launch-groundbreaking-immersive-learning-product-to-navigate-new-reality-of-work?utm_content=237611271&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&hss_channel=lcp-10512405

13. Februar 2023 0 comment

Examples

What does ChatGPT Mean for Enterprise-Grade XR?

Virtualspeech is integrating ChatGPT for VR training, while Microsoft integrates the tech into Azure

ChatGPT is the latest trending tech topic, kicking off 2023 with an AI-powered chatbot which answers general-purpose questions and requests.

As innovative firms explore enterprise use cases for ChatGPT, Virtualspeech integrates ChatGPT systems into virtual reality (VR) business solutions.

Conversational AI systems are already emerging as integrated extended reality (XR) technology. For example, Meta is developing Project CAIRaoke self-learning and conversational AI network to assist with everyday routines. Meta is also integrating its four key AI platforms into Horizon-based Metaverse and immersive content creation services.

More on ChatGPT

The chat-based AI service is gaining traction alongside other emerging AI-based content creation services like DALLE.2 as a, at times controversial, tool for quickly generating content.

ChatGPT generates human-like text based on a user’s prompt or input. Users can refine their request to suit several use cases or as a chatbot which creates instant conversational responses to text inputs.

Individuals can use ChatGPT to have a basic conversation with the platform’s learning bot. The service also allows users to generate content such as stories and articles.

In December, Ammaar Reshi created and sold a children’s book that he wrote using ChatGPT and physically published via Amazon Kindle Publishing in an exceedingly short time period.

Examples, such as Reshi’s project and the surge of DALL.E 2 generated art, are fueling debates over the legitimacy of AI-generated content.

Although, the use cases expand outside of the art space. AI-based chatbots are a trusted customer experience tool, and firms are leveraging this conversational AI technology to drive customer engagement.

Introducing ChatGPT for Enterprise

For enterprises, ChatGPT is an avenue for teams to fulfil tasks using a machine learning service that can solve requests – firm must review each request with accompanying content quality control.

ChatGPT leverages knowledge from various channels to compile general-purpose aggregated data the bot writes in a chosen style or format.

Enterprise end-users could use ChatGPT to generate business resources such as research documents, marketing content, automating sales processes, instructional material, and translations.

The leading use case for enterprise-grade chatbots is customer experience solutions. Data indicates that 23 percent of customer service companies currently use AI chatbots to engage with customers – according to Salesforce.

Moreover, Statista reports that the chatbot market will grow to $83.4 million in 2023. Additionally, Meta’s Messanger service currently operates 300,000 chatbots, and according to Userlike, 80 precent of customers are using chatbots at some point during their buying journey.

While emerging chatbot solutions are not perfect, the services can fall victim to “uncanny valley” qualities, but solutions like ChatGPT still provide a reliable way to create instant content.

VirtualSpeech Integrate ChatGPT for VR Training

Following ChatGPT’s casual integration into business operations, the technology is now finding a home in VR enterprise-grade immersive services.

Virtualspeech is leading this AI revolution by integrating ChatGPT into its VR training platform.

The integration enables Virtualspeech to offer flexible and efficient AI-based upskilling services.

Virtualspeech leverages ChatGPT via a text-to-voice program that generates real-time responses to a trainee in an immersive learning scenario.

The firm’s platform simulates meeting or event scenarios to help trainees overcome nerves and anxiety during a critical social-led business opportunity.

The VR training service uses ChatGPT to voice avatars that help trainees refine soft skills like interview technique, presentation skills, and handling difficult conversations.

According to Virtualspeach, the platform’s integrated ChatGPT avatars can answer follow-up questions, admit mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests from the user.

The platform secures enterprises with a VR training platform that generates two-way conversations to promote self-driven learning opportunities in business environments.

The Benefits of Virtualspeech’s ChatGPT VR Learning Platform

According to Virtualspeech, its ChatGPT-based systems bring multiple benefits over traditional and immersive training scenarios.

ChatGPT can provide increased immersion and engagement during a VR training session. The AI system allows trainees to interact with virtual humans via sophisticated conversational feedback.

Moreover, ChatGPT avatars can provide trainees with personalized feedback and coaching based on their actions and performance.

The platform provides access to realistic environments which attempts to simulate challenges faced during public speaking scenarios in a safe, immersive space.

The platform also provides a route with improved access for users with disabilities and those who have difficulty accessing traditional training methods.

Combining Virtualspeech’s ChatGPT benefits, the integration provides enterprise end-clients with a scalable VR training solution that businesses can operate across a team without abundant cost and time expenditure.

ChatGPT Use Cases in VR Training

Virtualspeech outlines three critical use cases for ChatGPT to benefit enterprise VR training sessions.

Use case one is immersive performance reviews; Virtualspeech’s platform uses ChatGPT to simulate challenging conversations between employees and managers.

Virtualspeech claims its platform can help managers train for hard discussions while presenting co-workers with openness, respect, and support.

A Virtualspeech performance review training session places a trainee face-to-face with a ChatGPT-ready avatar. During the session, the trainee will talk to the ChatGPT avatar and understand how to softly conduct such a conversation for a future legitimate review.

Additionally, Virtualspeech provides post-assessment feedback tools, including metrics like video playback, speech, and eye-contact analysis, to inform trainees about their performance and how to improve. Virtualspeech CHAT GPT in vr training

An example of how ChatGPT can improve an immersive training scenario PHOTO: Virtualspeech

ChatGPT also applies in job interview VR training sessions, says Virtualspeech.

The firm outlines how ChatGPT integration in immersive job training sessions can provide simulated interview exercises that react to a user’s unique response in real time.

The platform allows job-seekers to carry out simulated interviews with reactive follow-up questions.

Again, the platform can provide self-assessment information, including tone, pace, and eye contact, for a job interview scenario to help a trainee become comfortable in an interview space.

Large Scale ChatGPT VR Training

Finally, another example from Virtualspeech is how a firm can use the ChatGPT integration to simulate a large-scale Q&A session in a post-presentation or press conference setting.

Virutalspeech’s solution can create a VR auditorium packed with ChatGPT-ready avatars that create unique questions for trainees.

The platform negates the need for pre-written questions. Instead, Virtualspeech uses AI to generate changing questions on specific topics.

A trainee will conduct their speech, and following this, the ChatGPT AI technology will generate questions based on a user’s presentation.

What’s Next for ChatGPT VR Training?

ChatGPT integration gives Virtualspeech another tool to create a truly immersive environment for its VR training platform.

Like other accompanying XR technologies, like hand-tracking, mixed reality (MR) passthrough, and spatial audio, AI chatbots can increase immersion by simulating realistic human-like verbal reactions to a user’s actions.

ChatGPT is an evolving solution; the technology is still in its infancy, and time will continue to grow the solution through learning algorithms.

As ChatGPT grows, the technology will become more sophisticated and suitable for enterprise-grade VR training sessions.

Where does Microsoft Fit into the Mix?

On the broader picture, Microsoft officially announced that it integrated ChatGPT in its Azure OpenAI Service

The move helps Microsoft Azure enterprise end-users to integrate AI models into business services, applications, and operations.

Microsoft is developing its ChatGPT solution in partnership with OpenAI with a scalability mission and “continued commitment to democratizing AI.”

Microsoft’s Azure platform optimizes emerging AI content creation platforms like GPT-3.5, Codex, and DALL.E 2 with new enterprise-grade capabilities and infrastructures.

The service is available via the Azure suite, and Microsoft has provided select customers with OpenAI services since 2021. The firm’s AI service has generated content for eCommerce brands that helped customers find suitable purchases.

Current Azure AI client KPMG is using Microsoft solutions to assist companies in understanding significant efficiencies during tax ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives.

Brett Weaver, an Azure AI Partner and Tax ESG Leader at KPMG, revealed:

Companies are moving to make their total tax contributions publicly available. With much of these tax payments buried in IT systems outside of finance, massive data volumes, and incomplete data attributes, Azure OpenAI Service finds the data relationships to predict tax payments and tax type—making it much easier to validate accuracy and categorize payments by country and tax type.

Microsoft has not mentioned the Hololens or its other immersive XR ventures in its OpenAI press release. The firm’s Hololens 2 device already contains voice control, which multiple vertical end-user leverage for hands-free immersive MR assistance applications.

Microsoft’s MR device already contains the technology to support ChatGPT-based applications, third or first-party.

Although Microsoft executives are teasing a third Hololens interaction, company spokespersons noted that Microsoft would not release the third device until the firm reaches a significant technological advancement for its end-users.

Quelle:

What does ChatGPT Mean for Enterprise-Grade XR?

1. Februar 2023 0 comment

Examples

Bodyswaps and Meta Immersive Learning partner to launch grant for VR soft skills training

Bodyswaps, a provider of immersive learning software that allows learners to practice soft skills in virtual reality (VR) with AI-enabled analytical feedback, has today announced a partnership with Meta Immersive Learning. The two companies will collaborate to create a grant that will provide 100 higher and further education institutions with access to virtual reality hardware and software across the UK, North America, France and Belgium.

Bodyswaps’ VR platform brings realistic simulations and AI-enabled feedback to soft skills training, enabling students to practise and fail safely without repercussions, while building the communication, teamwork and leadership skills needed for successful careers. The London based start-up is now working together with Meta to make soft skills learning VR experiences more accessible to all.

Through the partnership, Bodyswaps will provide each institution with 3-months of unlimited, free access to its full soft skills learning library, whilst Meta will support by providing hardware donations of its Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headsets to institutions.

According to Bodyswaps, institutions will be able to select a variety of courses, including modules on public speaking, job interviews and anti-racism training, to empower students with soft skill development that may have been affected as a result of the pandemic.

*Bodyswaps’ VR job interview simulator.*

Bodyswaps added that the partnership will double up as a research project, leveraging data collected from students and staff, to demonstrate the potential impact of metaverse technologies in education.

“Every student deserves a fair chance at a successful life. XR, as a learning technology, has the potential to level the playing field when it comes to learning life-changing soft skills. Working with Meta, we have a unique opportunity to kickstart the metaverse revolution in education,” said Christophe Mallet, CEO and Co-founder of Bodyswaps.

Meta’s Immersive Learning Initiative

Through Meta Immersive Learning, Meta is investing USD $150M to help develop the next generation of metaverse creators, fund high quality immersive experiences that can transform the way people learn, and increase access to learning through technology.

“To understand the true value and potential of immersive technologies for learning, we must first increase access and opportunity to nonprofits, educational institutions, and key communities. We’re excited to partner with Bodyswaps to remove barriers to immersive technologies, empower both educators and learners and unlock new opportunities in the education industry,” said Leticia Jauregui, Global Head of Meta Immersive Learning.

Together Bodyswaps and Meta Immersive learning are aiming to inspire people by demonstrating the possibilities for learning in the metaverse.

The program is open to higher and further education institutions located in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, France and Belgium. Institutions looking to be grant recipients can submit their applications here, with entries for application open from 16th November – 20th December 2022.

For more information on Bodyswaps and its immersive soft skills training solutions, please visit the company’s website.

Quelle:

https://www.auganix.org/bodyswaps-and-meta-immersive-learning-partner-to-launch-grant-for-vr-soft-skills-training/

Image credit: Bodyswaps

24. November 2022 0 comment

Examples

CoPilot Designer v2.6

CoPilot Designer has an exciting assortment of new features in version 2.6! This update includes capabilities to further empower learning content creators to design the immersive learning content employees need. The latest release includes additional language support, flexible spawn-points for users and virtual humans, and a customizable results screen. Let’s dive in.

Blog Contents:

¡Hola! Salut! Olá! Ciao! – Expanded language support
Location, Location, Location – Flexible spawn-points
Will the Real Virtual Humans Please Stand Up – Standing virtual humans
Author Conversational Simulations in Which Learners Can Direct Their Attention to Multiple Virtual Humans
The (Immersive Learning) Results Are In – Customizable results screen

¡Hola! Salut! Olá! Ciao!

Building on top of the available language options of German (Germany) and English (American), we are excited to provide learning content creators with 7 new language options for creating immersive learning content:

Spanish (Mexico)
Spanish (Spain)
French (France)
French (Canada)
Portuguese (Brasil)
Portuguese (Portugal)
Italian (Italy)

Author content for more language and regions

CoPilot Designer is an English-first authoring tool. What does this mean? The user experience and user interface in CoPilot Designer for learning content creators is in English. However, using a new language selection drop-down menu, creators can select which language input a learner will use while consuming the learning content they create. The learner can complete the immersive learning experience in the selected language.

In CoPilot Designer v2.6, the text-to-speech capability is the most noticeable adjustment in terms of expanded language support. The virtual humans are now well-versed in 9 different languages. Depending on the language selected in the Project Configuration interface in CoPilot Designer, the virtual human will communicate in the determined language.

In immersive learning role play experiences, the emotional realism portrayed by virtual humans creates a strong sense of presence, which increases ‘knowing’ over ‘remembering. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discovered that people find genuine satisfaction during a state of consciousness called Flow. To achieve this state of Flow during a learning experience, the linguistic interactions of engaging in spoken dialogue with virtual human avatars is a crucial element.

These expanded language capabilities enable more learners to have immersive learning experiences in their native language. This will allow learners to enjoy XR content’s proven engagement as they practice and apply soft skills in their preferred language, and enable more organizations to take advantage of the benefits of VR soft skills training.

Note: the navigation of the Talespin App and getting into immersive content for the learner will be in English. The experience and interactions themselves will be in the predetermined language set in CoPilot Designer.

Location, Location, Location

Determine learner and virtual human spawn-points in a given virtual environment with expanded location options

Immersive soft skills learning simulations have emerged as a popular use case for the Metaverse, and virtual humans and virtual environments are critical components in the design of these experiences. Additional key considerations for immersive learning content design include deciding which virtual human most realistically matches the simulated conversation’s topic, what the appropriate attire would be for the particular conversation, what virtual environment the conversation should take place in, and where within a given virtual environment the user and virtual humans will be positioned.

CoPilot Designer gives content creators control over these decisions, with the available virtual environments offering various spawn point locations to utilize while designing an experience. Prior to version 2.6, these spawn locations were predetermined, with virtual humans and users being positioned in specific locations. Version 2.6 brings new flexibility, as users and virtual human avatars can be situated in any of the available spawn-point locations within a virtual environment, adding new options in the design of VR soft skills simulations.

Will the Real Virtual Humans Please Stand Up

Interact with standing virtual humans, unlocking more immersive learning use cases

The greater experience design flexibility provided by v2.6 doesn’t stop there. The addition of standing virtual human characters enables a new set of immersive learning use cases in which simulating standing conversations is a critical component in establishing the simulation’s realism.

For example, simulating the interaction between a cafe employee and customer, or a retail sales conversation that takes place in a storefront, are training use cases in which including standing virtual characters may be desired. In designing such a simulation, the learner can now be situated behind the cash register in a standing position and the virtual character can take on the role of a customer waiting in line to order their morning coffee. These new spawn point options help learning designers create more content for a wider range of use cases, and offer flexibility in terms of how those use cases are portrayed.

Author Conversational Simulations in Which Learners Can Direct Their Attention to Multiple Virtual Humans

Learners can determine which virtual human character they interact with in an immersive environment

Another new feature in v2.6 of CoPilot Designer is the ability for learners to determine which virtual character they are speaking to during the flow of a simulated conversation. As more organizations and individuals use the Metaverse for learning and collaboration, realistically simulating situations involving multiple virtual avatars will be critical.

Learning simulations created with CoPilot Designer now present learners with icons allowing them to select which virtual human avatar they would like to address when selecting a dialogue option. This user interface feature is only visible when there is more than one virtual human present within a learning module.

This new feature is valuable for helping learning designers to create learning simulations intended to include multiple virtual humans representing colleagues or customers. For example, meetings often involve a group of people, or a presentation on a business plan requires several team members to be present. In these scenarios, giving the learner the ability to speak to one virtual character, and then simply change their point of focus and engage another virtual character, makes for a more realistic learning experience similar to the way we navigate group conversations in the real world.

The (Immersive Learning) Results Are In

Accurate scoring for skills development and the ability to deliver real-time feedback to learners are two key benefits of immersive learning content. To ensure learners gain the full benefit and understanding from a learning experience, feedback is an important element. Version 2.6 of CoPilot Designer now gives learning content creators the ability to customize the feedback provided within the results screens learners see when they consume a particular lesson, or learning module created with CoPilot Designer.

Provide learners with more detailed, and relevant information within learning simulations

Learners can now be presented with relevant information to help them understand and evaluate their current skill competencies, and identify areas for improvement and behavioral change. Creators can also ensure the information provided is relatable for the learner. Whether done by keeping the tone in mind, using organization-specific, or role-specific nomenclature and training methodologies, or any other key considerations, learners can now benefit from custom real-time feedback within an immersive learning experience. For further insights into skills development and learning journey progress, managers and L&D professionals can see this information in the Talespin Dashboard.

With the latest updates to CoPilot Designer, learning content creators are empowered with the ability to create a more diverse range of immersive learning experiences.

Quelle:

https://www.talespin.com/blog-post/copilot-designer-v2-6?utm_content=211534758&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&hss_channel=lcp-10512405

24. Juni 2022 0 comment