Workforce attrition is one of the top challenges facing industrial organizations around the world. Institutional knowledge that takes years to accumulate is disappearing with retiring workers, and valuable expertise is becoming increasingly scarce as a result. The next generation of workers has big shoes to fill, but they need to be stimulated and engaged by their employers or they will likely leave and pursue careers elsewhere. Organizations that aren’t adopting new technology-centric approaches to workforce training will soon be outpaced and by their more skilled competitors.
Traditional coursework and training seminars aren’t as effective as they once were. The digital natives that make up the next generation of workers have grown accustomed to learning with technology. Their learning style lends itself better to a variety of brief delivery formats that incorporate things like video, audio, and hands-on approaches.
Immersive experiences like augmented reality and virtual reality are proving to be powerful learning tools for the younger workforce because they engage multiple learning systems in the brain while minimizing cognitive load. Augmented reality is particularly valuable because it speeds time to expertise with a real-time learning-by-doing approach.
AR is revolutionizing on-the-job learning
Augmented reality engages learners more effectively by immersing them in a virtual experience that takes place within their physical environment. Immersive learning brings a deeper sense of authenticity to the learning experience, and that sense of authenticity allows the learner to better connect with the material that’s being presented.
Immersive learning experiences are especially productive when they can be broken down into role-based learning, location-based learning, or task-based learning. Imagine you’re about to perform a certain procedure that you’re unfamiliar with. You’re preparing to service a product or piece of equipment and then some information pops up showing you how it’s performing right now, how it has performed in the past, and which components need your attention. AR can show you these details in context, while providing step-by-step instructions exactly when you need them.
Microlearning with augmented reality
That’s microlearning. It’s a small nugget of learning that answers a specific problem or need. AR is taking microlearning to the next level, in that the information you receive is now in the context of your 3D space as you’re fixing or working on equipment.
Today’s industrial organizations are getting extraordinary value out of augmented reality because it provides them with a way to create detailed 3D overlays that frontline workers can use to improve the accuracy and precision of their work. 3D data that’s locked to location provides immense value by informing workers about things like equipment health, safety tips, and procedural next steps. AR also makes use of icons, images, and animations which provide a more efficient way for the brain to process information, so workers can interpret instructions with more confidence and complete tasks faster. With these kinds of immersive microlearning experiences, industrial organizations can get immediate value from newer employees and rely less on the domain expertise that only a select few have.
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Discover how today’s industrial organizations are using augmented reality for learning and knowledge transfer.
