Digital transformation has been top of mind for several years, as organizations have transitioned into digital processes for greater efficiency and efficacy. However, with the advent of COVID-19, remote working and learning have made digital a way of life, causing organizations to rethink their digital strategy–and accelerate it. While digitization creates greater efficiencies, it’s also eliminating geographical boundaries, giving organizations the ability to expand their footprint globally. What’s more, digitization is fast becoming a means to facilitate diversity and upskilling. It is through immersive learning, a digital platform, that both can be achieved.
The U.S. Workplace by the Numbers
Clearly, diversity is a growing need within the U.S. workplace. Consider these numbers: at the executive level, only 2% of executives are African American, and only 3% are Latinx, according to MercerOpens a new window . When you get to the support or operations level, racial demographics most closely match U.S. demographics. The numbers are equally enlightening when you examine jobseekers. According to CNN MoneyOpens a new window , millennials and Gen Zers are the most diverse generation in history: only 56% of the 87 million millennials in the country are white, compared to 72% of the 76 million members of the baby boomer generation.
In the past, organizations have tried various approaches to change a culture and promote diversity and inclusion, from information sharing and e-learning to workshops–each met with limited success. Today, a new approach is needed to successfully reach Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) goals in the workplace of the future. With the acceleration of digitization, immersive learning has emerged as a powerful catalyst for reaching these goals. Â
From Old School to Immersive Learning
Yet what exactly is immersive learning? GartnerOpens a new window defines immersive learning as “learning situations constructed using various techniques and software tools, including game-based learning, simulation-based learning, and virtual 3D worlds.†Immersive learning puts you up close and personal with different scenarios, situations, and challenges to assess skills, behaviors, and skill gaps and train and measure improvement–continually and in real-time.Â
Four Pillars of Success
Immersive learning is successful when the following pillars are in place to ensure a safe and data-driven adoption.Â
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- Psychological safety. Immersive learning provides psychological safety. In other words, you’re safe to learn and make mistakes. There’s no judgment, no concern about making errors in front of superiors or on the job. It’s a safe space for learning.
- Authenticity. Immersive learning provides an authentic, realistic experience wherein the learner can see themselves connecting with the character or team in the behavioral simulation, making decisions in the process.
- Experience and application. Learners have the opportunity to practice, as learning is all about application and experience.
- Strong data sets. Creating learning programs with impact requires strong data sets to ensure the team is getting the most out of the experience. Immersive simulation tools provide real-time insights that provide leaders with a clear view of how their company is performing. Remember, you’re not collecting data for data’s sake. The outcomes from the training provide you with the tools to act on data points that are important and those that are not.
Historically, data hasn’t existed within a learning context other than highlighting the number of workshop or course completions. Data had nothing to do with skill, yet immersive learning has everything to do with skill measurement and data-driven decision-making in realistic scenarios.Â
In today’s workplace, immersive learning is a crucial element of digital transformation. It allows for transversal skill development to support diversity and the future-ready workforce–and it’s doing it on a large scale.
See More: 3 Levers to Focus On To Build a DEI Program That Actually WorksOpens a new window
Driving Diversity and Growing Skill Sets in 3 Big Ways
Simply put, immersive learning is a means to change mindsets and skills across the board, not just for senior management but also for middle-level managers, frontline managers, and all staff. Here’s how:
- Changing behavior. Immersive learning dives deep into every skill set. It ensures they’re continually developed, including soft skills that help an organization run smoothly and equitably, including human-centered leadership, coaching, emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, collaborative mindset, and DE&I. Simulations go well beyond typical tactics such as checking the box on reading the company DE&I policy or attending sensitivity workshops. Immersive learning instantly exposes vulnerabilities and shortcomings and helps instill new perspectives and behaviors through realistic scenarios. The result is leadership and personnel that are empathetic, collaborative, and inclusive.
- Growing skills. Learners aren’t restricted to learning classes based on their role. Instead, new recruits and those early in their career can develop skills from novice to mastery, supported by immersive learning practice. In essence, this “future proofs†the workforce with new skills.
- Implementing change instantly, globally. While workshops that offer role-playing could be considered immersive, they can be costly when you consider they only work with a handful of personnel at a time. Conversely, immersive simulations can be delivered on a large scale–to tens of thousands instantly, across the entire organization, globally. This allows the organization to move more quickly and democratize learning.Â
Is Immersive Learning Right for Your Business?
While it’s essential to review the business and learning objectives before deciding which learning methods are appropriate for an organization, immersive learning is a critical component in DE&I and upskilling strategies. Consider these questions when rating whether or not immersive learning is right for your business:
- Are you trying to have learners retain facts and knowledge, or are you looking for them to apply skills and behaviors?
- Is it about following a documented process, or are you asking people to improve decision-making?
- Should the learning program be the same for all learners, or do you want to personalize it based on existing skills and experience?
- Will you use the data, and in particular, is the need for completion and satisfaction feedback, or are you trying to measure skills?
- Is this about technical skills or critical human skills?
Source: ETU
Immersive learning is a go-to for many organizations as they diversify and future-proof their workforce. It leverages digitization, moving beyond silos of activity to continually boost soft skills and facilitate upskilling at scale.Â
How are you using immersive learning to promote diversity in your workplace? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .