Virtual reality is rapidly gaining acceptance as an exciting technology for learning. But once we get beyond the hype, we need to ask: Can learning in a virtual world really transfer to the real world?

In this session you’ll examine an early virtual reality platform that enabled hospital staff to prepare for a move to a new hospital building. You’ll delve into the design of an experimental study that carefully controlled for confounding variables to determine the effectiveness of the hospital’s investment in building the virtual hospital. You’ll explore lessons learned from creating the virtual hospital and guidelines for measuring the actual effectiveness and outcomes, and you’ll learn how to get beyond the VR hype by gathering valid evidence.

In this session, you will learn:

• How VR can be used to simulate an environment that cannot be entered in the real world
• How to design a study that provides valid evidence of the transfer of learning from a virtual world to the real world
• How to avoid the common pitfalls of a media comparison study
• The (surprising) results of the study

Audience:

Designers, managers, and senior leaders (directors, VPs, CLOs, executives, etc.). 

Technology discussed in this session:

Second Life.