How the neuroscience of VR can help tech teams break critical barriers
April 17, 2023Virtual Reality VR, like other innovations, is a half-century-old technology whose capabilities are being realised and harnessed in today's cutting-edge environment. VR is a fascinating technology that relies on strategically positioned lenses to distort images and make them appear three-dimensional. VR combines physical control and functionality with a compelling environmental reality. The technology behind VR engages the brain in a tangible way by exposing users to life-like experiences.
The neuroscience of VR presents an opportunity for technology companies to use this increasingly powerful technology to teach new skills to their employees. Although the experience is still associated with the futuristic metaverse or video game use cases, incorporating it into the business world will be a great experience as it can help tech teams adapt to changing environments and new challenges. Here are some ways tech companies can use VR to achieve positive results.
Delivering new skills and content: Companies can rely on VR to upskill existing employees or train new hires, because unlike our real-world environments, which have physical limitations that limit learning potential, VR's immersive nature provides a limitless learning environment, giving trainees access to all sorts of growth-oriented initiatives. In support of this report, the University of North Carolina found that medical students learning in VR environments outperformed their peers in information retention, performance tasks and test scores.
Enabling better connections across physical distances: Today's remote working environment has many benefits. But it also leads to higher levels of disconnection between teams. VR can help rebuild that connection when used by technical team leaders to conduct meetings or seminars. It will enable face-to-face meetings across distances in an office-like environment, fostering better connections between increasingly distributed teams.
Provide sales teams with real-world training: sales teams could leverage VR to overcome fears of public speaking, failures or other experiential facets. An analysis published by Nature disclosed that “VR continues to accrue confirming evidence for the treatment of phobias owing to its ability to provide powerful sensory illusions within a highly controlled environment”. Unarguably, VR could enhance or refine sales teams' experience and efforts before engaging in customer-facing obligations.
In conclusion, VR can play a vital practical role for tech companies as they evolve and advance in the tech world. It could help them cultivate a warm workplace culture in a remote or hybrid working environment and break critical barriers existing or yet to come.
