Conquering the Skills Gap Through Human Touch and Immersive Tech

The widening skills gap in organizations is neither a secret nor an understatement. 

Over 87% of companies worldwide acknowledge that they have a significant skills gap or will have one in the next few years; almost 50% of staff state they are not as skilled as they need to be to perform their roles optimally, and 30% feel pessimistic about existing skills training offerings. 

Failing to train staff correctly means low engagement levels, increased staff turnover and increased costs towards new employee hiring and onboarding.  

These statistics highlight the need for improved training and development programs that help employees master new skills, keep them engaged and promote positive behavior change. 

Organizations who want to impact the lives of their staff and the growth of their business need to approach L&D programs that are engaging, address the unique needs of the user, and follow a learning journey that has a human touch… and make sure it's easy to scale. It's a hard ask. And while many of our minds might spring to utilizing technology in this space, we must take a step back before we go that route.     

The future of learning and development isn't about using the latest bright and glitzy tech to train staff. It's about personalized learning that addresses the critical pain points in learner development and further develops areas where individuals excel. Only then can we identify which problems require technology to help achieve the users' needs.    

Human-centric solutions   

The long-term success of L&D programs lies with L&D professionals who establish training built on the foundation of a human-centric approach. This approach is not a rigid framework but a versatile tool that can be applied to various areas, successfully putting their workforce in the top position for navigating and succeeding in a rapidly evolving business landscape.   

There are multiple definitions of a human-centric approach, but perhaps the most useful and eloquent one is placing humans at the center of every problem and building solutions based on their specific needs.

Human-centric approaches are being used in multiple areas, including how we develop company cultures, design processes and procedures, and even create the physical spaces in which our teams work.

A human-centric approach to immersive tech is more recent to the scene but is showing up as an emerging and important theme across multiple industries, especially in the L&D space.

The power of AI & VR with the human touch  

Human-centric immersive technologies like AI and VR are powerful tools that, when used correctly, can transform L&D programs by making learning more engaging, personalized, and impactful – all at scale. 

These technologies' most powerful element is their ability to provide experiential, accessible, and scalable learning and data-driven insights, culminating in increased and improved innovation and elevated learning environments.

So, how do we effectively pull in the human-centric approach to L&D and do so at scale?   

It's about looking at L&D programs that combine the human approach with certain technology. And I don't mean rolling out learning courses, hoping that everything goes as planned. What I mean is humanizing the technology we use and our approach to that technology.

Human-centric immersive tech, like AI and VR, is focused on prioritizing and enhancing the human experience. It does this by ensuring that the user's experience is intuitive, empathetic, and aligned with specific human values and needs. 

To be successful, human-centric immersive tech tools need to understand and respond accordingly to human emotions, enable natural and empathetic interactions, and reflect on and respect ethical and social decision processes.   

Putting human-centric immersive tech into practice  

There are many ways to achieve a human-centered approach to immersive tech, but for any organization starting its journey using this approach, I have 5 focal points that should be followed:

1. Empathy is first   

Before you even consider which tech you should use to enhance your training program (AI or VR or both?), you first need to apply empathy. 

Applying empathy and ensuring that the end user's needs are always kept in mind is critical to the success of any L&D program. Empathy is a game-changer in building trust with staff, improving connections, and getting the correct picture of what teams and individuals struggle with. 

Whether creating empathy maps that chart the emotional, cognitive, and experiential state of the user or conducting a needs assessment, you first need to gather enough information to help you define the critical areas of training that are of the most significant importance to your staff AND your business.   

2. Human-AI and VR collaboration   

Once you have your problem statement in place, you can focus on which immersive technologies are best suited to help you achieve your learning goals. 

Some of the most influential tech tools we've used include AI and Virtual Reality software (both underpinned by a human approach). The key to this step is ensuring that collaboration is kept at the forefront of your mind. 

For instance, instead of having AI replace human capabilities, it should be used to enhance those capabilities. In the L&D space, this might include using AI-powered virtual tutors or assistants who complement human instructors by handling routine tasks, giving the user immediate feedback, and analyzing data to ensure that future engagements are even more supportive and meaningful.  

As always, AI and VR should not necessarily dictate the learning journey but complement it by providing support and guidance. 

3. Personal & Adaptive Learning   

The beauty of AI and VR is that they can be used to create the perfect learning environment for individual users and their unique needs, regardless of where they are in the world. 

For instance, with VR, we can create scenarios and environments that mimic what the user would experience in the real world. Not only do users get to apply certain concepts in an environment that is unique to them, but they can also make as many mistakes as they need until they achieve mastery without the threat of embarrassment or injury. For example, a medical student might engage in a VR simulation of a specific surgery that gradually adapts to complexity based on their skill level without the risk of injuring the patient or breaking expensive medical equipment.

Something that will become even more prolific is the use of AI to create avatars that use natural language in various dialects. These avatars will provide an even more personalized and accessible learning experience at scale; for example, trainers can create their own avatars that will teach teams in their native language, even if they don't speak that language themselves. This doesn't just address the challenge of learning at scale but also touches on an element of diversity and inclusion.  

AI also enables us to leverage algorithms to create learning paths that constantly adapt based on the individual and their progress. This ensures they receive relevant content geared toward the right difficulty level that will challenge but not intimidate them, provide just-in-time support, and remain aligned with individual learning goals and objectives.

4. Feedback, Improvement & Customizability    

Immediate feedback is critical to improvement and helping users achieve mastery of skills. Unfortunately, many of the existing approaches to giving training feedback mean long periods of waiting for the user. And even when they receive the feedback, it's often generic.

Using AI-driven feedback loops means L&D teams can provide individual users with constructive, continuous, immediate, and personalized feedback on their performance, progress, and areas for improvement. The more data L&D teams have, the better they can support users with what they need to improve on and highlight where they are excelling.

Another key aspect of AI in VR is that it can offer users non-linear learning paths that adapt to their progress and feedback. By modifying training paths in real-time, users are introduced to new challenges or get to revise material based on their progress and skill development.

For example, in a VR training module on fire safety, the scenario can branch out into different directions based on the specific decisions the user makes at that moment – this means they get to experience a unique outcome each time, depending on the decisions they make.

5. Social Learning and Collaboration      

VR and AI allow social and collaborative learning experiences that make physical and geographical boundaries irrelevant. When we use AI and VR to create immersive and adaptive environments, we can bring about meaningful connections, encourage teamwork, and provide moments of global collaboration and cross-cultural understanding. 

How do we do this? With AI, we can analyze social interactions within a VR environment to identify influential learners, understand specific group dynamics and use this information to provide insights on improving social and collaborative learning experiences. 

What's even more exciting is that with social learning analytics, we can use AI to suggest learning partners, mentors, or groups that match the learner's interests, goals, and learning approach, further enhancing collaboration effectiveness. 

Human-centric + Immersive Tech = Change  

The emphasis on a human-centric approach to immersive tech in L&D highlights the commitment to creating a balanced approach to learning. Following a human-centric approach to AI and VR in learning and development means focusing on creating meaningful and personalized experiences that are supportive and put the needs and well-being of the user first.    

I encourage L&D professionals to view immersive technologies like AI and VR not as shiny new toys or terrifying technological advancements but rather as tools that have the potential to enhance and augment the human experience when it comes to learning, developing, and mastering skills.    

About Jason Haddock, CEO of Sozo Labs

With over three decades working in the field of emerging technology, Jason’s expertise lies at the intersection of business, design, and technology. His inquisitive mind and desire to solve wicked problems and create customer delight have allowed him to lead several companies and countless exciting projects toward success and long-term impact.  

Jason’s unique approach has allowed him, and his team at Sozo Labs, to leverage technology that can help create new and personalized learning frameworks for individuals and companies committed to surviving and thriving in the future of work.