Digital Experiential Training: How do we do this?

Digital Experiential Training solutions are a new breed of training solutions, based on eliminating the compromises of current approaches. However, changing any organisational process or way of thinking takes time and can present it's own short term challenges. 

This blog outlines some common sense considerations for organisations delving into this new way of tackling workplace training. 

Start with a Proof of Concept

As for any large scale change in approach, many organisations choose to start this process with a Proof of Concept project. This has the obvious benefits of building an internal business case, testing assumptions and socialising any change without committing to wholesale changes. 

This will usually take the form of testing the new solution with a single training use case. This will generally include testing training effectiveness and internal buy-in from learners, effort to create content, integration and usability of the technology, and cost modelling. 

Consequently, it's advisable to select a solution which understands and offers an easy way to complete such a testing phase without large outlay in cost or effort. Most immersive technologies offer free trials or guided 'starter packages' which make it easy to test the core assumptions.

Internal upskilling 

As for any new ways of working, a degree of upskilling will be required. A key aspect to look for in solutions is the ease of use of any new technology or tools required to obtain value. Many immersive technology offerings are so called 'low code' meaning they still require specialist skills (in the form of software development) in order to use. Likewise, 'easy to use' is a term that is applied liberally to new solutions; ensuring a 'try before you buy' approach is often the best option here.

Identifying champions

Another critical element in successful adoption of any change is leveraging internal champions. These are individuals who already see the value of the new solution and can communicate and facilitate others to realise this. These individuals can have a disproportionate influence on gaining buy-in from key stakeholders and should be identified early on in any change process.

Integration with learning ecosystem

As for any training technology, it's important to consider how it will fit in with the existing training technology. Most likely, the LMS or LXP will be the central learntech feature, integration with this will be essential in order to avoid a 'silo' technology from developing. Minimum requirements would be that any 'in-session' learner data flows to the LMS/LRS and learners can access immersive content from within the LMS or LXP. 

Implementation support

In certain situations it may be appropriate to consider support in the form of implementation service provided by a solution vendor or digitisation partner. This can avoid any pitfalls and decrease the time to value for a new solution. If this is likely to be required, it may be worth engaging such a service as early as possible in the process.

Summary

These suggestions are not groundbreaking by any stretch, but nor is implementing a new category of workplace training solution. From what we've seen of successful implementations of new solutions in this category, it's nearly always getting these basics right that appears to make the difference. Ultimately, every organisations' journey will be different, but what is more clear is that the outcomes of implementing a new way to train is clearly worthwhile.