One of the major considerations for associations in the current landscape is how to recruit and retain members from the Millennial generation. In the last few years, Millennials have surpassed the Baby Boomers as the largest generation in the workforce. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, Millennials will make up more than 75% of the workforce by 2030. Associations that haven’t yet thought of how this might impact their membership, should get started. For years now, the adoption of technology and the expansion of its role in associations have been focal points for many associations. While this has been an important shift for attracting younger, tech-savvy members, associations still find bringing in Millennial members challenging.
Professional development has long been one of the most integral membership offerings for associations. This could involve providing access to courses, conferences and/or programs. For many associations, the proliferation of online study has taken courses and programs to an entirely new level, making them more accessible, easier to complete and more appealing to members, especially Millennials. Many conferences are now accessible online, so it has helped there as well. Even though online learning and conferences may still seem relatively new, educational professionals are always striving to find the next breakthrough in educational mediums and many experts believe they’ve found it in Virtual Reality (VR). We’ve long known that VR was coming, but, now that it’s here, how can it help associations with professional development?
1. Enhancing Participation
When it comes to conferences, courses and programs, Virtual Reality is expected to completely transform participation. While online conferences provide access to a live presentation in a unique way, the VR world lets the user participate in and interact with that environment. Not only does VR allow people to participate in meetings, conferences and courses from another location, but VR also takes the experience from a passive one to an active experience. Attendees are not just watching a presentation, they’re being addressed. They can network with other attendees, seemingly in person, without ever leaving their home.
As associations begin to adopt VR as part of their professional development plan, the participation level at these events is expected to increase substantially. For courses and certificate programs, VR allows members to actively participate in the learning experience. The simulated hands-on approach will attract many members who struggle with traditional learning as well as Millennials looking for a more engaging learning process.
2. Reducing Travel
Travel is one of the biggest restrictions for professionals attending face-to-face conferences and training. Not only is there a cost associated with travel, but there is time and effort as well. Online events do drastically limit these objections, but VR takes events to an entirely new level. VR doesn’t sacrifice location and participation for a lack of travel. In other words, attendees using VR still participate in the events on site, for all intents and purposes, they don’t just have to actually travel to get to the desired location. Attendees in these VR events still have the opportunity to participate and network as well.
This innovation also allows associations to offer its training programs on location. Law associations can occupy courtrooms, dental associations a dentist’s office. For members, all this can be achieved from the comfort of their home. Depending on the desired outcome, the infrastructure needed to support this technology varies greatly. However, for associations who see value in the type of immersion that VR offers, the cost to achieve that in virtual reality compared to actual reality is significantly less expensive.
3. Greater Understanding
It doesn’t matter what subject or topic is being learned, an active learning experience is almost always more effective than passive learning. When compared to learning that requires the subject to read or listen to information, internalize it and then later apply it to “live” situations, learning activities that use motor function, visual and audio processing, and verbal language skills develop better understanding and knowledge retention. For reasons of convenience, cost and safety, active learning is almost always a later step in the learning process, but VR has changed that. Now, associations can have members learn in context and learn by doing from the beginning.
Through VR, trainees can learn about a complex procedure by participating actively in it, developing the muscle memory required to complete the task from the early stages. Paired with traditional learning exercises, even just being in the right environment can help stimulate retention in the brain. More than other learning mediums, VR is also suited for all types of learning styles, visual, aural, verbal and physical. By enabling members to get the most out of their career development courses, associations will find members are more likely to continue participating in other associational programs and initiatives, getting the most out of their membership.
4. Increased Engagement
Traditional learning methods aren’t going anywhere, but new generations are finding it increasingly difficult to stay engaged in traditional learning settings. While many programs suggest delivering items to Millennials in snippets and smaller packets for easier consumption, the complete immersion that VR events and programs require is extremely effective at engaging these younger participants. Even though attending a conference or an event held in virtual reality may seem distracting now because the concept is still so novel, it actually restricts everyday distractions. Even when you attend an online conference, visitors have the internet and smart phones on hand. In the VR world, these distractions simply aren’t available. The immediate engagement offered by VR is unparalleled.
Once again, learning context, situation and environment is important here. VR Participants are better engaged because they’re more involved. As learners, our minds are less apt to wandering if we’re involved in an actionable task. Likewise, being surrounded by manipulatable environments and situations allows the learner to put their knowledge into practice immediately. This is an exciting prospect for learners whose patience might hinder their learning otherwise.
5. Better Preparation
One of the most interesting prospects of VR as it relates to training or professional development is the simulated scenarios and situations it allows. For a learner, putting oneself into the mindset of one in a dangerous or life-threatening situation is challenging, if not impossible. Though extraordinary scenarios on the job are not commonplace, they do happen and training for these moments is difficult to simulate. With VR, associations can now put trainees into difficult positions, much like pilot and emergency personnel training has done for years. These learners can be thrown into unexpected simulated emergencies that require proper actions and procedures. Most importantly, this can all be done effectively, accurately and safely.
Consider something as common as health and safety training or certificates. While traditional training has been successful in the past, VR training makes this training more engaging and more effective, simply by making the learning environment situational. Associations can have members perform complex and precise procedures within the proper setting, gauging understanding by the actions they take. By simulating unique situations within the correct environment, training results are more accurate and the training is more effective.