Are we finally in a world where virtual reality courses are possible?
The future is now, folks, and we’re bringing the technical capabilities to offer digitized apprenticeship training via AR/VR experiences to your pre-apprenticeship or RAP.
Yes, the original Google Glass failed over a decade ago and Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse hasn’t exactly been a game changer, but immersive experiences for education are amazing and a part of our apprenticeship management suite of services.
Imagine being able to direct your apprentices to work through a series of tasks virtually with zero jobsite risk or potential for disruption. What if that experience was also a marketing tool to get student attention?
Shoutout: Pryor High School HVAC Pre-Apprenticeship Program
Yes, these types of experiences are already in use and can be phenomenal. One such example is in Pryor, Oklahoma at Rogers State University campus.
Students will received DoL-approved training in preparation for HVAC service job readiness using “Hands-on 3D troubleshooting simulations” via virtual reality.
What Types of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Courses Are Possible?
If you’re a fan of video games, you’ve likely played one built on Unity. They provide the backbone for 3D experiences in games but also in a broader set of applications such as job readiness training.
So if you can do it in a video game, it can be done in training software with virtual reality goggles making it an immersive experience.
GoSprout leverages Unity to deliver the virtual experiences we offer.
What Hardware Is Required?
We support a number of hardware solutions by providers you already know and some that should be on your radar. Don’t write off a particular headset over the price.
Many grants and discounts are available for equipment for use within a RAP or pre-apprenticeship program. If you just want to game, you’re going to have to pay full price but there’s plenty of support for the delivery of augmented and virtual reality courses.
Apple Vision Pro
On the pricier side if you buy direct, Apple’s headset is pretty spectacular and has a little more form factor magic than some of the other offerings.
Magic Leap 2
As a fellow Florida startup, we have to love these guys. They don’t have the brand recognition that Apple does but their tech is pretty amazing as well.
Meta Quest 2
While Zuckerberg’s Metaverse hasn’t really taken off, he did buy Oculus Rift from Palmer Luckey way back when he first figured out how to make VR experiences without inducing nausea. That tech is the backbone of what is now sold as Meta’s Quest series of goggles.
Any iOS or Android Smartphone
While it isn’t immersive in the way that wearing goggles is, all modern smartphones have gyros and accelerometers. If you’ve ever created a panoramic or spherical photo, you’re using that tech.
Without the goggles, pointing your phone acts kind of like looking through a periscope. Point right and you see what’s to the right in the virtual room. Point left and you see what’s to the left.
How Is Completion Measured? What About Grading?
Have you heard the term gamification used with other types of software? Within the virtual world we create, we specify what doing things correctly and incorrectly means.
When apprentices do them correctly, they get points. When they don’t or they don’t get enough points, they can’t complete the course.
Assuming that a perfect score is required to “pass,” you determine what is a passing grade and whether or not you want to have someone on your team go over each apprentice’s score on each module.
At the end of the day, the experiences we create and the way grading is embedded in them is even more flexible than in a traditional multiple choice or other format written test and all of it feeds into apprenticeship tracking.
Does GoSprout Offer “Off the Shelf” Training Modules I Can Use?
We’re developing across our entire platform. In this area, we just started producing resources.
So today, you can offer our AR-driven “Critical Thinking” course. It’s a 3-lesson experience with broad applicability to apprenticeship programs: electrician, high-tech, etc.
As we produce more and more classes, we’ll announce them publicly. And of course, if you’re already using our apprenticeship management software, you’ll have the ability to add them to your program(s).
I’m Interested…How Long Does It Take to Set Up My First VR Training Module?
Expect a minimum of 2 months to have your virtual or augmented training module live. As with anything software-related, there are tradeoffs to consider including speed to market.
If you want an adrenaline pumping thrill ride worthy of Universal Studios, that’s going to take a bit longer.
Next Steps
We’re so excited about how powerful this technology is and how well it resonates with students. Having these courses is a marketing tool to attract preapprentice and apprentice applicants. We know the economic benefits of apprenticeships are amazing, but this also just really cool!
If you think your program could benefit from one, reach out to us. We’ll be happy to help you understand the scope of your vision, how long it would take to deliver, and what the cost would be.
