VR technology is impacting education and training in tremendous ways. VR has already been used for years in the training of pilots on flight simulators. Similar types of systems are now being used to train city bus drivers, truckers, tank drivers, tractors, construction equipment, racecar drivers and even 16 year old novice automobile drivers. This technology allows for training in a near real life world while taking away the life-and-limb risks that these types of activities inherently contain. VR training can drastically reduce the cost of training. While an advanced VR system can be very expensive, having a wreck in an F-16 simulator is very cost effective than wrecking a real F-16!

VR training is not merely limited to the operation of heavy equipment. VR technology is being used for learning games such as golf and baseball. One can play 18 holes of golf without ever leaving the room. This, again, provides a convenient, low cost alternative to fine tuning skills in these and other sports. Through instant replay and the ability to manipulate images, trainers can focus the training on certain skills where the trainee needs to work.

Shared virtual environment allows for the interaction of trainees, even if they are geographically dispersed. This technology can be used for developing teams, such as astronauts who must make repairs in space. Through the use of Knowledge acquisition tools like TARGET, trainers can document the processes trainees use to do these repairs and develop best practices for future training sessions and analysis.

VR will be brought into the classroom as well. Students are already able to attend classes being taught across the country or world via video technology. However, as VR begins to make a larger presence on the web, students will be able to tune in to class via the web and experience the true classroom setting through shared virtual reality technology. This will enable the interaction that is vital to learning activities among students that are spread around the globe.

The potential uses of VR in education and training in the future are endless. Who knows if VR training will make its way into sales training, learning presentation skills, or developing interpersonal skills? Any area where human performance is required is a potential candidate for VR training.

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