"I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand. »Confucius
We all know that it is by experimenting that we face the difficulty of any given task or situation. Indeed, theoretical knowledge is not sufficient, because it is not involving, too far removed from reality, with its context, its emotional impact, and its unforeseen events…. More and more used in professional training, there are many immersive devices, it is still necessary to choose the one that will bring real added value to the other methods involved.
Although the word immersive is now systematically associated with virtual reality technology, immersive learning can be defined as an experience that fully immerses the individual, through all of his senses (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and sometimes taste) in a real, virtual or augmented environment by combining the two. The immersive learning methods allow the participant to be immersed in a universe: As close as possible to their professional situations (especially in a secure manner) Which simulates scenarios that are difficult to reproduce in everyday life Who challenges (knowing yourself, your limits, your strengths and areas for improvement)
They thus make it possible to develop or supplement a base of professional skills, where trial / error is a source of learning and improvement.
Here are a few examples: Learning technical gestures Complexity management / Decision making Management / Collaboration / Leadership Conflict management Managing stress and emotions These modalities, associated with other more traditional pedagogical modalities, make it possible to accelerate learning, and to reveal human behavior.
In this article, three types of immersion, in a real or virtual environment, are presented, each of which will meet specific objectives:
I. Immersion through the body, in interaction with other individuals (Aikido)
Introducing corporeality into vocational training seems obvious, and yet many systems struggle to present situations that are close to lived reality, be it contextual, cognitive or emotional. Martial arts, and particularly Aikido (traditional Japanese art), provide a safe environment, natively integrating the work of posture, partnership / collaboration, influence and defusing tensions or conflicts. The lived situations affect the whole of the head-heart-body triptych, and allow us to work at the individual and collective level, during interactions between trainees. The practice partners are mirrors, which send us back information about ourselves, about our intentions or reactions. The transposition to the corporate world is tailor-made for each workshop, and makes it possible to address, in particular, the themes of leadership, management, team cohesion, management of emotions and stress.
II. Immersion through the body, in interaction with the horse (ethology)
Another approach to work with finesse on emotional intelligence, posture, presence, or leadership, is to interact with the animal world, and in particular the horse, which is extraordinarily sensitive and faithful in the feedback that it can do to humans who approach it. One of its characteristics is to feel our internal state, and to restore it by its behavior. Beware therefore of artificial coercive postures, which are ineffective, or conversely, of insufficiently embodied intentions. The work is first of all individual (management of emotions and stress), then contextual with the animal, with situations that allow you to immediately assess yourself on the themes of your choice (management, leadership, influence).
III. Immersion through technology (simulators and virtual reality)
The reproduction of the professional environment is a real plus offered by virtual reality. This makes it possible to project oneself in conditions very similar to work situations. Initiated initially in the aeronautical field, virtual reality immersions are now extended to almost all sectors: medicine, industry, security, customer relations with "soft skills" ...
In terms of behavioral skills, how can we offer situations where our brain is challenged (mental load, cognitive bias), where we can feel emotions impacting our decisions? Piloting an airplane using a flight simulator, with a virtual reality headset, is one of the very effective ways to experience many learning-rich situations. Indeed, experiencing various sensations and solving the cognitive challenges that are the daily life of fighter pilots, through engaging scenarios, makes it possible to accelerate awareness of: Our modus operandi Our cognitive biases Our preferred modes of reaction
We can take full advantage of this modality, by combining the virtual experience with support for human factors (with mental preparation tools, for example). This immersive experience makes it possible to address, in particular, the themes of self-control, decision-making in complex situations, and the management of emotions and stress.
By way of summary, we can say that immersive teaching methods are very interesting tools to use, very often in addition to other methods, which are synchronous or asynchronous. Like any device, it must meet specific educational objectives.
Stéphane Fassetta
Founder of SYPRIUM
Learn more about the immersive modalities offered by Syprium:
AIKIDO EXPERIENCE : https://www.syprium.fr/aikido-experience
PILOT EXPERIENCE : https://www.syprium.fr/pilot-experience
HORSE EXPERIENCE (information sur demande)