Jump-start your immersive learning journey with Talespin’s off-the-shelf content library

Written by:

Talespin Team

We’ve created an off-the-shelf content library that uses the proven efficacy of immersive learning to teach critical leadership and communication skills.

Read on to see how you, your team, or even your entire organization can leverage Talespin’s ready-to-adopt off-the-shelf content to jump-start your immersive learning journey.

‍Blog Content:

What we mean by ‘Immersive Learning’
Getting Started with Talespin’s Off-the-shelf content library
Immersive Learning Modules
How to Experience Immersive Learning Content
Final Thoughts

What we mean by ‘Immersive Learning’

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s make sure that we are on the same page when we talk about immersive learning. One of our favorite definitions comes from Training Industry, which describes immersive learning as an:

"interactive learning environment, either physically or virtually, to replicate possible scenarios or to teach particular skills or techniques. Simulations, role play, and virtual learning environments can be considered immersive learning."

Immersive learning utilizes scenario-based learning to deliver realistic experiences to learners to promote skill development. Scenario-based learning presents learners with situations in which they are challenged to apply a skill while experiencing the nuances of what it is like to do so in the real-world. Learners take an active role in moving a storyline forward by selecting response options or interacting with elements in the learning environment, which in turn impacts the trajectory of the story.

For more details on what immersive learning is, check out our previous blog post ‘What is Immersive Learning? An Introduction to Learning in the Metaverse.’ For further details on scenario-based learning, see ‘Scenario-Based Learning: Preparing Learners for Real-World Situations Through Immersive Experiences.’

Now that we’re all on the same page on this learning modality, let’s dive into our off-the-shelf content library that is designed to enable learners to experience immersive learning.

Get Started with Talespin’s Off-the-Shelf Content Library

Our off-the-shelf content library enables learners to develop soft skills through simulated role play with virtual human characters

Talespin’s off-the-shelf content library serves as an easy-to-adopt solution to get started with immersive learning. The collection of learning modules covers the most in-demand soft skills such as active listening, empathy, other awareness and many more.

As with all learning modules created with the Talespin platform, our off-the-shelf content modules task learners with engaging in simulated roleplay with virtual human characters. These simulations leverage realistic speech and body language to help learners practice common workplace conversations.

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Talespin’s ever-growing off-the-shelf content library consists of a multitude of learning content covering crucial topics and soft skills

Recently, we expanded our off-the-shelf content library with six new immersive learning modules. The library now includes over 10 hours of immersive learning content, covering more than 55 soft skills. Read on to check out examples of the content available in the library.

Immersive Learning Modules

Let’s have a look at three examples of learning modules from the off-the-shelf library.

Virtual Leadership

‘I think you’re on mute,’ ‘Can you hear me?,’ and ‘Can you see my screen?’ - Ah, the joys of remote work. The hybrid nature of work today has changed what the day-to-day looks like for employees all over the world. And while the communication skills needed to navigate the workplace have not changed, their application in a virtual work environment is something new for managers and leaders to approach.

Remote work has become a staple within the workplace. “According to their (Ladders) projections, 25% of all professional jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022, and remote opportunities will continue to increase through 2023” (Remote Work Is Here To Stay And Will Increase Into 2023, Experts Say. Forbes). Leaders and managers need to be prepared for the new and often unexpected challenges that come with remote work.

In the “Virtual Leadership” immersive learning module, learners will be challenged with the simulated task of talking with their team about the mandate to use a new software tool. The software requirement was put in place since productivity has declined after the company adopted a blended attendance model and created rigid remote-work policies. Learners will practice virtual leadership skills to be able to understand what the true concerns are for the team and how to utilize technology to alleviate those pain points.

Skills practiced:

Accommodation
Advocacy
Being Present
Cultural Intelligence
Curiosity
Demonstration
Flexibility
Goal Setting
Inclusivity
Modeling
Motivating
Other Awareness

Learn more about Virtual Leadership

Communicating Succinctly

It’s not only what is said that’s important, but how it is said—This is especially true with challenging situations and times of uncertainty. Situations like this are where clear and succinct communication play a vital role.

“3 in 4 employees see effective communication as the number one leadership attribute. Yet, less than 1 in 3 employees feel like their leaders communicate efficiently” (18 Leadership Communication Trends to Look For in 2022, Haiilo). With the clear importance of communication in the workplace, the need for learning initiatives focused on clear communication is paramount.

In the ‘Communicating Succinctly’ immersive learning module, learners take on the role of Chief Operating Officer at a company that has experienced disruptions that are creating challenges for the organization’s management and employees. Through simulated conversations, learners practice communication skills like active listening, other awareness, and speaking succinctly to improve their ability to apply leadership and communication skills when faced with uncertainty in the real world.

Skills practiced:

Other Awareness
Active Listening
Empathy
Clarity
Speaking Succinctly
Encouragement
Follow Up Question
Natural Paraphrase
Empathetic Persuasion
Summarizing
Establishing Next Steps

Learn more about Communicating Succinctly

Recognizing Biases

Everyone has biases - whether conscious or unconscious. “Nearly two- thirds of respondents in a 2019 study reported experiencing bias in the workplace last year” (2019 State of Inclusion Survey, Deloitte). Promoting awareness, understanding and knowledge of how to navigate situations where bias is having an impact is critical in creating a fair and inclusive work environment.

The ‘Recognizing Biases’ immersive learning module aims to teach learners how to identify and mitigate three common biases found in the workplace. By becoming aware of their own biases, learning to recognize bias in others, and learning specific mitigation strategies, the learner can reduce instances of race, gender, and age bias.

Skills practiced:

Mitigating Bias
Empathy
Self-Awareness
Impartiality
Cultural Intelligence
Critical Thinking
Evangelism
Motivating
Natural Paraphrase
Humility
Powerful Questions

Learn more about Recognizing Biases

Distribute Immersive Learning Content Using VR Headsets or Desktop Devices

With Talespin’s off-the-shelf content library, it’s easy to start practicing soft skills through the power of immersive technology.

Learners can experience the content modules through virtual reality (VR) or stream immersive learning modules through a web-based browser on PC or Mac devices.

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Virtual Reality

The benefits of virtual reality soft skills training are widely established. What makes this medium so effective? When consuming immersive learning content in a VR headset, learners experience increased focus, accelerated learning, increased confidence in learned subject matter, and higher emotional engagement to learning content. This is because immersive learning modules experienced in VR fully immerse learners in a virtual environment where they can simulate tasks, and interact with virtual humans that exhibit realistic emotions and body language.

In our off-the-shelf learning modules, learners are presented with two ways of navigating through the immersive experience in VR; voice input, or gaze-based navigation. Talespin’s content library is available on Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 1 & 2.

Desktop Streaming

Desktop streaming is another distribution method that our off-the-shelf content library supports. A key benefit is ease of distribution, as organizations can distribute immersive learning content to learners on their existing desktop devices.

The primary difference to VR learning is that learners perform the interactions mentioned above via a computer rather than wearing a headset. For example, desktop streaming learners use the microphone on their computer in role play conversations in the same way they would on a video conference call. And instead of using gaze-based navigation in a VR headset, users can choose to navigate immersive content modules using their mouse and keyboard.

Talespin’s web-based browser streaming supports PC and Mac devices.

Final Thoughts

Our off-the-shelf content library provides a great entry point for organizations to start their immersive learning journey. It can also enhance existing immersive learning programs, or be integrated into multi-modality curricula to augment e-learning and classroom learning.

To bring your immersive learning programs to the next level, check out the Talespin blog for further analysis, updates, and Metaverse intel.

Jump-start your immersive learning journey with Talespin’s off-the-shelf content library

What we mean by ‘Immersive Learning’

Get Started with Talespin’s Off-the-Shelf Content Library

Immersive Learning Modules

Virtual Leadership

Communicating Succinctly

Recognizing Biases

Distribute Immersive Learning Content Using VR Headsets or Desktop Devices

Virtual Reality

Desktop Streaming

Final Thoughts

Bonus Immersive Learning Tips and Insights