Dow Agrosciences is an industry leader in pest management, and when they came to us to help them debut an innovative new product, we here at VisionThree were excited to help bring their ideas to (virtual) life in the VR space.
At this year’s PestWorld convention, held last week at the Baltimore Convention Center, Dow Agrosciences presented a Virtual Reality demonstration of their newest technology: ActiveSense traps/sensors. This demo was meant to introduce audiences to a full-scale training program that we are currently working closely with Dow to bring to completion. In this demo, users are invited to don the HTC Vive Virtual Reality headset and take on the role of the pest control technician; they are then tasked with setting Dow’s new ActiveSense traps/sensors in a warehouse setting.
(Scene from Dow’s ActiveSense VR Training App)
In this demo, training focuses on the plan of attack that pest control technicians will need in order to adequately protect a space and prevent infestations. They will be asked to set traps in the full-scale virtual warehouse based on specific details that are reinforced in the training curriculum (i.e. proximity to food sources, safe hiding spots, tendency to travel along established paths). The central crux of this training exercise is all about *where* to place sensors and *why.* Trainees will be scored on their ability to think critically to find predetermined “hot spots” in each of 3 educational scenes.
Dow and VisionThree based their decision to create this VR training simulation on recent research that discovered that Virtual training produces a 30% increase in student/trainee performance speed, and a 90% increase in accuracy on training tasks. In addition, VR-based training is proving to increase retention (75% retention) when compared with traditional, lecture-style learning (5% retention). What we are learning is that people don’t always remember what you tell them, but they are far more likely to remember something that they’ve actively participated in.
Gone are the days when passive, lecture-style training was the norm. Dow is setting the bar in this style of active-learning-based training for pest control technicians. In this program, technicians will have the opportunity to gain hands-on practice in a consequence-free environment.
By removing consequences, yet still reinforcing the training materials, trainees are allowed to fail more quickly, and thus, learn from their mistakes more quickly. Since each virtual scenario is reset at the touch of a button, trainees can take what they’ve learned from their mistakes and immediately correct their actions in an experiential way that will remain with them long after the training ends.
Revolutionary products demand revolutionary training, and VisionThree is excited to continue our ongoing partnership with an industry leader in such innovative, groundbreaking work.