SHE10 – Safety training in the virtual world

The Product & Innovation Hub was the scene of three presentations on the role of technology in training yesterday (12 May).

David Towlson, a director of RRC Training, engaged delegates using the nonsense verse ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll to illustrate his point that the audience did not need to understand the meaning of the words to be able to answer questions on the poem. He said: “You only need a knowledge of grammar, not what is actually going on in the poem. Students need to be trained to construct meaning – to develop their own understanding, and check and correct it themselves. For this, trainers need to use more active teaching methods to engage students to achieve learning that goes beneath the surface.”

He continued: “Knowledge is no longer ‘stuff’ that is moved across from the teacher to the student. The student must be made to go through some pain.” Teaching is now more mobile, Towlson added, and there is greater use of tools such as virtual technology and interactive whiteboards.

However, there is a danger of using technology for technology’s sake, Towlson pointed out. It can sometimes look good but have no substance, and can rely on a single method, rather than a variety of methods. “Technology should serve the learner but not be in control. It does not replace the teacher, but helps them,” he concluded.

Soulla Stylianou, client director at artificial-intelligence specialist Daden, explained the uses of virtual technology such as Second Life, which can be used successfully for businesses. Second Life has been used, for example, for training paramedics at St George’s Hospital, who often cannot practise on real patients because of obvious associated risks.

“Virtual learning is more immersive than most e-learning,” Stylianou said. “It increases engagement and increases retention. Most importantly, it allows iterations – students can practise until they are perfect in their own time.” She showed a video that demonstrated how, in a health and safety environment, virtual worlds can be used for teaching workers how to choose the correct PPE, for site inspection, and for identifying hazards. The video also showed how a virtual building can be inspected before it is even built, to identify and understand any issues that may occur.

Finally, Keith O’Loughlin, head of technology at e-learning company Intuition, talked about the benefits and impact of mobile learning. “Mobile learning via ‘smart’ phones gives you the option to take training when and how you want,” he said. “Smart phones are now more powerful than laptops were a few years ago. Mobile learning has the capacity to change people’s behaviour and change the way they think about things,” he said.

O’Loughlin described how health and safety professionals are able to access checklists, information on how to perform tasks, first-aid information videos, training courses, how-to guides, surveys, and assessments all on their smart phones, meaning all this information is instantly available, anywhere. “The way people think when they are on a mobile device is very different from when they are in front of a PC in an office,” he concluded.