Welcome back to part two of our three-part blog series on different types of training methods you can implement with Guides. We will go over three more training methods that will help your company empower employees with hands-on learning, maximize training effectiveness, and adapt at the speed of change. Remember, these are just a few types of training methods you can utilize with Microsoft’s Mixed Reality headset, the HoloLens, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Guides.

Digital Twins

Digital Twins are what most people think about when they imagine Mixed Reality and Extended Reality – a cool video game and futuristic holograms. However, Digital Twins are much more than that. They open a new dimension to training, allowing you to create training with or without physical equipment or machines. This method becomes useful when a machine or tool is unavailable due to various reasons, such as being in a tight space where training is less than ideal, or when the number of machines is limited due to cost or weight constraints. With Digital Twins, trainees get the opportunity to have hands-on experience without physically interacting with the equipment.

This training method is also an efficient way for trainees to learn about different components within equipment or machines. In a matter of moments, trainees can virtually explore the different components of a vehicle, instead of physically breaking down each layer of the car to learn about each part.

Guided Procedure

In theory, all Guides created are considered guided procedures. However, in this case, we are talking about complex tasks that are detail-oriented and where a single mistake has the potential to be very costly to clients. To help reduce errors, we incorporate knowledge checks to ensure trainees are competent in the task at hand. We utilize the Guides branching feature as a buffer or filter to ensure everyone on the frontline understands each step correctly. Guides act as instructors, walking students step-by-step through procedures without the presence of a physical instructor. While trainees go through self-paced training, they feel supported every step of the process.

Virtual Instructor-led Training (VILT)

As a result of the pandemic, most training was conducted virtually over platforms like Zoom or Facetime, similar to regular in-person instructor-led training. Thanks to Guides’ new calling feature, we have developed an innovative way to breathe new life into Virtual Instructor-led Training (VILT). In this approach, the instructor wears the HoloLens and broadcasts the training to learners on their PCs. Unlike traditional instructor-led training, the instructors don the HoloLens and share their field of view, giving learners the exact angle they will see on the frontline. Guides provide a PowerPoint-like framework for teaching and add the ability to use holograms and animations to enhance the learning experience. After the instructor walks students through a task, they can also show a digital simulation of the same task with an x-ray-like view, as we discussed before. The digital aspect also provides the ability to enlarge, zoom in, and manipulate angles for a more detailed learning experience.