Modernize Training with AI, XR and Microlearning

Incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR), and microlearning technologies into training programs to improve worker performance and safety.

The current remote working environment has arguably changed the way we learn and develop new skills. COVID-19 has significantly impacted global and local mobility and redefined how we approach training and education. In the chemical process industries (CPI), training programs have traditionally provided large amounts of information over a short time period, followed by assessments to confirm trainee knowledge.

In reality, humans struggle to retain the information taught in traditional, one-and-done training programs and end up forgetting much of what we learn within weeks of the initial training. Human attention spans have also shortened, as we have grown accustomed to constant news and social media updates (1). Employees now learn best by doing — in short and spaced-out intervals — with just-in-time information that is readily available and accessible. Moreover, even before the pandemic, it was often no longer practical to remove employees from operations for hours or days for ongoing training.

Increasingly, organizations are looking to implement operations and maintenance training programs that incorporate simulation, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and experiential microlearning techniques. This article explores how these new and dynamic learning styles and technologies can be applied in the CPI to improve worker performance and safety...