Immerse to Learn to Immerse

Which came first, “to immerse to learn or to learn to immerse”?
It’s a classic chicken-and-egg dilemma.

In my quest for clarity, I turned to my trusty dictionary. This simple act connects me with all the great minds who have ever thumbed through its pages. Holding the dictionary, feeling its weight, smelling the rustic pages, hearing the flipping sounds, and cross-referencing terms immerse me in a different world. I found a straightforward definition: “Immersive experience elicits the realistic feeling of being there or being present within a virtual space. In other words, the consciousness of a person is transported from their immediate reality to an alternative reality.”

Many experts proclaim, “The era of immersive learning starts NOW!”

But is it new? I believe humans have been practicing this form of learning for millennia.

This summer, my fascination with temple architecture led me to Tamil Nadu, where I visited the Palani Murugan Temple, Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, and Brihadeeswara Temple Thanjavur. These grand structures, epitomes of the Dravidian style, were built not just for worship but for immersion.

Devotees engage in rituals and practices that shape societal behavior. Immersion as a learning technique predates modern technology. Consider the 17,000-year-old cave paintings in southern France, where Paleolithic tribes created immersive experiences with vibrant animal depictions. In the Middle Ages, stained glass windows in churches immersed people in visual stories from religious texts, connecting even the illiterate with divine messages through color and light. These historical examples show how immersion shapes our understanding and emotions. We have learned so much through immersion—visual art, storytelling, theatrical experiences, and many more. Humans have always sought to connect with past civilizations and learn from their ways of life.

Questions to ponder:

• Did temple architecture play a role in this immersion technique?
• Did architectural features enhance immersion in ancient temples?

Hindu temples in southern India, primarily Dravidian in style, house deities worshipped year-round. These temples accommodate thousands of devotees who follow rituals and practices, using immersion to bring order and experience the divine.

Let’s look at the immersion techniques used in Hindu temples:

• Conical-shaped temples with steep steps symbolize the connection between Earth and the divine.
• Gopurams (entrance towers) serve as sacred courtyards where everyone is equal.
• Mandapas (porches) provide shelter for rituals and gatherings.
• Temples align with the solar axis, emphasizing the connection between Earth and the cosmos.
• Multi-level platforms create a sense of elevation and grandeur.
• Corbelled roofing allows for intricate designs and visual interest.
• Elaborate staircases create a ceremonial ascent.
• The exterior is covered in bright stucco and adorned with sculptures and religious iconography.
• Sound is integral, with bells, gongs, conch shells, and Vedic chants creating an immersive experience.
• Temples manipulate sound waves with columns, chambers, and sculptural elements to enhance acoustics.

These elements immerse devotees in a divine experience, teaching the order of life. This technique is not unique to India; similar methods are found in Egyptian, Mayan, Roman, Greek, and Mesopotamian civilizations. Architects designed temples to create immersive verbal, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic experiences, connecting worshippers to the divine.

I would like to narrate an anecdote from my drill inspector who shared his immersive storytelling technique. He spoke. “I just created an environment that triggered your senses, concentration, and attention, honing your awareness and application of knowledge. The experience engrossed you, turning your actions into obsessions”.

The bottom line: “YOU HAVE TO LIVE IT.” To experience immersion, just use a mirror.

After setting the context, let’s focus on Immersive Learning. Applying the temple ideology to learning is complex and would require a detailed article, so I’ll stick to the essentials of Immersive Learning.

Driving Change with Immersive Learning

As technology evolved, it created an interactive environment where L&D professionals used active learning techniques to enhance learners’ knowledge and practical skills. Training needs to be a strategic initiative with measurable benefits, prompting organizations to use a learner-centric approach to develop Immersive Learning environments.

Immersive learning is about exploring and experiencing. Imagine learning about life on Star liner and virtually working with Sunita Williams in the spaceship—this is immersive learning! It’s an effective way for learners to develop knowledge and skills through digitally created environments that replicate real-life scenarios. Learners actively participate and influence outcomes in a risk-free, repeatable environment, making it a practice-based learning approach with limitless potential.

Understanding different immersive technologies is crucial for embracing immersive learning. Each technology offers unique benefits in various learning contexts:

• Virtual Reality (VR): Learners immerse themselves in digital worlds using VR headsets like HTC Vive or Oculus Quest. VR provides realistic simulations for training, education, and skill development.
•  Augmented Reality (AR): AR blends digital content with the real world. It overlays information on physical objects, making it useful for instructional purposes or enhancing real-world experiences.
•  Mixed Reality (MR): Combining elements of VR and AR, mixed reality anchors digital content to real-world objects, allowing interaction and engagement.
• 360 Film: These immersive videos provide a 360-degree view, allowing learners to explore different perspectives and environments.
• Gamification: Unique process of adding game like elements to something such as a task to encourage participation.

Immersive learning relies on technology for content and experiences, exploring non-linear activities where learners’ actions reveal multiple possibilities. It creates dynamic environments requiring full immersion. Immersive learning relies on a dynamic environment where full immersion is needed. Using these immersive technologies, we can create a variety of immersive experiences that include:

• Immersive Branching Simulations to sharpen learner’s decision-making skills.
• Personalized Learning Journeys that encourage learner-centric training and development.
• Case study and Story-based learning approach to drive attitudinal change and convert an abstract concept into a relatable context.
• Scenario-based Learning applies active learning using real-life situations, creating highly relevant and engaging learning experiences. It influences thinking, adds value to online training, and drives behavioral change.
• Video-based Learning can drive learner proficiency and address specific needs through highly immersive videos.
• Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) to simulate real-world situations and settings by overlaying synthetic content within a real-world context.
• Gamification helps to enhance performance and productivity and increase the learners’ engagement and experience.

At present, the trend is towards Metaverse-driven, 3D-simulated virtual worlds using digital objects to represent real situations. L&D teams also use AI to create immersive experiences with chatbots, digital avatars, and engaging interfaces. Immersive engagement tricks our brains into reacting to digital content as if it were real, making it a game-changer for practice-based learning. It provides a distraction-free environment for focused learning, where repetition improves retention and perfects techniques. This is crucial for practical training, such as surgical skills for medical students.

Like the ancient ways of immersive experiences practiced in temples, immersive learning increases learner interest and engagement, promotes social interaction, and enhances focus by reducing distractions. It fosters personalized learning, improves comprehension, and offers safe practice environments. It benefits both learners and organizations by bridging gaps between learning and performance, activating interest, and building a connected workplace.

Need help with an immersive learning project? Our team specializes in creating Immersive Learning environments and experiences, focusing on Content Design, Learning Strategies, and Learning Technology. We use strategies to develop immersive experiences that motivate learners to Learn.

Feel free to reach out with questions like:

• What excites people about immersive learning?
• What are typical use cases of immersive learning?
• How do you implement immersive learning in an organization?

For more information on our pursuit, reach out to us at connect@excelsoftcorp.com