From the section above, it should be very clear to everyone that educational outcomes will be significantly improved if Virtual Reality is utilized within an educational context. 

In this section, we will try and dive more deeply into the particular reasons that drive this increased improvement in performance. The reasons vary from being able to more confidently apply your learnings, feeling more comfortable to apply it in real situations, as well as a higher emotional involvement with the content you are learning about. Let’s dive into the reasons why.

More confidence in applying what you learned

One of the biggest hurdles for corporate and industrial learning is that once educated, a lot of people are not confident enough to apply what they learned in real-life situations. Learners who undergo VR training demonstrate up to a 275% increase in confidence to apply what they’ve learned, surpassing classroom and e-learning by 40% and 35%, respectively. This underscores VR’s effectiveness in reinforcing knowledge. (PwC)

This was also very apparent in a project which Bank of America has conducted where they recorded that 97% of employees felt confident in applying VR-learned knowledge (Bank of America & ArborXR).

Higher level of emotional connection to the content

People using VR to learn report feeling 3.75x more emotionally connected to the training content than those in traditional classrooms and 2.3 times more connected than e-learners. This emotional connection can lead to better retention and application of knowledge. (PwC)

Comfort during VR Education

VR training results in 90% of participants feeling more comfortable during the training, thanks to a VR enabling more safe and supportive environments to make mistakes in. (Deloitte).

Less distraction, more focus!

In a VR training environment, distractions are significantly reduced. The immersion that VR offers, captures their full attention with no room for multitasking. As a result, VR-trained employees are up to 4x more focused during training compared to their e-learning counterparts and 1.5 times more focused than classroom learners. Enhanced focus contributes to better learning outcomes. (PwC)

Industry Examples of VR Training Effectiveness

There are a variety of statistics outlining the increased results achieved through the use of Virtual Reality for training and education purposes in a variety of industries. 

We have outlined just some of them, feeling these were some of the most relevant examples. Also, since this text is already large enough, we did not want to repeat some results that were too similar to the studies and research we already outlined above. 

Over 75% of Fortune 500 companies use VR for training and/or education, so the companies below are just a small sample, however, through their case studies, you are able to see how some of their VR education activities brought about significant performance increases.

Boeing cut training time by 75% with VR education

Boeing used VR to help with a variety of training and education tasks, from wiring to assembly and many more specialized manufacturing tasks. The company found that by using VR education and providing their employees with VR training, they decreased their training time by 75% per person. (Light Reading, Boeing)

Airbus cut maintenance time by 25%

 Airbus has been very pleased with their implementation of VR technology, as the time it took for learners to perform maintenance was 25% faster than the traditional CATIA and DMU methods. This is on top of the major portability and logistics improvements they have reported. (Airbus)

Delta Air Lines’ increased training capacity: 

Delta Airlines VR training boosted technician proficiency checks from 3 to 150 per day, which is a 5,000% increase. (Delta & ArborXR).

UPS reduced training time by 75% 

UPS was one of the companies which saw some of the greatest cost reductions with the implementation of VR training, the implementation of VR education resulted in a reduction in training time by 75%, from 8 to 2 hours. Thus, resulting in millions of USD in savings. (UPS).

The bottom line - VR Training is very cost-efficient!

The final VR training and education statistics we will share are those concerning the cost-effectiveness of VR training. This is one of the most frequently discussed topics with clients.

VR training experiences (especially quality VR experiences) often require a higher upfront cost than traditional learning methods (such as online learning or in-person experiences).

However, there are 2 benefits that make VR a no-brainer in terms of education, which over the medium and long term make VR the most cost-effective learning method by far. 

The first benefit is the reduction in training time. As discussed, this depends on a lot of factors, such as your current education process, the specific task at hand as well as the industry in which you operate in. However, amongst all the tasks studied, at least some time reduction has been noticed. 

The average time reduction from all the experiences that we found and/or created was around 40%.

The second benefit is the fact that VR software is much more scalable than traditional training methods. For example, the second most effective learning method - in-person learning - almost always requires a person (lecturer), space and tools which all need to be used. This means that variable costs are much higher than with VR software, which, once produced, can be used without any additional costs an infinite number of times.

Once these two benefits are factored in, it is clear why VR is by far the most cost-effective option for the long-term. Below are some statistics which elaborate on this.

PwC cost analysis

VR training reaches cost parity with classroom learning at 375 learners. With 3,000 learners, VR training becomes 52% more cost-effective than classroom training. At 1,950 learners, VR training matches the cost of e-learning. These findings highlight the cost-efficiency of VR training, especially when implemented on a larger scale. (PwC)

Cost comparison with traditional methods

Traditional training costs $229.79 per person, while VR costs $327.78 per person, dropping to $115.43 over three years. This is because once you create a VR training module, you can use it repeatedly for thousands of trainees. (Strivr).

Conclusion

In summary, Virtual Reality (VR) training and education represent a groundbreaking shift in how industries and organizations approach learning and development. With over 75% of Fortune 500 companies adopting VR for training, its efficacy in improving learning outcomes and reducing costs is widely recognized. The VR education market is expanding at an unprecedented pace, with a projected sixfold growth over seven years and a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 30.7%. This growth reflects not only the increasing demand for immersive learning solutions but also the transformative results that VR consistently delivers across diverse sectors.

Key benefits of VR training include significantly reduced training times—up to 6.5x faster in some cases—enhanced learning effectiveness, and remarkable retention rates of up to 80% a year post-training. VR also excels in boosting confidence, focus, and emotional connection to content, factors that directly translate to improved real-world performance. Studies across industries, from healthcare to aviation, demonstrate the tangible advantages of VR, such as a 43% reduction in workplace injuries in mining and a 40% improvement in employee performance.

Beyond its superior learning metrics, VR is highly cost-effective over time. Despite higher initial investment costs, its scalability and ability to reduce training time make it the most economical solution in the long term, especially for organizations with large-scale training needs. Research indicates that VR training reaches cost parity with classroom methods at 375 learners and becomes 52% more cost-effective with 3,000 learners.

From enhancing technical skills in manufacturing to improving soft skills in corporate environments, VR is redefining education. Its ability to foster engagement, reduce errors, and create safe, immersive learning environments makes it an indispensable tool for modern training. As the technology continues to evolve, VR is set to become the cornerstone of innovative, efficient, and impactful education worldwide.