Immersive Modality Navigator

Immersive Modality Navigator

Use this mini course to make smarter decisions about VR, AR, and MR in your learning projects.

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Welcome

This guide walks you through four quick steps: deciding if you really need immersive tech, choosing VR vs AR vs MR, designing interactions that won’t overload learners, and planning how you’ll measure impact and run a small pilot. You can move through each screen in order, or jump back to any step as you plan your projects.

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Course Objectives

By the end of this mini course, you'll be able to:

Decide when VR, AR, or MR is needed.

Design learner interactions that manage cognitive load.

Outline a focused pilot.

Select the best modality for your goal.

Key Concepts

Click on each concept to learn more about VR, AR, and MR as described in the episode.

AR

VR

MR

Step 1: Do I Need Immersive Tech?

Before you dive into VR, AR, or MR, check whether you truly need an immersive solution.

Questions to Ask

• What must learners do differently?
• What's going wrong today?
• Where are the risks, gaps, or pain points?

Similar Options

Video/Demo

Branching Scenario

Microlearning

When Immersive Tech Fits

High-risk practice

Spatial layouts/3D spaces

Empathy/perspective-taking

Time-critical decisions

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Step 2: Choose VR, AR, or MR

Match your learning problem to the modality that fits best.

• Digital objects anchored in real space
• Best for 3D collaboration and spatial problem-solving
• Examples: Digital twins and collaborative layout reviews
• Tooltip: Interact with 3D objects in real space

• Digital layer on the real world
• Best for guidance in the flow of work
• Examples: On-the-job prompts, labels, and overlays
• Tooltip: Digital prompts on the real environment

• Fully immersive
• Best for high-risk/high-cost practice
• Examples: Hazard recognition and crisis simulations
• Tooltip: Full immersion for safe practice

Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.

Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.

Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.

Title

VR

Title

MR

Title

AR

Write a brief description here

Virtual Reality

Write a brief description here

Mixed Reality

Write a brief description here

Augmented Reality

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Step 3: Design the Experience

Now you'll design aligned interactions that manage cognitive load.

• Identify Hazards: Learners walk through a space and select unsafe conditions.
• Sequence Steps: Learners arrange or perform actions in the correct order.
• Make Judgment Calls: Learners choose options and see consequences.

Manage Cognitive Load

Mini Checklist: ✅ Only essential elements on-screen ✅ Short orientation or tutorial planned ✅ At least one reflection or debrief question

Intrinsic Load

Extraneous Load

Germane Load

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Step 4: Measure & Pilot

Now you'll define metrics and outline a small pilot.

• One high-impact use case
• One core behavior to influence
• One to three clear metrics
• Support before, during, and after

• Reflection: What learners say they'll do differently
• Supervisior Feedback: What managers observe on the job
• Business Metrics: Changes in incidents, errors, or performance

• Actions: What learners did correctly or incorrectly
• Timing: How quickly they acted
• Attempts: Whether they improved over tries

Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.

Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.

Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.

Title

Pilot Checklist

Title

Evidence Beyond the Experience

Title

Evidence Inside the Experience

Write a brief description here

Write a brief description here

Write a brief description here

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Assessment

Test what you've learned and reflect on your digital experience.

Question 1 of 5

Question 2 of 5

Question 3 of 5

Question 4 of 5

Question 5 of 5

Related Episodes

Episode 28: What is Cognitive Load and Why is it Important?

Episode 44: Designing for Everyone: A Guide to Universal Design for Learning

Episode 65: Accessibility in Action: Inclusive Design for Every Learner

Episode 79: Top Emerging Technologies Shaping Instructional Design

Thank You!

Thanks for completing the Immersive Modality Navigator course! Feel free to reuse this mini course whenever VR, AR, or MR comes up in your projects. Make sure to pair it with Episode 91 and the related episodes for a deeper dive. Good luck on your next project!

Mixed Reality

• Digital objects anchored in real space
• Best for 3D collaboration and spatial problem-solving

Virtual Reality

• Fully immersive virtual world
• Best for high-risk or high-cost practice

Augmented Reality

• Ditigal layer on the real world
• Best for guidance in the flow of work