Bundle of Rays founder Bradley Chesham on the training platform that allows health professionals to learn in a safe (digital) environment.
What is Bundle of Rays?
Bundle of Rays is an award-winning nursing education company which provides face-to-face training using VR. We’ve developed an e-learning platform where we can deliver AR/VR education and hold live VR training sessions. We’re producing our own unique content working with our 360-degree partner.
What inspired you to set up Bundle of Rays?
I’m a nurse. Being on the floor in the wards inspired me. I saw how immersive technology was being used in Arts and Gaming and I thought we could use it to improve the training process. It’s been fantastic to see the dynamic of teachers and students working together using immersive technology.
How do you see immersive technology benefitting health professionals’ education?
It’s important to note that while VR is a fantastic teaching tactic and tool, there’s no “silver bullet” when it comes to education.
The benefit of VR is that it puts you “inside” the content and provides the opportunity for a wide variety of different scenarios that can be deployed quickly and effectively.
I firmly believe that VR content will bring about a fundamental shift to remote learning. This is down to the fact that VR can deliver real immersive engagement.
How have participants reacted to the technology?
Overall, it’s been very positive. Initially you always get the “wow!” factor with anyone who’s new to VR.
For us it’s about providing real solutions to real problems and keeping the content fresh and relevant. We found that in some circumstances it was difficult to gain that initial buy-in due to previous poor VR experiences.
It’s been said that XR technology will contribute to the “future of work”. What are some of the main applications in your field?
We’re working with educational institutions to help them understand how VR can assist them as a business. How it can create a collaborative environment for students, locally and overseas.
It really is the future of work for educators and trainers. Immersive technology provides exciting opportunities to deliver effective education, regardless of location or economic position.
Are there any drawbacks to the use of immersive technology?
To get real return on investment there must be significant emphasis on training the trainer. You need to use VR in the right way to create a positive, meaningful impact.
The initial set-up of a VR educational program requires time, commitment and investment. if it’s not done effectively the positive benefits will be lost.
What would you love to see happen in the health-tech space?
I’d love to see headsets in all hospitals, as it’s a great way to understand medical problems and learn in a safe environment.
If we were able to build a VR “eco-system” so there were global discussions around patient care, the impact on learning would be tremendous. Those of us in the industry need to continually promote XR technology. We need to show that it can provide significant return on investment and demonstrate the massive impact on education.
Overall, I believe that if done right VR provides the opportunity to influence and change policy within healthcare and education.