New Virtual Reality Platform Offers Life Sciences Industry Training

A new commercially available educational platform, Virtuosi, by Quality Executive Partners, (QxP), a management consulting firm serving the life sciences industry, offers digital technical courses, virtual reality (VR) interactive experiences, knowledge assessments, curricula management, and reporting. The 31 courses within Virtuosi Series One, Sterile Manufacturing and Microbiology, include 18 VR interactive experiences where learners engage in activities designed to best deliver the intended learning objectives. The course runs 80 hours and is self-paced, includes process checks and knowledge assessments, and is customizable for each organization's needs. The company launched the platform in early September 2019.

Distinctive features built into Virtuosi are based on QxP's core operating methodology of "Teach and Do." QxP believes, and scientific evidence demonstrates, that deep and meaningful learning occurs experientially, and so Virtuosi provides a safe space where a learner can make a mistake without the potential for embarrassment, fear of being wrong, or compromising the manufacturing environment or product. The curricula are tailored to the individual's role, and individual training records are housed on a GMP Part 11 compliant learning management system.

"For years, pharmaceutical leaders have known that the 'read and understand' model of employee training has not kept pace with other technological advances of the industry," said Crystal Mersh, CEO of QxP, in a company press release. "If we are really serious about advancing drug therapies to address unmet patient need, resolving continued drug shortages, and engaging the workforce of today and the future, we must demand innovation in educational delivery."

QxP explored optimal ways of improving learning and found that learners master and retain content when they are presented with clear learning objectives, high-quality technical educational material, and the opportunity to experience and interact with practical operations in a manner that replicates real-world applications.

"Imagine that an employee completes a segment regarding streaking for isolation and is then transported into a virtual laboratory to practice the skills they have just learned. This interactive experience further embeds the learning into the long-term memory centers of the brain and enhances critical thinking," Mersh added.

A team of 25 recognized experts in microbiology, sterile manufacturing, facility design, and VR development spent more than two years creating high quality technical content and realistic virtual environments, where learners practice their skills with real-time feedback. The platform has been beta tested with regulatory bodies and global pharmaceutical companies as well, the company stated.

Source: Quality Executive Partners