In December 2023, RMIT College of Business and Law won a prestigious global award for its virtual reality MBA ‘soft skills’ teaching method. Associate Professor Ling Mei Cong led the pioneering project.
As AI technologies grow more advanced, employers will need workers who have talents that set them apart from robots, such as the ability to communicate, empathise, and collaborate.
To prepare students for what will likely be multi-career paths after graduation, business schools must integrate soft-skills training into their curriculum.
Our experiential learning project has had a significant impact, enhancing students’ career development skills. Since its introduction at RMIT in 2021, approximately 300 students have successfully participated.
Aimed at MBA accounting students, the VR simulation sees students take on the role of junior financial analysts in a mock consulting firm, providing financial advice to a Chief Operating Officer facing financial challenges.
These technologies also enable the scaling of the simulation for online students, offering a more accessible alternative to physical role-plays and providing unlimited, sustainable opportunities for students to hone their interpersonal skills.
VR and soft-skills training can also be applied at the upper-secondary level because soft skills are universal and crucial in the AI era.
Prior research indicates engaging in soft skills during school years will have a long-lasting effect on their future career engagement. Schools that help students develop soft skills can lead to better grades, fewer absences, and fewer behavioural problems. For instance, teamwork skills are essential for high school students’ success in group collaboration. Teachers can leverage VR to use a structured approach to practice active listening, consensus-building, and decision-making.
This empowers students to prevent and handle conflicts effectively. The VR technology also allows muti-attempts and provides an opportunity to reflect on improvement areas. With these soft skills, students will feel more prepared and confident to work well with others.
An emerging area where VR can be applied in primary and secondary education is for kids with special needs, such as autism for example. Since kids enjoy roleplay, they naturally find VR roleplay fun and interesting. It can be used to teach basic skills such as crossing the road safely, water safety, or interacting with other kids safely. It replicates real-world environments without putting kids in danger, providing a safe and controlled learning environment.
VR roleplay emphasises experiential learning, where ‘doing’ is considered more important than just ‘knowing’. It helps students apply and practice what they learn effectively. In emergency situations, kids tend to react on instinct. VR training can assist them in internalising safety techniques through repeated practice and effective application, offering significant benefits, especially for children with special needs.
With Apple’s release of Vision Pro and the shift from 2D to 3D computing, the era of virtual-learning is likely to arrive earlier than anticipated, spanning from primary to tertiary education. Soft skills will become even more critical with the advancement of technologies such as Generative AI, as they are the skills that distinguish humans from robots.
About the author
Associate Professor Ling Mei Cong is the Deputy Dean of Learning and Teaching at the Graduate School of Business and Law at RMIT University. She is an expert on digital pedagogies and curriculum design. Her research interests include technology-enhanced learning, corporate governance, financial reporting quality, and sustainability reporting.
