Air Force Training Command Puts Immersive Learning to the Test
Under a CRADA with AETC, aerospace propulsion students at Sheppard AFB traded hour-long lectures for 12-minute immersive lessons — and 80% called the experience superior to traditional lecture.
Can immersive learning hold its own against the lecture hall? In 2021, Enduvo and the U.S. Air Force's Air Education and Training Command (AETC) set out to answer that question under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between AETC's Transformational and Training Applications (ATETA) and Enduvo — building immersive courses for aerospace propulsion students and measuring how they landed.
Two immersive courses, built in days — not months
The team produced two lessons on jet engine fundamentals. For Engine Systems, Enduvo recorded a proof-of-concept course directly from the existing course presentation and assets, collected feedback from subject-matter experts, and re-recorded the edits. The result: about 12 minutes of immersive content covering material that normally takes more than an hour of lecture.
For Engine Components, an instructor built the course himself. MSgt Dustin Smith recorded all of the content within one week of his first platform walk-through — roughly 14.5 minutes of immersive material spanning starter, ignition, fuel and engine control, oil, and anti-ice systems, with integrated assessments. Again, it replaced more than an hour of lecture time.
“Enduvo exceeded my expectations. I think this will be a great tool to create immersive content for portions of our training that still require formal lecture… Overall, I thought the program was fantastic and enjoyed using it. I look forward to working with you again.” — MSgt Dustin Smith
Testing day at Sheppard Air Force Base
On March 11, 2021, 24 aerospace propulsion students at Sheppard AFB took both lessons — about 30–35 minutes of immersive learning — and were asked to complete a survey afterward; ten did. Most had some gaming experience in VR. None had ever trained in it.
What the surveys showed
- 80% found the immersive experience superior to traditional slide-based lecture
- 90% would recommend it to their wingmen, colleagues, and friends
- 80% reported higher confidence in the subject matter, and 70% a higher ability to immediately apply what they learned
- 80% completed the entire experience with no distractions — nobody stopped to check a phone
- 90% said they were likely or very likely to revisit the content as a refresher
- Platform experience rated 87/100; ease of technology use rated 77/100
In their own words
“I liked how I could tear down an engine in a matter of seconds where in the classroom it would have taken days, if not weeks.”
“The ability to engage with the engines — taking them apart in a virtual setting was quick, efficient, and very helpful for people such as myself that need to see how things are put together.”
Instructors highlighted that Enduvo retains the instructor's personal touch and presence and makes it fast to pull in content from a variety of sources. Students' biggest request was better onboarding for first-time users — the full tutorials had been trimmed to fit the testing window. The results all point the same direction: less seat time, more engagement, and training students actually want to repeat.