the factory are performed in a high risk and high stress environment. Through the use of the virtual technology known as Interactive Product Simulation (IPS), Ford Motor Company trains their operators in a "safer environment with more comprehensive trainingwithout decreasing plant production and quality" (Ravenhill 65). The advantages of using virtual reality training can be seen in the reduction of the error rates of the operators from twenty-five percent with traditional training to two percent using IPS. Virtual training allows trainees to be taught the same way each time without the fear factor involved to intimidate the employees (Greengard 32). The absence of fear in the job training of an employee results in more confident and competent workers. The virtual training environment provides an effective and practical solution to industrial challenges while cutting down time and costs of productions. Also, unlike in the educational system, money is not the issue that sets the technology back. Although training using virtual reality has proven to be an advantage to the industrial companies, virtual training is not sufficient enough in respects to "it lack[ing] the elements of touch to make it effective in industrial training" (Ravenhill 66). The IPS recreates the environment in the factory splendidly, but its shortcoming is the awkwardness of the equipment. The trainee is trained to know what to do, but he or she does not gain the "feel" for the machinery. Jeff Grimes, a Ford manufacturing development engineer, claims that the virtual training environment still needs to provide the feel of the real situation (qtd. in Ravenhill 65). Another problem with training using the IPS is the fact that the trainees do not benefit from learning from experienced operators. As in medical training, the lack of communication with seasoned operators harms the trainee to some extent. A veteran can provide the trainee with advice when something goes wron...
