FW-HTF-P: Immersive Virtual Reality Instructional Modules for Response to Active Shooter Events

该项目解决了显著增加应对活跃枪手事件的准备工作的需求。在活跃的枪手事件或紧急情况下，公共安全专业人员对情况做出适当反应的能力不仅取决于已有的知识和技能，还取决于心理状态和对类似情况的熟悉程度。本项目活动的主要重点是提高公共安全专业人员应对主动枪手事件的效率和准备，重点是设计开展应急培训的未来技术。该项目的试点研究涉及开发沉浸式虚拟现实教学模块，作为高等教育机构（IHEs）部署的应急培训平台。这些主动射击反应训练演习和演习将促进应急行动计划的实施和计划转化为行动。总的来说，该项目是在应急工作的重要背景下培训未来工人的基础。该项目的试点研究包括使用沉浸式虚拟现实环境进行初步实验，以提高对主动射击事件的准备。这项工作建立在现有的主动射击反应虚拟现实教学模块的基础上，并将扩展模拟环境，包括具有主动射击场景的公共安全专业培训。该研究将招募15-200名大学志愿者（教职员工和访客），教学模块将由来自鲍伊州立大学的15-20名公共安全专业人员建立和评估。将对沉浸式和非沉浸式虚拟环境中的培训进行试点研究。总的来说，这项工作将有助于最先进的应急响应研究，其结果可以形成公共教育和意识计划的基础，以帮助设施居住者、公共安全专业人员和IHE官员在紧急情况下做出适当的反应。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project addresses the need to significantly increase preparedness to respond to active shooter events. During active shooter events or emergencies, the ability of public safety professionals to react appropriately to the situation is driven not only by pre-existing knowledge and skills but also depends upon state of mind and familiarity with similar scenarios. The primary focus of the activities in this project is to increase the efficiency and preparedness of public safety professionals for active shooter events, with a focus on the design of future technologies for conducting emergency response training. The pilot research in this project involves developing immersive virtual reality instructional modules to serve as a platform for emergency training to be deployed across institutions of higher education (IHEs). These active shooter response training drills and exercises will facilitate the implementation of emergency operation plans and the translation of plans into action. Overall, the project serves as the basis for training workers of the future in the important work context of emergency response. The pilot research in this project involves conducting preliminary experiments to improve preparedness for an active shooter event using an immersive virtual reality environment. This work builds on an existing virtual reality instructional module for active shooter response and will expand the simulation environment to include public safety professional training with an active shooter scenario. The research will engage 15-200 university volunteers (faculty, staff, and visitors) and the instructional modules will be built and evaluated with 15-20 public safety professionals from Bowie State University. A pilot study will be conducted for training in immersive and non-immersive virtual environments. Overall, this work will contribute to the state-of-the-art emergency response research and results could form the basis of public education and awareness programs to help facility occupants, public safety professionals, and IHE officials to respond appropriately during emergencies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.