I-Corps: Virtual Reality Training Platform for Increasing Awareness of Unconscious Bias in Industry Decision-Making

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一个创新的培训计划，旨在提高对劳动力决策中潜在偏见的自我意识。该产品适用于许多行业，其中员工可能会受到可能影响决策结果的偏见的影响。卫生和人类服务、儿童和成人福利机构、教育机构以及许可和认证组织等领域的从业人员和培训促进者基本上认识到，需要更好地与来自日益多样化的背景和兴趣的客户互动。作为回应，各机构和教育实体正在积极寻求解决专业人员决策偏见问题的方法。传统培训（即，研讨会、书面案例研究、使用现场演员），通常在实际空间进行，可能不容易获得，因此可能很昂贵。拟议的产品可以远程访问，这消除了消费者的许多物流障碍。通过提供证据来支持产品的有效性和可行性，预期结果可能包括提高从业者的知识、技能和能力。这可能会增强服务交付，减少与工作相关的压力源，并减少劳动力的挑战，以提高服务交付的有效性和客户/客户/员工的生活质量为目标。该I-Corps项目是基于开发基于证据的模拟程序，以准备当前和未来的护理点/接触专业人员（如福利工作者、医疗服务提供者、执法人员、公共服务/急救人员、教育工作者等）对他们的无意识偏见有更多的意识和反应。该产品允许参与者使用实时模拟虚拟体验来检查潜在的无意识偏见。在许多行业中，客户经常与专业人员一起使用系统，这些专业人员在识别实践中的无意识偏见方面没有得到足够的培训。这种缺乏认识的情况，从而降低了作出反应的可能性，增加了对决策产生负面影响的风险。除了提高对无意识偏见的认识外，这种创新的培训还有助于减少员工流动率，从而减少招聘和入职新专业人员的重复费用。考虑到决策过程中无意识偏见的影响通常会给组织带来财务成本、负面的服务结果以及招聘/保留方面的挑战，该产品提供了一种潜在的具有成本效益且易于使用的方法来帮助解决众多痛点。该奖项反映了NSF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。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of an innovative training program designed to heighten self-awareness of potential biases in workforce decision making. This product has applications to a host of industries where employees may be subject to biases that can influence decision making outcomes. Practitioners and training facilitators in fields such as health and human services, child and adult welfare agencies, educational institutions, and licensing and accreditation organizations largely recognize the need to better engage with clients from increasingly diverse backgrounds and interests. In response, agencies and educational entities are actively seeking ways to address issues of decision-making bias among professionals. Traditional training (i.e., seminars, written case studies, use of live actors), is typically done in physical spaces, may not be easily accessible, and can therefore be costly. The proposed product can be accessed remotely which lifts many logistical barriers to consumers. By providing evidence to support the efficacy and viability of the product, expected outcomes may include improved practitioner knowledge, skills, and competencies. This will likely enhance service delivery, reduce work related stressors, and decrease workforce challenges with the goal of increasing effectiveness of service delivery and quality of life for the client/customer/employee.This I-Corps project is based on the development of an evidence-based simulation program to prepare current and future point-of-care/contact professionals (such as welfare workers, health providers, law enforcement officers, public service/first responders, educators, etc.) to become more aware of and responsive to their unconscious bias. This product allows participants to examine potential unconscious biases using real-time simulated virtual experiences. In many industries, clients often engage in systems with professionals who have inadequate training in recognizing unconscious bias in their practice. This lack of awareness, and thus decreased likelihood for responsiveness, increases the risk of negative impacts on decision making. In addition to targeting increased awareness of unconscious bias, this innovative training may also help to reduce workforce turnover, and therefore, the repeated expense of hiring and onboarding new professionals. Given that the impact of unconscious bias in decision making often results in financial cost to organizations, negative service outcomes, and challenges with recruitment/retention, the product offers a potential cost-effective and accessible means to help address numerous pain points.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.