To support US national animal disease response efforts, there is a need to develop more robust and effective training systems

At present, in-person training, or computer-based tutorials, represent the status QUO for animal & plant health inspection service (APHIS) training. The current USDA approach to in-person training for many critical animal health emergency skills is insufficient to accommodate all the individuals that need to be trained, costly, and not readily scalable to a national level. While computer-based training is scalable and rapidly deployable, IT does not provide an opportunity for the trainee to physically practice the newly introduced manual skills (like correct placement and trajectory of a captive bolt) with feedback or demonstrate competency at performing the skill. Therefore, there is a critical need to identify training modalities that are rapidly scalable to accommodate many individuals, rapidly deployable to sites across the country, and affordable while still providing technical training sufficient to ensure trainee competence. Over the last decade, the emergence of extended reality (XR) technologies and training methods has rapidly accelerated to the point that IT offers a solution to this critical need. This proposal outlines research to develop XR training modules on "captive bolt euthanasia" of cattle and swine as a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the power of this technology as a solution to broader training needs of APHIS. An XR training experience is proposed that allows veterinary students, veterinarians, and animal health technicians to learn and practice captive bolt euthanasia of livestock. Second, the XR-based euthanasia educational and training materials will be deployed in technical training sessions and the efficacy and competency of trainees compared to traditional methods of training delivery will be evaluated. Finally, this project will serve as a proof-of-concept for a larger scale opportunity for APHIS to continue transitioning training opportunities to XR platforms. Beneficiaries of these products will include state and federal animal health officials, veterinarians, livestock producers, and animal health emergency surge capacity responders