Project Grant R44ES035276

TEAM-BASED VIRTUAL HAZMAT FIELD EXERCISES - PHASE II - ABSTRACT: TEAM-BASED VIRTUAL HAZMAT FIELD EXERCISES - PHASE II FIELD EXERCISES ARE PEDAGOGICALLY INVALUABLE COMPONENTS OF IN-PERSON 40-HOUR HAZWOPER COURSES VITAL TO HAZMAT PREPAREDNESS. FIELD EXERCISES INVOLVE LEARNERS CONDUCTING TEAM-BASED HAZMAT ACTIVITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF REALISTIC SCENARIOS WITH ACTUAL EQUIPMENT AND SIMULATED HAZARDS. HOWEVER, TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES HAVE IMPEDED THE INCLUSION OF FIELD EXERCISES IN ONLINE COURSES AND IN SHORTER IN-PERSON COURSES. THE PROPOSED PHASE II EFFORT BUILDS UPON A PROOF-OF-CONCEPT SYSTEM FOR VIRTUAL FIELD EXERCISES, CALLED VIRTEX, TO EMPOWER HAZMAT INSTRUCTORS AND TRAINING ORGANIZATIONS TO CONDUCT FIELD EXERCISES IN ALL THEIR COURSES, REGARDLESS OF MODALITY (ONLINE OR IN-PERSON), AND THEREBY IMPROVE LEARNER ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION. BEING WEB-BASED, VIRTEX DOES NOT REQUIRE USERS TO HAVE EXPENSIVE HARDWARE, INSTALL ANY SOFTWARE, AND IS ACCESSIBLE TO POPULATIONS INCLUDING DISENFRANCHISED PARTICIPANTS IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND MEMBERS OF REMOTE COMMUNITIES. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE PROPOSED SBIR PHASE II EFFORT ARE TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE LIBRARY OF VIRTUAL FIELD EXERCISES, EXPAND THE ADOPTION OF VIRTEX BEYOND HAZWOPER REFRESHER COURSES, IMPROVE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONALITIES FOR MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL USE, AND OPTIMIZE THE PLATFORM'S PERFORMANCE FOR OLDER COMPUTERS AND WEAKER INTERNET CONNECTIONS. THESE GOALS ARE SUPPORTED BY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM PHASE I, WHERE INSTRUCTORS REPORTED INCREASED PEDAGOGICAL VALUE AND LEARNER ENGAGEMENT USING THE VIRTEX PROOF-OF-CONCEPT. COLLABORATING HAZMAT TRAINING INSTITUTIONS WITH VARYING CURRICULA AND LEARNER DEMOGRAPHICS WILL EVALUATE VIRTEX IN THEIR CURRICULA. INCLUDING THE RUTGERS CENTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (NJ), UNIVERSIDAD ANA G. MENDEZ INSTITUTO DE EDUCACION AMBIENTAL (PR), IVY TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (IN), UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA / MIDWEST CONSORTIUM FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE WORKER TRAINING, PARTNERSHIP FOR ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION (ME), UCLA LOS ANGELES LABOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAM, OAI (IL), GREEN DOOR INITIATIVE (MI), AND THE NATIONAL VOLUNTEER FIRE COUNCIL. WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE PARTICIPATION OF THE HAZMAT TRAINING COMMUNITY IN THE DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF VIRTEX WILL ACCELERATE ITS ADOPTION. THE COMMITMENTS FROM THESE INSTITUTIONS HIGHLIGHT THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF VIRTEX IN ADVANCING CURRENT HAZMAT TRAINING. BY ACHIEVING THESE AIMS, VIRTEX WILL PROVIDE A COST-EFFECTIVE, SCALABLE, AND ENGAGING TRAINING SOLUTION THAT SUPPORTS THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF HAZMAT INSTRUCTORS AND LEARNERS, ULTIMATELY CONTRIBUTING TO IMPROVED SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS IN HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTS.