Unlocking empathy and preparedness

Enhancing criminal justice education with Virtual Reality

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14742/apubs.2023.578

Keywords:

virtual reality, criminal justice education, simulations, experiential learning, eLearning

Abstract

Developments in virtual reality (VR) technology and the increased availability of high-speed internet, have increased the affordability and accessibility of VR. This paper investigates the potential of VR to supplement the theoretical coursework of a large criminal justice course in Aotearoa New Zealand. By simulating interactions with people in prison, VR could offer a unique training platform where students develop essential skills, including communication, conflict resolution, and empathy, within a controlled environment. This ensures that trauma-sensitive issues can be addressed safely and effectively, providing students with invaluable experiential learning opportunities. Using VR, students could engage in simulated scenarios that mirror real-life. This immersive environment would allow them to gain firsthand experience and explore their emotional responses in a safe setting. Students could develop a deeper understanding of their triggers, manage their trauma, and acquire the necessary coping mechanisms to handle the challenging situations they may face in their future careers.

Author Biography

Helen Farley, University of Canterbury

Helen Farley is an Associate Professor in Criminal Justice within the Faculty of Law at the University of Canterbury. Her research interests are focused on prisons and corrections, particularly education in the carceral space. She came to UC after working as the Practice Manager Education and Training at Ara Poutama Aotearoa Department of Corrections New Zealand for nearly four yearsy. Prior to that, she was the Acting Director of the Digital Life Lab at the University of Southern Queensland. She led the USQ-led Collaborative Research Network (CRN) project with ANU and UniSA to develop a Mobile Learning Evaluation Framework. She was the project lead of the OLT-funded ‘From Access to Success’ project which developed Stand Alone Moodle that enabled electronic access to course materials and activities for those students without internet access. This project was so successful that Helen was awarded $4.4 million through the Australian Government’s Higher Education Participation and Pathways Program to take Stand Alone Moodle and notebook computers to Indigenous and non-Indigenous incarcerated students across Australia. Helen has many years’ experience as an educator in Higher Education and as a researcher of corrections and educational technology. Her research interests are focused around the use of mobile technologies, virtual worlds and using technology to promote participation in Higher Education.

ASCILITE 2023 Conference logo: People, Partnerships and Pedagogies

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Published

2023-11-28

Issue

2023: ASCILITE 2023 Conference Proceedings: People, Partnerships and Pedagogies

Section

ASCILITE Conference - Concise Papers

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Helen Farley, Erika Herrera

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.