Students preparing for a law enforcement career in Watertown, New York, have a new classroom educational tool — virtual reality.
In addition to the traditional textbook lessons, high school students enrolled in criminal justice courses in Jefferson and Lewis counties of New York state have a new mechanism of instruction. Wearing virtual reality headsets, students experience firsthand, real-world law enforcement situations without leaving the classroom, reported WWNY Channel 7 News.
“It’s definitely realistic and prepares you for the real world. When you go into the academy, not a lot of people can say that they’ve done this,” said Genoa Wood of General Brown High School.
The roughly 60 students in the program can experience challenges with simulated stressful circumstances. These range from de-escalating domestic disputes to hostage situations, but in a very controlled environment. The students describe the feeling of immersion in a scenario, of how realistic it appeared, and how dealing with such situations helped to promote the development of appropriate responses.
Criminal justice instructor Todd Gorman said about his students, “They’re more confident. They get done with that, they run a scenario correct, they de-escalate it, and you can just see the pride in their face. They’re like, I did that, I took care of the situation; everybody was safe, and that’s the outcome we’re looking for.”
