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LETHBRIDGE POLYTECHNIC APPLIED RESEARCH 2023-24
PROJECT UPDATE:
USING VIRTUAL REALITY TO ASSESS ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING In 2023, members of the CPSAR team partnered with Indigenous and municipal Canadian police services on a unique applied research project. It aims to determine if using virtual reality (VR) and immersive simulation scenarios can improve hiring processes and measure a potential officer’s ability to make ethical decisions. Seven police agencies and communitybased partners from B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario are working on this project with Fantazir and Lethbridge College colleagues Dave Maze, instructor with the School of Justice Studies, and Tyler Heaton, industry liaison and research advisor for the college’s Spatial Technologies Applied Research and Training (START) Centre.
“We are currently working with our partners on recruitment processes that integrate objective, immersive, virtual reality experiences that suspend user disbelief, reflect a variety of digital characters, and enhance the users’ sense of presence,” explains Fantazir. “The project is based on authentic experiences that respectfully reflect the diversity and intersectionality of communities across Canada.” (Intersectionality refers to how multiple factors or forms of discrimination can affect marginalized groups or individuals.) “Hiring people who can demonstrate strong, ethical decision-making and critical thinking skills that align with services’ core values is vital for transforming public safety,” adds Maze. “So, increasing the ability of police services to recruit officers who reflect the diversity of the community and can navigate the complexities and ethical challenges they face is of significant value to not only police services but also the communities they will be serving.”
“The project is based on authentic experiences that respectfully reflect the diversity and intersectionality of communities across Canada.” Dr. Kirsten Fantazir President’s Applied Research Chair in Public Safety
One research project is looking to determine if using immersive simulation scenarios can improve hiring processes and measure a potential officer’s ability to make ethical decisions.