Active Shooter Training in OpenSim

Session Description

There is no way to predict where and when an active shooting event will occur, but being prepared is key. This virtual active shooter training was created as an alternative delivery method to the face-to-face training that is offered to students and employees of the University of Hawaiʻi system. The overarching  goal of this project was to help participants prepare for, and respond to an active shooter event. The immersive virtual world environment OpenSim provided, enabled us to implement multiple instructional tools and techniques in-world. The use of OpenSim to perform active shooter training allowed us to develop an instructional strategy that pairs Gagné’s nine events of instruction with immersive learning and the critical incident archetype. Learners were able to demonstrate knowledge gained about active shooter response through a simulation offered in a safe and interactive environment.

Presenter(s)

Allyson Ota
Learning Design & Technology
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Allyson graduated in 2005 with a BBA in MIS from UH Mānoa and worked in IT for eight years before deciding to pursue a career in public service. She graduated in 2017 from UH Mānoa with a master’s in library science, and worked as a marine science librarian at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center before joining the UH system. She currently serves as the electronic resources librarian for Kapiʻolani Community College, and was excited to be admitted into the online LTEC master’s program with the Fall 2019 cohort. Her professional (and personal) philosophies have always been steeped in the belief that lifelong learning and the continued pursuit of knowledge increases both her quality of life and her ability to help others.


Chelby Onaga
Learning Design & Technology
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Chelby Onaga grew up on O'ahu and is currently a second year student working towards a M.Ed. degree in Learning Design & Technology online at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Previously, she has earned a B.A. in Social Science with a concentration in Psychology from the University of Hawai'i - West O'ahu. She currently works as a Circulation supervisor at the James & Abigail Campbell library at UH West O'ahu where she oversees the Circulation desk and library student employees.

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