Pedagogy, Student Preparation and Technology Issues in a Simulated Environment

1. A Functional Disaster Exercise Pedagogy, Student Preparation and Technology Issues in a Simulated Environment Professor Carlie Merritt and Professor Robert Berry

2. Preparation and Integration Issues

3. Student Preparation • Step sheet on how to create a Second Life account • Group orientation one week before the event • Consent Forms • Notices and announcements in course shell • Emergency Support Functions hyperlink to Emergency Plan • Q & A just prior to exercise

4. Set up a Second Life Account • At the orientation, meet at the Bell Tower • Tour the island • Find your Emergency Support location • Chat in Second Life • Zooming and navigation in Second Life • Finding data for the exercise • Go to the Table of Contents • Exit the WIKI • Go to the EM Journal • Go to conference room • Speaking in the Conference Room • Leaving the conference room • Leaving Second Life • Where to begin the exercise on Sunday, Nov. 15th Steps for Emergency Exercise

5. Student Preparation • Step sheet on how to create a Second Life account • Group orientation one week before the event • Individual orientations • Notices and announcements in course shell • Emergency Support Functions hyperlink to Emergency Plan • Q & A just prior to exercise

6. Communication • SL Names Related to Roles • Archival - Assessment and Research • WIMBA – Group Discussion and Pre-event Briefing • Slides – Status Information During the Event • Proximity – Need to be in Central Location for Dissemination of Prompts

7. Communication Emergency Support Function Roles

8. Communication • SL Names Related to Roles • Archival - Assessment and Research • WIMBA – Group Discussion and Pre-event Briefing • Slides – Status Information During the Event • Proximity – Need to be in Central Location for Dissemination of Prompts

9. Emergency Operations Center

10. On the afternoon of November 15, 2009 at 1:45 pm, an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter Scale occurred in the area of Central City, in Liberty County, Columbia….

11. Emergency Management Institute We thank Dr. Wayne Blanchard, Higher Education Program Manager, and Mr. Steven Heidecker, Exercise Simulation System Project Officer, Dept. of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency/Emergency Management Institute, at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, MD, for their valuable support, assistance and contribution of supplemental electronic exercise materials which are applied in this WCU 2nd Life Virtual EOC Emergency Functional Exercise Simulation conducted as part of the instruction for the on-line Emergency and Disaster Management class, Exercise Design and Evaluation (EDM 448). Central City Emergency Operation Center

13. Exercise Coordination

14. “For one who does not play video games, this was an exciting experience to use new and evolving Technology…” “It was evident that some students were not comfortable with their positions and were unclear what needed to be done. This can also happen in a real event and provided a good learning experience for all students.” “Moving around in that environment gives you a kind of real life feeling…” Student Feedback EM Logs Student Reflection Papers (Hotwash) Narrative Textbox

15. Hotwash: Assessment of the Exercise

16. Next steps: Western Carolina UniversityEmergency & Disaster Management Program Independent Studies Interdisciplinary Exercises SOTL Research Certification Program