Using Design-Based Research to Develop a Virtual Human Interface for Police Nystagmus Training

The Individual Nystagmus Training Simulation Experience, or INSITETM, is a virtual human simulation program to help train police officers in identifying one of the strongest clues of alcohol impairment in drivers - nystagmus, or involuntary rapid movement of the eyeball. In this paper we talk about the design-based research principles that helped us iteratively design, develop, test and implement this police training simulation as part of the Texas' Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) program. We describe the simulation, the educational implementation context, the learning activities, and the identified needs of the various users - including trainees, trainers, researchers and program administrators. Most importantly, we discuss the evolution of the user experience over time in response to feedback. This paper focuses on: 1) design considerations for modeling physiologic symptoms of nystagmus in a virtual human; 2) the strategy for implementing INSITETM into ARIDE police training sessions; 3) detail on the numerous iterations of the multi-leveled user interface and experience based on qualitative and quantitative feedback from trainees, Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST) instructors, and subject matter experts; and (4) an overall summary of our experience on this design to date.