Avoid Inappropriate Actions in Training Videos
Don’t inadvertently encourage incorrect actions.
I recently had the chance to view an excellent campus training video. I was deeply impressed with not only the quality of the filming, but more importantly the content. The company that produced the video demonstrated a clear understanding of how important it is to depict the actions that one should take in an emergency with great care not to depict any action that a person should not take.
Law enforcement trainers learned many years ago that showing inappropriate actions while a narrator tells the audience how dangerous it is to perform the actions depicted can result in officers performing the incorrect action because they recall what they see more than what they hear.
This is an important point in the use of video for training relating to campus safety. Taking time to carefully script and depict the actions we want people to take can be important when the people who have been trained via video try to perform under extreme stress.
Keep up the great work and have an awesome day.
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About the Author
Michael Dorn, Contributor
Michael Dorn serves as the Executive Director of Safe Havens International, a global non profit campus safety center. During his 30 year campus safety career, Michael has served as a university police officer, corporal, sergeant and lieutenant. He served as a school system police chief for ten years before being appointed the lead expert for the nation's largest state government K-20 school safety center. The author of 25 books on school safety, his work has taken him to Central America, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia, South Africa and the Middle East. Michael welcomes comments, questions or requests for clarification at mike@weakfish.org. Note: The views expressed by guest bloggers and contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, Campus Safety magazine.
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