Paper Number
ICIS2025-1636
Paper Type
Short
Abstract
Ethical decision-making is of primary importance in mass casualty incidents (MCIs), as healthcare professionals must make rapid decisions under pressure with high stakes. This study examines the effectiveness of three pedagogical approaches - virtual reality (VR), video-based learning and traditional case-based teaching - in promoting ethical competence. The study utilizes experiential learning theory and a design science research methodology to assess how emotional engagement, stress perception, and reflective capacity influence ethical decision-making in crisis scenarios. In a controlled experiment with emergency medicine trainees, VR was particularly effective in improving intuitive decision-making under time pressure, while text-based cases supported analytical thinking. The results offer evidence-based insights into the design of immersive ethics education and provide transferable design principles for high-stress domains beyond healthcare. This work advances the theoretical understanding and practical implementation of experiential ethics education in emergency settings.
Recommended Citation
Kopahs, Leonie and Schumann, Matthias, "Learning to Triage: Comparing Experiential Approaches to Ethical Decision-Making in Mass Casualty Incidents" (2025). ICIS 2025 Proceedings. 2.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2025/imm_tech/imm_tech/2
Learning to Triage: Comparing Experiential Approaches to Ethical Decision-Making in Mass Casualty Incidents
Ethical decision-making is of primary importance in mass casualty incidents (MCIs), as healthcare professionals must make rapid decisions under pressure with high stakes. This study examines the effectiveness of three pedagogical approaches - virtual reality (VR), video-based learning and traditional case-based teaching - in promoting ethical competence. The study utilizes experiential learning theory and a design science research methodology to assess how emotional engagement, stress perception, and reflective capacity influence ethical decision-making in crisis scenarios. In a controlled experiment with emergency medicine trainees, VR was particularly effective in improving intuitive decision-making under time pressure, while text-based cases supported analytical thinking. The results offer evidence-based insights into the design of immersive ethics education and provide transferable design principles for high-stress domains beyond healthcare. This work advances the theoretical understanding and practical implementation of experiential ethics education in emergency settings.
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08-ImmersiveTech