High-Tech, Hands-On 3 of 3
High-Tech, Hands-On: How GP Tech Instructors are Embracing Innovation (3 of 3)
High Tech, No Risk
How VR is Revolutionizing Training
By M. Churchwell
It's fun. It feels like a game, but it's really good practice.
- HENRY GARCIA, COMBINATION COLLISION REPAIR STUDENT
The officer’s pulse pounds in her ears as she issues another command, voice steady but firm. The suspect refuses to comply. His hands remain buried in his pockets, a detail the officer instantly observes. This routine stop has shifted into a life-threatening situation in a fraction of a second. A bead of sweat forms at the officer’s temple as she instinctively shifts her stance. The tension is suffocating, adrenaline surging—then, in a split second, the suspect moves. A flash of metal. A weapon appears. The officer’s breath catches, her mind calculating her next moves, when suddenly—the world stops. The scenario freezes. The student exhales sharply, still gripping the VR controller—in this case is a simulation duty weapon—as she removes the headset, heart still pounding with the weight of the training scenario.
At GP Tech, two instructors are using cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) tools to provide students with hands-on experiences without the real-world risks. In Criminal Justice and Combination Collision Repair, Virtual Reality (VR) technology is preparing students for their future careers in a high-quality, low-risk environment.
By integrating Street Smarts VR in Criminal Justice and VirtualPaint VR in Collision Repair, Charlie Martin and Tony Josey are equipping students with practical skills in authentic scenarios without the risks associated with traditional training. These tools allow students to gain experience, make mistakes, and refine their skills in a controlled setting before stepping into real-life situations.
Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement Training Without the Danger
In Criminal Justice, Street Smarts VR allows students to train for real-world police scenarios with high realism and zero physical danger. Instructor Charlie Martin sees this as a game-changer in preparing future officers.
“The VR system allows the students to experience scenarios that a police officer may actually encounter in real life that are difficult to recreate in a training environment,” Martin explains. “You can explain why maintaining a reactionary gap is important, but until the student experiences it in VR, they don’t fully comprehend how fast an incident can escalate.”
Street Smarts VR offers customizable, interactive training scenarios focusing on de-escalation, conflict resolution, and tactical decision-making. Students learn how to assess threats, react quickly, and handle high-pressure situations—skills that would be difficult or dangerous to practice in traditional training. Martin can create his own scenarios or manipulate existing scenarios to provide new challenges. Students themselves can also create scenarios for their fellow classmates to complete.
Class Lieutenant Steven Zenns appreciates the realism of the training: “The scenarios we make are supposed to simulate what an officer would actually do when on duty. I can make the subject pull out a weapon, cooperate, or not cooperate. Creating the scenarios is also a learning experience that makes us think about all the things an officer may encounter. It records everything, so we can review what the officer did well and where they can improve.”
VR doesn’t just allow for safe training—it also enables continuous learning. Each session is recorded, allowing instructors and students to review and analyze decisions in real-time or later as a class. This approach fosters better understanding, ensuring students learn from both their successes and mistakes.
Until the student experiences it, they don't fully comprehend how fast an incident can escalate.
- CHARLIE MARTIN, CRIMINAL JUSTICE INSTRUCTOR
Collision Repair: Mastering Techniques with Zero Waste
In the Collision Repair program, VirtualPaint VR provides students with a realistic spray-painting experience without using actual paint and materials or creating fumes. Instructor Tony Josey sees the system as a valuable tool for beginners.
“VR allows newer students to practice in a realistic way but without using up supplies or creating fumes,” Josey explains. “The gun is an actual spray gun with air lines, so the weight and experience are accurate. I can set up the activity for them to do on the computer, and when they’re finished, we can see exactly how they performed—where they had 50% overlap, where they were too heavy or too light. It’s a really good tool before we put them on real vehicles.”
The VirtualPaint VR system allows students to practice with a spray gun controller while receiving real-time feedback on their technique. This means students can refine their skills in a risk-free environment before ever painting an actual car.
Student Henry Garcia enjoys the experience: “I really like using the VR. It’s fun. It feels like a game, but it’s really good practice. And there’s no pressure because I’m not messing up a real car and I’m not using up materials. It was a really good tool when I was first learning to paint.”
Like Street Smarts VR, VirtualPaint VR provides multiple opportunities for learning. Every painting session is recorded and analyzed, allowing students and instructors to review techniques, pinpoint areas for improvement, and ensure consistency.
Advanced Training with High-Tech, Low-Risk Solutions
Both Street Smarts VR and VirtualPaint VR bring significant benefits to students and instructors alike.
The rush of adrenaline a student feels in the VR police simulation, the steady hand required to perfect a digital paint job—these are the moments where learning truly happens. Mistakes can be made, techniques refined, and lessons absorbed, all in a virtual world where errors don’t cost safety or resources. The future of hands-on learning isn’t coming; it’s already here at GP Tech. The worlds may be virtual, but the skills, confidence, and experience students gain are very real.
