How-to Control Gun Violence with eLearning

How can eLearning control gun violence?

If buying a gun is an impulse purchase – like buying a candy bar at the check-out counter – then a conscientious buffer that slows the buyer down is needed. To those who want to be able to buy a gun as easily as buying bread – it doesn’t necessarily work that way. There are processes and paper work when buying a house or a car, so too when buying a gun.

eLearning can do this.

The requirement to complete an eLearning course would slow down the gun buying process and educate potential buyers about guns.

ELearning is “learning conducted via electronic media, typically on the Internet.” It allows a learner to learn on their own wherever and whenever they want. eLearning can capture and track learner response and provide immediate feedback based on how questions are answered.

The course would present information on gun safety, regulations and proper use. Similar to completing a standardized driver’s license test, an elearning course on gun ownership would essentially be a gun owner’s manual and teach prospective owners important information.

The eLearning course could require a test to show understanding of the material. It could also serve as a first level assessment of the mental state of the learner by including psychologically based scenarios with questions.

An elearning course would collect user information and data and directly link to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and serve as an added check and balance to the current background check.

An eLearning course could easily be accessed on any mobile device – including at point-of-sale from a private seller.

Once completed, the learner would print a certificate that shows successful completion.

This eLearning solution doesn’t solve the whole problem. There are complexities to deal with around current gun purchasing laws, as well as designing a course so learners can't answer questions dishonestly, fake answers on the mental health assessment, or create a fake certificate of completion.

However, if one person is stopped from buying a gun for the wrong reasons, because an elearning course provided just-in-time needed information or mental health support, then elearning has played a role in controlling gun violence