Journal of Homeland Security Education Volume 5 (2016) 8 Teaching Key Elements of Decision Making Online for Homeland Security and Emergency Management CLAYTON WUKICH, Sam Houston State University wukich@shsu.edu SUZANNE L. FREW, The Frew Group suzanne@thefrewgroup.com ALAN STEINBERG, Rice University steinberg@rice.edu ABSTRACT In order to design online teaching and learning activities that promote effective decision-making skills under conditions of uncertainty, we adopt key findings from the fields of cognitive psychology and public management and employ strategies from the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. The learning activities outlined in this article – readings, films, writing and research assignments, and interactive exercises – promote the ability to detect, recognize, and interpret risk while developing collaborative strategies for action to reduce that risk. Students develop those skills in three stages – first, developing individual skills, second integrating those skills, and finally by demonstrating all skills in the absence of an instructor’s guidance. We do not suggest that these learning activities replicate the precise conditions of stress and uncertainty experienced in the field. Rather, they lay a foundation for education and training that is rooted in both theory and practice, contributing a proof of concept for homeland security and emergency management curricula. We analyze two semesters of qualitative student evaluations and report that positive student response suggests the potential effectiveness of our strategy. INTRODUCTION During an emergency, the difference between success and failure quite often is the judgment brought to bear by the professionals responsible for response operations. Effective decision making under conditions of uncertainty requires personnel to make meaning from ambiguity and develop strategies for action that protect life and property and maintain continuity of operations. Despite its importance in practice, little research has been conducted regarding how to facilitate those skills via formal curricula. Comfort and Wukich (2013) examined how to teach decision making in a classroom setting. However, even less research has been conducted on the challenges educators and students face online. This is a growing area of concern as an increasing number of first responders, emergency managers, and homeland security personnel are turning to online education (Cwiak, 2014). This article provides a follow-up to Comfort and Wukich (2013) and examines a set of online teaching and learning activities designed to promote key decision-making skills. Evidence from