Individual and Collective Training in Live, Virtual and Constructive Environments. Training Concepts for Virtual Environments

Abstract : The goals of this research are: (a) to develop a method for evaluating the capabilities of virtual simulation to represent the tasks and missions within a military application domain, (b) to demonstrate the methods in two domains, and (c) to propose ways to integrate the method with existing doctrine. Initial activities surveyed existing training systems and reviewed the capabilities of key virtual environment technologies. From this survey, we identified capabilities most likely to impede successful development of virtual environment training systems. A review of existing methods of evaluating or predicting training effectiveness identified several candidates for incorporation into the method produced in this project. Based on the results of this review, we developed a method for Specifying Training Requirements in Virtual Environments (STRIVE), combining features from two existing methods. The STRIVE methodology assesses the capability of virtual environment technology to support task performance based on subject matter expert judgments of selected cues and responses needed to perform task activities. A demonstration of the model was developed using Microsoft Access9?. The STRIVE methodology can be used during the concept exploration and definition phase of virtual environment training system design and can support the development of the Operational Requirements Document (ORD).