Instructional Strategies for Training Teams in Virtual Environments
Abstract
This report describes the design and implementation of the Fully Immersive Team Training (FITT) research system, and the first experiment conducted with that system. FITT was developed to support research on the use of distributed Virtual Environments (VEs) for training dismounted infantry. The hardware and software functional requirements included: locomotion, object manipulation and aiming, communication among participants, design of avatars for participants and computer generated forces, data capture and playback, as well as a host of networking issues. The first experiment examined instructional strategies involving how and when to give guidance during team training with VEs. Ninety-four college students participated in the experiment. Two person teams engaged in search missions in VEs depicting building interiors. Teams were given guidance either before (demonstration), during (coaching), or alter (replay) the first practice mission, or not given any guidance at all (control group). Performance measures included: speed and accuracy of search, communications, and security procedures. Results indicated that the FITT interface worked well in enabling the participants to move in and interact with the VEs, and to act as a team. The feasibility of implementing and administrating each of the instructional strategies in a VE training context was demonstrated.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA389674
Entities
People
- Christina S. Morris
- Daniel P. Mcdonald
- Donald Ralph Lampton
- James Parsons
- Mar E. Rodriguez
Organizations
- U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences