Utility of Game Instructions

Abstract

Due to the increasing usage of computer games for military training purposes, it is more important than ever to understand how computer games can be utilized in an effective and efficient manner. One important issue facing the military training community is that training time is at a premium and trainees need to be able to play the game within as short a time as possible so they can start using the game to train the skills of interest. This report describes an experiment that examined various game-related performance measures and concluded that the two different instructional techniques (i.e., computer-based tutorials and game tips) appeared to be effective in different ways, and players with access to both learned the game most effectively. To be more specific, computer-based tutorials appeared to be more beneficial for motor elements such as maneuvering and actions. On the other hand, those who had access to game tips performed better in cognitive segments of the game such as setting up game plans and familiarity with the game interface. These results can be incorporated in military training programs where computer games are part of the curriculum. Future military game development can also utilize these results to determine which type of instructional material to be included in the games.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2003
Accession Number
ADA414105

Entities

People

  • Jessie Y. Chen

Organizations

  • U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Army Personnel
  • Army Training
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cognition
  • Computers
  • Data Science
  • Information Science
  • Instructional Materials
  • Instructions
  • Military Training
  • Psychology
  • Social Sciences
  • Students
  • Surveys
  • Trainees
  • Training
  • Video Games

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Game Theory.
  • Instructional Design and Training Evaluation.
  • Systems Analysis and Design