Abstract
A networked simulation environment, known as the Fully Immersive Team Training (FITT) system, was employed to study team interactions in a virtual environment. The investigation was designed to evaluate the influence of various instructional strategies (demonstration, coaching, or replay) on team performance. Performance was evaluated on a variety of dimensions, with an emphasis on team communications. Results of the experiment indicated that teams receiving instruction in the form of an expert demonstration performed communications-related tasks in closer conformance with protocols than a control group receiving only an instruction manual. This may suggest that expert demonstrations are an effective strategy for training teams in communications tasks in virtual environments. The limitations of current communications-analysis strategies, and suggestions for their improvement, are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.