Designing Ve Training Systems that Work: Stacking the Deck in the User's Favor

Abstract

Over the past decade, a veritable barrage of Virtual Environment (VE)-based training systems has burst onto the training and education scene (Cohn & Patrey, 2001). On the surface these systems, which claim such benefits as small footprint, rapid reconfiguration, and enhanced training delivery, appear to be the panacea for a market desperate for low cost, effective training tools. Yet, often the human element is taken for granted, with systems being designed to incorporate the latest technological advances, to the exclusion of the latest human-factors advances (Cohn, Breaux, Nguyen Schmorrow, 2001). Moreover, the utility of these systems is all too-rarely objectively evaluated. Consequently, the likelihood of designing a final product with a significant ‘gee whiz’ factor, coupled with, at best, an undefined ‘training effectiveness’ quotient, is quite high, leading users to over-estimate the value of their training. In the operational setting, these over-estimations can have costly –if not tragic- consequences. Such need not be the case. There are more than enough design methodologies for ensuring that training systems satisfy the needs of the users for whom they are intended. The crucial element that has been missing is an underlying philosophy linking these techniques in a logical fashion. The intent of this panel is to bring together a range of training technologies into a single forum, with the goal of presenting a comprehensive Design Effectiveness program.