Situation Awareness and Performance Feedback toward Enhancing Learning with Game Trainers: An Approach and Lessons Learned

Abstract

Virtual training and serious games represent a new paradigm in training for many domains by providing cost effective and motivating exercises that guide trainees to safely experience the consequences of their behaviors and decisions. While these technologies are commonly accepted, there are uncertainties regarding the degree to which they actually promote learning. Researchers have suggested that advanced training tools must do more than provide rich visual scenes that engage trainees, but should also include pedagogical elements related to domain knowledge and skills, and should provide for human performance assessments that offer insights into training effectiveness. More research is needed for establishing evidence of the utility of advanced computer-based training and toward the development of specific design recommendations for virtual and game training to ensure training benefit. The current research involves review of a game training exercise to capture lessons learned an assess potential for game-based learning.