However, the growth in capability and flexibility of interactive simulations has led to a challenge for the Navy, regarding how to integrate the power of these interactive simulations into the ILE. The Naval Education and Training Command's (NETC) Experimentation Lab, located at the NAVAIR Training Systems Division in Orlando Florida, is experimenting with the tracking of learning objectives between a Learning Management System and a gaming/simulation engine for reporting back progress towards meeting defined training objectives.
The purpose of the Delta3D-LMS Integration project was to develop technology and techniques that would allow a Delta3D application to be packaged and deployed for use within a Learning Management System (LMS). An LMS typically consists of server-based components that deliver training content to students over the web. The LMS acts as a database providing centralized management of the content as well as student information, such as access rights, courses taken, and performance data (i.e. grades). The LMS can also act as a training "broker", determining which courseware simulation is available to a given student at any given time. This "Sequencing and Navigation" capability can be based on a student's role (i.e. staff, foreman, or supervisor) or on a student's past performance. This project developed a stand alone suite of tools for packaging up a game-based Delta3D application so that it can be downloaded, installed, and launched from a web server with or without support for an LMS.
This project is supported by NETC and the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and is being co-developed by Alion Science and Technology and Engineering & Computer Simulations (ECS). ECS is looking at the challenge of objectively tracking a student's performance within a three dimensional, interactive simulations and/or serious games. In order to meet these requirements, ECS is developing innovative technology to allow in-depth assessments of student performance against established training objectives while the simulation is running.
