Preliminary Evaluation of the Control Interface for a Training Simulation System

The United States Air Force Research Laboratory is conducting research and development of a computer-based, simulation capability to support training in decision making and team coordination for security forces ground operations. The simulation capability allows an instructor to start and control a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Weeks, Joseph L, McDonald, L B
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
AIR FORCE OPERATIONS
AIR FORCE TRAINING
COMBAT SIMULATION
COMPUTER AIDED INSTRUCTION
Computer Programming and Software
COMPUTER PROGRAMS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DECISION MAKING
GROUND LEVEL
Humanities and History
LOCAL AREA NETWORKS
PE63227F
SECURITY
TEAMS(PERSONNEL)
WORK STATIONS
WUAFRL4924B002
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Summary:The United States Air Force Research Laboratory is conducting research and development of a computer-based, simulation capability to support training in decision making and team coordination for security forces ground operations. The simulation capability allows an instructor to start and control a simulation exercise on trainee computer workstations connected via a local area network. Simulation software supports the interaction of trainees with each other and with computer-generated forces (CGFs) that initiate behavior of enemy, neutral, and friendly troops and civilians. For the security forces simulation capability, the goal is to design a control interface that instructors can learn to use in two hours and trainees can learn to use in thirty minutes. To achieve this goal, a Windows-based control interface was adopted as the initial point of departure. Menu options were developed to correspond to the standard mission planning procedures used by security forces and drag-and-drop functions were developed to replace menu options to contribute to usability. This paper describes the emerging control interface, the approach to and outcomes from a field evaluation of the interface to include actual times required for instructors and trainees to learn to use the system and instructors' acceptability evaluations. Summary conclusions shed light on critical human-machine interface design issues for computer-based training simulations. The original document contains color images.