Presented by: Dr. Wes Naylor, CAPT, USN, (Ret.), Dr. Craig McAllaster Substituting Game-Based Virtual Environment Simulators for Physical Simulators: A Future of Opportunities and Challenges Presented by: Dr. Wes Naylor, CAPT, USN, (Ret.), Dr. Craig McAllaster

The Problem Set The Challenge: The Navy must enable the training of approximately 400,000 new Sailors per year in a resource constrained environment. The Proposed Solution: The Navy is proposing to spend $1.5B over the next five years to re-engineer learning to include the use of game- based virtual environment simulation. The Challenge: Lack of research showing that the substitution of game-based simulators for physical simulators is an effective course of action or that it is being optimally employed.

Sailor 2025 RRL Ecosystem Instructional Media Technology Increasing Technology Complexity Instructional Media Technology Cyber Strategy Increasing Acquisition Complexity

Material Failure Creates Crisis – The SLC Groton Case April 2015, Navy’s Virginia Class Diesel Electric Generator simulator suffers casualty April 2015, SLC Groton substitutes the MRTS for physical simulator November 2016, Navy decides to replace physical simulator with MRTS

Lines of Inquiry Examine the effect of the use of game-based virtual environment simulators on student throughput. Examine how course outcomes are being measured. Examine if course curriculum changes were being employed to optimize technology. Examine business case of virtual simulation versus physical simulators. Identify factors that may make the use of game-based virtual environment simulators preferable to physical simulators.

Results MRTS allowed greater overall student throughput to meet SLC and Fleet requirements. MRTS allowed for expanded overall capacity through distribution and new learning opportunities. MRTS provided a significant cost advantage over physical simulation. MRTS provided improved realism and customization in addition to quality of simulation available. Research revealed a lack of quantitative data collection on student performance that would allow for insight into student proficiency and its effect on Fleet readiness.

Conclusions and Further Research Game based virtual environment simulation has the potential to provide a cost effective learning solution as a Sailor 2025 enabling technology. Need to explore incorporation of Intelligent Tutoring into MRTS-like capabilities to realize the vision of Sailor 2025. Need to explore improved metrics and analytics to quantify actual knowledge transfer and learning effectiveness. Need to understand and baseline knowledge transfer and its relationship to proficiency and Fleet readiness. Research needed to align and optimize gaming technologies and strategies with Navy learning theory and methodologies.

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