Scenario Management Methods for On-Board, Self-Directed Training of a Naval Command Team

TNO Physics and Electronics Laboratory, The Hague (The Netherlands), investigates the potentials of embedded training for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN). Embedded training is defined as an interactive, simulation-based training capability built into operational systems in order to enhance and maintain skill proficiency. Our objective is to find an embedded training solution, which enables an operational command team to prepare for new missions and live training by means of self-directed training and self-assessment on-board. Scenario management is the process of defining, preparing, executing, analyzing, and evaluating a training scenario in an interactive simulation-training environment. Scenario management of on-board, self-directed team training is challenging. This is because no dedicated training staff is available; team members must perform scenario management tasks all by themselves. Frequently, team members will lack the didactic experience of a dedicated training staff. Additionally, as they are themselves part of the training, they lack the time to assess the team performance during the scenario execution. Even more important, they lack insight in the overall team performance and the performances of individual team members. This is why scenario management tools need to provide didactic support to the team and need to facilitate the registration of team performance during the scenario execution. This paper describes two scenario management methods for self-directed training. A peer-to-peer method has been
evaluated, where each team member acts as a trainee as well as an observer for colleague team members. This method seems feasible for self-directed training of a small team in a not too complex training scenario. In other situations, a different solution has to be found. Here, a scenario management method will be considered, where one team member no longer trains his or her primary task, but coordinates the training, and acts as the training facilitator for the other team members. This method will be evaluated in 2004.