SBIR-STTR Award

Increasing complexity in many military roles may require increased cognitive agility in areas of situation assessment, strategic and tactical decision making as well as better skill interpreting information to evaluate the need for a change in plan. Significant research has shown that it takes years and many repetitions for an individual to gain the skills, knowledge and decision-making capability necessary to be deemed an expert in any of these areas. However, recent research suggests that this requirement can be accelerated. This proposal explores a learning model that has been proven to accelerate learning in commercial settings using virtual environments with granular feedback and which that may help military personnel develop necessary capabilities much faster. The objective of this effort is to develop advanced training environment in a multi-player game. The Architecture of the game will be based on a model of learning that has been successfully deployed in multi-player applications for other domains and will lead to accelerated learning in military personnel. In PHASE II we will empirically test the learning model by applying it via a virtual learning environment to a complex military problem. Junior officers and senior NCOs will be the target users for the proof- of- concept.

Benefit:
This technology has already proven effective in commercial markets accelerating team-collective learning (value $19Billion). It will now be directly applicable to military, law enforcement and first responders as they train for team-collective maneuvers and operations. Scenario based training (SBT) remains the primary basis of training design in DoD and will remain such for decades to come. Present advances in training efficacy are occurring by improvements to the After-Action Review (AAR) performed post training. These improvements are primarily given from the availability of quantitative data made available by instrumentation. The AAR; however, remains an activity occurring only post the training event, and foreseeably remains confined to the scope of actions which in-fact took place during the specific instance of training. Accelerating Acquisition Of Tactical Expertise In Ill Structured Combat Settings will develop and provide measured acceleration of learning to perform situation assessment, strategic and tactical decision making and interpreting information to evaluate the need for a change of plan. Result is not only increased efficacy of SBT, but also broadened scope of learning BEFORE the jumping into the costliest type of training, Live-Immersive training. The product of this SBIR will be developed with a focus on Marine Corps Live-Immersive training. Subsequently, our initial path to market is through the Marine Corps whose efforts at Camp Pendleton has already been identified. Additionally, IIT Ranges at Camp Lejeune and MCB Hawaii, and ranges at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) Twenty Nine Palms, CA would be another focused customer. Although initially designed specifically for live-immersive training exercises, we can see this tool being applicable to many live-training exercises where the coordination of team members is required for successful operations. Annual Marine Corps budget for Range and Training Area Management Family of Systems (RTAM) exceeds $17M per year. Distribution Channels - ACSILabs will pursue a primary sales distribution path of direct sales to customers. This approach will be our fastest path to market since we will, throughout the duration of the project, seek to understand the Marine Corps requirements for deployment and design the tool accordingly. We will offer customized development and integration for existing customers as interest allows. ACSILabs secondary paths to market is through existing relationships with these groups. We will brief individuals on the tools capabilities and identify the potential customers specific needs. We will target the Army, Navy, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Energy among federal military and government organizations.

Keywords:
Tactical Planning, Tactical Planning, uncertainty, expertise, accelerated learning, cognitive agility, Accelerated Expertise, Decision-making, complexity

In Phase II we will apply the instructional design accelerated learning principles developed in Phase I to a proof-of-concept technical feasibility demonstration. We will empirically test the learning model by applying it via a virtual learning environment to complex military problems. The virtual learning environment will be game based and multiplayer. Junior officers and Senior enlisted will be the target users for the proof- of- concept. A quasi experimental plan will be used to test the training effectiveness of the accelerated learning strategies outlined above. An experimental group of Marine junior officers and/or senior enlisted who have not been trained with the accelerated learning principles described above will receive training on tactics for urban combat. Their performance in the FutureView micro world of an urban combat or other combat environment will be measured. A control group of junior Marine officers and/or senior enlisted will not receive training developed with the accelerated learning principles but will receive more traditional training before being measured in the Future View micro world. Scenarios will be developed with expert assistance by the Innovative Reasoning LLC which has great experience at developing, delivering and evaluating USMC urban combat tactical training. Individuals from each group (experimental and control) will then plan and conduct tactical approaches for fighting in an urban setting in the Infantry Immersion TrainerIIT at USMC Camp Pendleton or similar facility. The IIT provides a training facility for hands on practical application of tactical skills and decision making in an immersive, scenario-based training environment. Units can conduct dismounted and limited mounted operations throughout the training complex. Operations may be conducted during both day and night. The IIT supports Training and Readiness (T&R) individual and collective tasks, from the individual through company level, as well as rapidly evolving tasks that are theater directed and service approved, but not yet codified in the T&R manual. The IIT creates a realistic training environment that presents complex scenario-based situations (tactical and human dimension) and reinforces decision making skills. The IIT provides culturally realistic, reactive, dynamic, synthetic entities that allow realistic interaction with the Common Operating Environment (COE) (to include squad members, higher headquarters, adjacent units, supporting arms, civilians, and opposing forces). https://www.pendleton.marines.mil/Staff-Agencies/Assistant-Chief-of-Staff-G-3-5/Training-Support-Division/MOUT-Facilities/IIT/ Subject Matter Experts will judge the performance of all subjects using a set of metrics that have already been developed for the IIT. (In some cases, new metrics might be developed). Interim and final reports will detail the processes used to produce the training scenarios as they progress, and then give final results and conclusions.

Benefit:
This technology has already proven effective in commercial markets accelerating team-collective learning (value $19 Billion). It will now be directly applicable to military, law enforcement and first responders as they train for team-collective maneuvers and operations. Scenario based training (SBT) remains the primary basis of training design in DoD and will remain such for decades to come. Present advances in training efficacy are occurring by improvements to the After-Action Review (AAR) performed post training. These improvements are primarily given from the availability of quantitative data made available by instrumentation. The AAR; however, remains an activity occurring only post the training event, and foreseeably remains confined to the scope of actions which in-fact took place during the specific instance of training. Accelerating Acquisition Of Tactical Expertise In Ill Structured Combat Settings will develop and provide measured acceleration of learning to perform situation assessment, strategic and tactical decision making and interpreting information to evaluate the need for a change of plan. Result is not only increased efficacy of Scenario Based Training (SBT), but also broadened scope of learning BEFORE jumping into the costliest type of training, Live-Immersive training. The product of this SBIR will be developed with a focus on Marine Corps Live-Immersive training. Subsequently, our initial path to market is through the Marine Corps whose efforts at Camp Pendleton has already been identified. Additionally, IIT Ranges at Camp Lejeune and MCB Hawaii, and ranges at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) Twentynine Palms, CA would be another focused customer. We are working with Innovative Reasoning LLC to market this product for broader use. Although initially designed specifically for live-immersive training exercises, we can see this tool being applicable to many live-training exercises where the coordination of team members is required for successful operations. Annual Marine Corps budget for Range and Training Area Management Family of Systems (RTAM) exceeds $17M per year. Strategic Importance of the Product - This tool will directly expand and improve the effectiveness of live-training exercises and therefore we anticipate much interest from the numerous organizations that perform this function in military, homeland security and domestic operations where live-training is the preferred training method. ACSILabs secondary paths to market is through existing relationships with these groups. We will brief individuals on the tools capabilities and identify the potential customers specific needs. We will target the Army, Navy, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Energy among federal military and government organizations.

Keywords:
agile decision-making, accelerated learning, Rapid Learning, cognitive transformation theory, gamification, decision-making under uncertainty, expertise