Extending Semantically Enabled Virtual Environments for Training Assessment

Educators and trainers at all levels are interested in deploying game-based environments and virtual environments as innovative educational tools and intelligent training systems, especially in application areas that involve challenging task activities. However, many development technologies are difficult to use, especially for those who are not specialists in building computer-based systems. In particular, the incorporation of lesson preparation and learner assessment into a computer-based learning program deserves close attention. This paper reports the lessons learned from several recent research and development projects, and offers some directions for new studies that build on this work. The core work of interest is Semantically Enabled Automated Assessment in Virtual Environments. This prototype task-training framework assesses learner performance within an instrumented virtual environment and provides contextual feedback to help improve skill acquisition. An authoring capability allows subject matter experts to create exercise solution models by demonstrating them directly in the environment. A review of additional research offers avenues for improving the existing exercise development and learner assessment capabilities. One Sentence Summary: Semantically grounded virtual environments bridge the gap between the graphical representation of the training scene and the instructional models used to drive learner assessment, yet current research can be applied to improve the quality of this enabling capability.