Main Subcommittee Category
TrainingHow would you label your submission?
GovernmentAbstract
By diving headfirst into immersive learning with the implementation of Pilot Training Next, the military invested in every level of device, with focus on the highest levels of immersion. It trialed anything from 360-degree virtual reality videos of flight corridors to mixed reality flight simulators with full motion cockpits. It is tempting to see the capabilities of a mixed reality simulator and think, “How can we apply that to our program?” However, to prevent budget constraints from stalling, or even terminating the progress the military has made in immersive learning innovation, users must execute due diligence when deciding the required level of immersion. All too often when the military seeks to acquire new assets, the requirements are heavily driven by current assets and their capabilities. This leads our requirement statements to read something along the lines of, “We want our new asset to be our current asset, just newer,” or “We saw this asset that someone else has and we want that too.” As we delve into the world of immersive learning technology, leaders should analyze each level of their training program to determine the requirements first and let that drive their device selection. Instead of allocating an entire budget to a limited number of the highest fidelity device possible, we must entertain a suite of devices that cover the spectrum of learning in a more cost-effective manner. Leaders should apply the Immersive Learning Taxonomy and Flow Theory to each training program to develop segmented requirements that will result in a suite of devices aimed at different levels of cognition and training. This paper proposes a framework for selecting a suite of learning devices that collectively achieve a spectrum of training goals. This framework should guide leaders in building cost-effective immersive training programs that integrate with current training programs at the appropriate levels of learning and immersion.