Military and Government

VA PPE

Shortly after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Veterans Health Administration clinical staff identified a critical training gap in the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Correct use of the Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) PPE is necessary for protection of providers caring for seriously ill corona virus patients and the patients in Emergency Rooms and Intensive Care. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Employee Education System (EES) game-based learning team reached out to the Mixed Emerging Technology Integration Lab (METIL) at University of Central Florida's Institute for Simulation Training for potential reuse of a mobile application developed for VHA in the wake of the Ebola scare some years past. Having confirmation of the UCF capability to update the app and using VHA streamlined acquisition procedures implemented just for COVID-19 support, the VHA and UCF team developed requirements based on CDC guidance, awarded the contract and developed the new app within 30 business days to help in the fight against COVID-19 and protect those on the front-line. The development of this training product was also done in collaboration with the VHA Simulation Learning, Education and Research Network (SimLEARN), the Emergency Management Coordination Center, the VHA Office of Clinical Services, VHA Office of Emergency Medicine and VHA Subject Matter Experts

The PAPR PPE web app (a mini simulation) works on iOS, Android, and desktop browsers and reinforces the steps for donning and doffing PAPR PPE gear to prevent the spread of highly contagious diseases. (anesthesiologists and emergency doctors). As COVID-19 emerged and was rapidly spreading, there was a need to develop this just-in-time training product to help healthcare professional practice the complicated process for donning and doffing PAPR PPE which requires use of a hood and respirator. This PPE is only used in a situation where there is increased likelihood of a transfer of aerosol effluvium in places like the Emergency Room and Intensive care where patients are intubated. The learning product provides Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Learning Points accredited by five national healthcare accrediting organizations for physicians, nurses, physician assistants and pharmacists.

The PPE app takes the learner visually through the donning and doffing process under the supervision of a digital trained observer, who reads aloud each step of the procedure and confirms that the PPE is donned and doffed successfully – an imitation of real life. The digitally trained observer uses a written checklist to confirm each step in the donning and doffing process. The PAPR PPE donning and doffing steps outlined in the application are consistent with the current infection control PPE recommendations. This training has options for a gown/apron combination or a gown alone and a full head neck or just front of head PAPR hood for facilities that need to customize PAPR PPE protocols (Feinleib, 2020).

The product is available to all in the Veterans Health Administration and the VHA made it available to public health providers and educators worldwide on the Public Health Foundation’s TRAIN TMS, train.org. The app has been being used by over 3,264 learners approximately 1,000 each month

COVID-19 Training Cards

The Coronavirus Training Cards were produced in partnership with the Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center Simulation and Training Technology Center (CCDC SC STTC) and the University of Central Florida Institute for Simulation and Training (UCF IST) to assist in stopping the spread of the ongoing pandemic.

Our intent for creating training card games is to rapidly deliver relevant, accessible medical training to the force to combat the spread of COVID-19 effectively. Card games for training are not new – they have been used successfully during World War II (Airplane Spotter deck), during the 2003 invasion of Iraq (Iraqi Most Wanted deck) and for training the Army’s Tactical Combat Casualty Care. Our studies have found that they not only help train but also increase awareness and identification skills. Recognizing the urgency of the threat and the speed with which it emerged, CCDC SC STTC and UCF IST developed, printed, and shipped these card decks in less than two months.

The superiority of the Army’s equipment, and the ability of the Army – Regular, National Guard, and Reserve – to adapt to and dominate a complex and continuously changing environment remain central to the Army’s mission. These training cards support the Army’s mission: they are ultra-low-cost, and the app will link to the most up-to-date treatment guidelines from the CDC as new information is gathered.

Combat Medic Card Games

Combat Medic Card Games is a research project into using playing cards to reinforce learning of lifesaving emergency care on the battlefield by individuals or small groups. The deck offers 4 variants of standard card games modified to focus on the precise step sequence for treatments in 3 common, life-threatening wound categories: Hemorrhage, Obstructed Airway and Tension Pneumothorax. Each category has multiple treatment options, for a total of 7 unique procedures.

Whether playing a Combat Medic game, a standard 52-card deck game or using the deck as flash cards, the deck will encourage students to: accurately select the most appropriate treatment, recall and apply individual steps in sequential order, increase dexterity and recall speed under simulated stress, cooperate with others in a team environment, and comprehend and follow verbal instructions from teammates. The flexible game framework allows for expansion and rapid changes to serve new audiences and reflect new procedures, treatments and unique situations.

This card series is based on the Combat Medic Cards framework. It has been modified to map to Navy-specific content, including an advanced aircraft identification use case. Each card in this special suit provides a 3D model / video of the aircraft and reveals the 2D image when using an augmented reality-enabled mobile device.

Navy Training Cards

Cybersecurity Training Cards

The CyberCards series provides easy to use information at your fingertips, including an AR layer. CyberCards: Security for the Industrial Internet provides an overview and specific industrial knowledge on the topics below:

Awareness
Behaviors
Cyber Leadership
SCADA Security
NIST Framework
Standards / Models
And more… including referenced content from DISA, DHS, DOE, NIST, and IEEEE sources

Ebola Training Cards

The Ebola Training Card deck is based on the Combat Medic Cards framework which maps a content domain to a set of 52 cards. Specifically, the Ebola Training Cards cover the general key information regarding the spread of this disease. Using augmented reality each card will launch to the specific CDC page where the information exists in its entirety. These dynamic links ensure information is always up-to-date with the latest CDC guidelines.

Navy DATEM

During the recent 2016 I/ITSEC conference, UCF’s METIL team was granted direct access to present our Phase 1 findings, prototype for Data Architecture and Effectiveness Model (DATEM), and our strategic planning for master architecture for Sailor 2025’s Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) and high velocity learning models to be developed and operationalized.

The MVP consisted of working demonstrations of one-way LRS interaction between two distinct courses, eHelm, and the Navy Card Framework produced using UCF’s PILLAR transmedia system to show different mobile learning solutions applied within an overall DATEM architecture. The 90 second preview and brief interactive demonstration showcased a movement of significant performance data being easily displayed for actionable insights around the competency of personnel. The architecture also exhibited an initial example of the flexibility to accommodate objectivist learning that follows adaptive models, disconnected learning, and socio-constructivist and cognitive learning models around knowledge domains or collaborative learning.

Defense Acquisition University provides professional training to almost the entire DoD AT&L (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics) workforce. As part of an initiative to explore simulation and gaming for their curriculum, METIL developed the CardSim scenario-based card game. Teams take on roles within the AT&L workforce and apply Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) to complete project scenarios while addressing project interruptors. The game reinforces the AT&L knowledge base while supplementing team communication, coordination and understanding of team members' various roles and responsibilities within the workforce.

CardSim was developed based on research by UCF's Team Performance Lab into team training requirements, combined with gameplay structures inspired by commercial collectible card games. The low fidelity framework makes implementation simple, and the flexible structure (based around expansion decks) allows CardSim to be tailored to all areas of the DAU curriculum.

We have developed a Flash-based online interface for the game, and are exploring the possibility for more delivery options, including a mobile version or integration with virtual worlds.

Defense Acquisition

University CardSim

DHS SIGNS

Situational Intelligence Gathering Network Simulation (SIGNS) trainer is a web-based application using best practices from training psychology for reinforcement of situational awareness and cue recognition. The software presents situations containing key anomalies or items of interest that may be relevant to an investigation or represent a potential danger to the officer or others.

SIGNS allows instructors to easily author training scenarios using existing image files, text, and supplementary video. Scenarios consist of two types of items arranged in sequence: cue recognition images which can be tagged, and narrative items to provide additional context or scaffolding between cue recognition images. Instructors use the tag authoring tool to define relevant areas of the image and complete a rubric classifying the cue by importance and type, then providing a recommended action decision. Scenarios can be used for passive learning (demonstrating expert cue classification), practice (students define their own cues and compare their responses with expert data), and testing (practice mode with the addition of multiple choice questions). Action decisions are procedural in nature and based on a branching decision tree, requiring a student to first identify the overall major thrust or category of action and then provide the final relevant procedural step (e.g. search/frisk, interrogate, arrest, etc.). Additional features in development include the ability to zoom in on images to see finer details (dependent on image fidelity) and nested images representing additional angles or close-ups off the main cue image which can be launched via a hot spot on the main image.

Combat Hunter is a Marine Corps training program that uses hunting and profiling skills to teach military personnel situational awareness, including spotting suspicious behavior to ID insurgents among the civilian population or tracking enemies who have passed through (or tampered with) an area. Live actors and real-life environments are used to help soldiers analyze situations on the fly in practical exercises.

The Combat Hunter Profiling Part Task Trainer Minigame (CHP-PTTM) is a Flash-based online application for use with the Combat Profiling® portion of the training program, designed using best practices from training psychology for reinforcement of situational awareness and cue recognition. The software presents situations containing key anomalies that, when properly registered by the Marine, would avert disaster in the field and spare both civilian and military lives. The CHP-PTT effort is funded by JTIEC as part of a continuing effort to increase cognitive dominance within the Armed Forces.

Combat Hunter Profiling

Part-Task Trainer Minigame