An experimental design and preliminary results for a cultural training system simulation

Computer simulation has been widely deployed by the military for force-on-force based training but only more recently for training researchers, analysts, and war-fighters in matters of cross cultural sensitivity. This latter type of training gives the trainee a sense of “being inside” a target culture. We built the Second China Project as a hybrid immersive, knowledge-based software platform for use in cultural training. Is this training effective? More specifically, what are the effects of immersion on memory and other cognitive variables? We chose to base our research questions, not around a specific user group, but more generally around a category of training system—one involving the use of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs). We present the architecture of an experiment designed to test whether MUVEs are effective training platforms, and to explain the process used in developing a testing environment to determine the precise nature of that effectiveness. We also discuss lessons learned from the earlier pilot study and ongoing experiment.