Optimising virtual training systems

Following nearly four decades of research and development, virtual technologies have only recently begun to realise their potential as commercial and military products (Durlach and Mavor 1995, Zyda and Sheehan 1997). These tools, manifesting along a technology continuum ranging from simple computer game-like interfaces to complex fully immersive ones that stimulate a range of sensory modalities (Milgram et al. 1994), owe this long-awaited acceptance primarily to advancements in the computer industry. Technological improvements, progressing at a Moore's Law rate, have enabled developers to evolve the simple desktop PC into a powerful real-time interactive system at significantly reduced cost. As these technology roadblocks have melted away, so too have many of the more common human factors and ergonomics-related challenges that made earlier systems unwieldy (Carr and England 1995). Now more than ever, it is possible to contemplate the likelihood that such systems will soon be considered for supporting a range of applications, from education to entertainment.

Nevertheless, before these devices enter the mainstream, it is imperative that several basic assumptions concerning their efficacy be re-explored. The philosophy underlying the development of virtual technologies has long rested on the notion that, by guaranteeing a high level of technical fidelity, benefits would inevitably result (Lathan et al. 2002). While this may hold true for the entertainment industry, which thrives on illusion and sleight-of-hand and where success is assessed primarily in terms of immediate gratification, it is certainly not true for other applications, such as those supporting training and education, which require a more rigorous and grounded treatment and where success is gauged in terms of quantifiable, long-term behavioural changes (Anderson 1995). Much effort has gone into evolving these systems to the point that the training and education community is willing to accept them. Yet, surprisingly, little effort has gone into understanding how to capitalise on them once they are added to the fold.

This special issue focuses on the need to shift the emphasis from a singular concentration on the continued maturation of the underlying technology base for these tools, towards the development of a human centric pedagogy, providing insight into how to adapt and employ such technologies in an instructional capacity. Much can be gained by crossing these traditional boundaries and creating a framework through which each may inform the other. This issue starts with the development of a theoretical framework, within which this convergence may be elaborated upon, progresses to methodological contributions exemplifying this approach and concludes with a critical review of the arguments for and against using virtual technologies to support training and education.