This special issue of the International Journal of Human Computer Interaction, which is focused on Trends in Adaptive Interactive Training Systems, is dedicated to the life and work of Dr. Ray S. Perez. Each of the articles included in the special issue presents research findings that were inspired, guided, and supported by Dr. Perez (Ray) in his position as a Program Officer at the Office of Naval Research (ONR), where he developed and managed the Cognitive and Neural Science and Technology Division portfolio. The ordering of articles intentially begins with broad research topics related to adaptive and interactive training systems, and then narrows in on more granular research questions and conclusions within this domain.
Stanney, Skinner, Claypoole, and Hughes present a framework of research-based instructional strategies for guiding the design of proficiency-based eXtended Reality (XR) solutions targeted at adult learners and training of complex skills applicable to various professional domains. The resulting andragogy, grounded in both theory and practice, provides an understanding of the underlying principles that need to be upheld to realize reliable learning gains from XR educational applications. The article concludes with a case study that illustrates the application of the framework to a naval maintenance use case.
Baker and O’Neil provide a deep dive into measures, metrics, and indicators applied to the evaluation of technology-based learning programs and interventions, with a particular emphasis on the use of evaluation results in decisions to improve the effectiveness of current or future learning-focused implementations. Fundamentally, their model depicts the pathway for transforming raw information into measures that describe individual or group performance, subsequently to metrics that scale measures to give a perspective on competency, and in larger aggregation, to indicators that provide an overall picture of performance that allows for comparisons to be made over time. An example of a criterion-referenced framework developed for Navy training is provided, which leads to the development of domain-independent measures and indicators that allow for the comparison of performance across disparate jobs.
Pasqualotto, Parong, Green, and Bavelier examine how to align cognitive processes with video game design elements, from the visual and auditory stimuli used, to the cues used to draw attention to specific aspects, to the feedback given to the user, as well as the emotions evoked, to systematically meet learning objectives within interactive training solutions. When associated game design principles are met, the learner can experience the appropriate cognitive load on relevant learning materials that are conducive to enhanced learning outcomes. The article concludes with a discussion of how action video games can be used to overcome the “curse of specificity” and instead produce generalizable learning outcomes that can transfer to a variety of task contexts.
Mayer, Makransky, and Parong examine the value of immersive virtual reality (IVR) for learning, highlighting a primary pitfall of learning in IVR, which is that it can distract learners, requiring them to engage in extraneous processing (i.e., cognitive processing that does not support instructional goals). Overall, the article focuses on challenges associated with determining how to reduce distracting aspects of IVR while maintaining motivating aspects in order to guide the learner towards core instructional material.
McNamara, Arner, Butterfuss, Fang, Watanabe, Newton, McCarthy, Allen, and Roscoe describe the Interactive Strategy Training for Active Reading and Thinking (iSTART) game-based intelligent tutoring system (ITS), including theoretical foundations that have guided iSTART development and evidence for the feasibility of game-based practice to improve learning outcomes. This article also introduces a novel method of assessing students’ reading comprehension through “stealth” literacy assessments, which provide rapid, dynamic, and low stakes evaluations of students in the context of brief, dynamic games. These stealth game-based assessments have been incorporated into iSTART, as well as other Navy applications.
Ritter, Yeh, McDermott, and Weyhrauch provide a synthetic analysis of the effect of simulation-based task fidelity on learning curves. This article presents several analyses of a training simulation for an electronic maintenance task with two levels of fidelity: a high-fidelity simulation that takes as much time as a real-world task to complete, and a low-fidelity simulation with minimal delays and many actions removed or reduced in fidelity and time. The authors discuss the findings of these analyses and how this analytical approach could be extended to help determine the appropriate level of fidelity for a training simulation.
The research articles included here within represent an insufficient microcosm of the research and development efforts to which Ray contributed across his distinguished career. A number of Ray’s colleagues, including the contributing authors, submitted thoughts and memories of Ray to accompany this special issue. Several noted his intellectual drive, and commented that through his benevolent leadership, he advanced the larger field associated with the cognitive science of learning. One colleague noted that Ray’s vasts interests, ready intelligence, and embracing enthusiasm were inspiring and impactful. All expressed gratitude for Ray’s strategic vision, steadfast encouragement, generous guidance and mentorship, and unstinting support, noting that his passion was inspiring and infectious. One colleague described working with Ray as a fantastic voyage, while others noted how very fortunate they felt to be even a small part of his journey, as Ray so devotedly led the way.
Many remarked on the extensive breadth of Ray’s technical knowledge and areas of intellectual curiosity, which were reflected in his diverse ONR program portfolio. Several specifically noted how Ray’s program review meetings, which always brought together an amazing cast of characters from a wide range of scientific disciplines, were energizing, highly positive and collegial, and reliably productive. Ray was committed to putting researchers with different but compatible interests together to spark moments of intellectual magic. The influences of Ray, and his unending joy for inspiring and supporting great research, are destined to continue in the years to come through the scholarship he fostered throughout the cognitive science research community.
What we all have in common is shared enthusiasm for Ray’s vision of cutting edge research and technological capabilities that can be used to revolutionize training and education for both current and future warfighters. Ray understood that a well-trained fighting force requires optimized learning pathways, and that knowledge and skill retention hold equal importance to training efficacy. Ray supported research and development efforts aimed at improving our understanding of both how we learn and how we forget. We all learned a great deal from Ray, and his impact on our research will never be forgotten.