Performance measurement in distributed environments: Initial results and implications for training

Advances in telecommunications and simulation technologies have created opp ortunities for conducting distributed team training through networked simul ations. In distributed team training, in which simulators may be geographic ally dispersed, military teams train together in the same battlespace despi te the physical separation. In these types of training environments, multip le users are located at multiple sites; consequently, the efficient and eff ective conduct of training is a challenge. One area that is particularly ch allenging is the measurement of team performance. Two case studies are repo rted in which team performance measurement instruments were developed and t ested in a distributed training environment. The measurement tools were des igned within the context of an instructional approach known as event-based training, which relies on the creation of explicit linkages among learning objectives, exercise events, performance measures, and after-action review or feedback. Active duty, re serve, and National Guard personnel from the M arine Corps, Air Force, and Army participated in several days of training e xercises conducted within a network of simulators that were geographically distributed across the United States. The development and use of the measur ement instruments are described, data from both case studies are presented, and implications for training are discussed.