Simulation Assisted Learning UsingHLA and ADL

Katherine L. Morse, Ph.D., SAIC

Victor P. DiRienzo, Jr., AlionJake Borah, AEgis Technologies Group

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Initial Sponsorship

• Phil Zimmerman, DMSO, funded Initial study Engineering process Two integration architectures Two prototypes (one complete, the other in progress)

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The Instructional Vision

Integrate existing HLA-compliant simulations with ADL-compliant, web-based instructional content to provide the student with a richer learning environment; one in which active interaction with simulations supports the

proven instructional paradigm of “learning followed by doing.”

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The Broad Deployment Vision

• The warfighter can get simulation-enriched instruction anywhere there is access to a web browser

• The location of the simulation and instructional content, whether local or remote, is transparent to the student

• The use of open standards preserves DoD’s investment in simulations and content, and protects stakeholders from the risks of proprietary solutions

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DMSO Requirements

• Maximize broad supportability in a distributed deployment environment Simulation repositories, contents repositories, and LMS may not

be co-resident with the student• Minimum impact on the existing HLA and ADL standards

But make recommendations for improvements Leverage existing expert communities to modify standards as

necessary IEEE SISC IEEE LTSC ADL

• Use appropriate security mechanisms with minimum configuration modifications Must work with firewalls and standard security mechanisms

• Prepare for projected standardization efforts

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Technical Requirements

• Software architecture that is consistent with the HLA and ADL specs

• Engineering process for defining an extended HLA federation with flow of control to support SCORM content

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HLA-ADL Engineering Process

• An adaptation of the HLA FEDEP process model

• Addition of a new product during the Conceptual Analysis Step - an “Information Model” Instructional content described as “Information

Objects” Documents primary learning objectives, essential

teaching points, and flow of instructional content Used in combination with a session scenario and

sequence diagrams to visualize the focus of student activities

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Example Information Model

Demonstrating a HelloWorld FederateMetadata

Content ID

Content Module Desired Learning Objective (Rationale) Teaching Points LocationLevel of

InstructionPresentation

Media

HW-001 Federation Needs RTI

The student will know that a RunTime

Infrastructure is necessary for the execution of a federtion

1. A federation is a named set of interacting federates, a common federation object model,

and supporting Runtime Infrastructure, that are used as a whole to achieve some specific

objective.

DMSO Online M&S Glossary

(DODD 5000.59-M), 12 Apr 2002

Basic Text, Narrative

2. A runtime infrastructure is software that

provides common interface services during a High Level Architecture (HLA) federation

execution for synchronization and data exchange

IEEE Std 1516.1-2000

3. DMSO provides a runtime infrastructure as freeware to facility the use of the HLA through

the Software Distribution Center (SDC).

https://sdc.dmso.mil/contents/rting13v4/index.php

4. DMSO RTI 1.3NG v4 is available for

download from the SDC.

https://sdc.dmso.mil/contents

/rting13v4/index.php5. Also available from the SDC is the RTI-NG

1.3v4 Installation Guide

DMSO RTI-NG 1.3v4

Installation Guide, p.7

HW-002 RTI Installation GuideThe student will know the purpose of the RTI-NG

1.3v4 Installation Guide

1. The RTI-NG 1,3v4 Installation Guide is for HLA federate developers and systems

administrators who will be installing the RTI-NG software.

DMSO RTI-NG 1.3v4

Installation Guide, p.7Basic Text, Narrative

2. After the installation is complete the software needs to be tested to ensure proper RTI

installation and operation.

DMSO RTI-NG 1.3v4 Installation Guide, p.7

Constrained free play methodology addresses flow of control in simulations integrated with computer based

instruction.

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Client-side Platform

Browser

API Wrapper

RTI

Collector Applet

Tomcat

Federation Web Services Platform

Tomcat

Listener Federate

Simulation Platform

ExistingSimulation

Launcher Applet

SCORM LMS

Listener Launcher Servlet

HTTPPost

Collector Servlet

HTTPGet

SOAPResults

SOAP-based HLA-ADLIntegration Architecture

ArbitrarilyComplexFederation

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Advantages of the SOAP-based Integration Architecture

• By deploying the listener as a servlet, we allow the LMS to get updates on the student's progress in the simulation using HTTP as the transfer protocol, allowing: Broad range of deployment scenarios for architecture elements Improved ability to deal with network architecture challenges,

e.g. firewalls• SOAP is an XML-based W3C standard for remote method

invocation and data transfer Because it is extensible, we can customize it for our application

with very little effort, and trivially extend it later• Solves technical issues which precluded access by multiple

students

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Phase I - Proof of Principle

• “Keep It Simple” Focus on interface issues

• Use In-house training material in ADL-format for teaching HLA• Use the in-house HLA HelloWorld simulation distributed with the RTI • Put all components of architecture on student’s machine

HLA RTI ADL RTE and supporting server Training material HelloWorld federation

• Use ADL program’s Sample Run Time Environment (RTE)It works!

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The Role of Open Standards

• Enable interoperability

• Enable reuse

• Leverage best implementations of entire community

• Reduce cost No refactoring of existing instructional content and

simulations to proprietary formats Competitive market holds down tool cost Leverages use of open source tools and technologies

• Eliminate ties to expensive, risky proprietary solutions

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Plans for FY03

• Test the integrated SOAP architecture with a more complex federation and more substantive content USMC DVTE (Joint ADL Co-Lab) NASA biomed simulation [possible candidate]

(DMSO)

• Conduct workshops between DoD content developers and the ADL community to ensure the HLA ADL design has been thoroughly evaluated and is mature enough to be forwarded to the proper standards community

• Develop a draft HLA-ADL specification in accordance with the IEEE Learning Training Standards Committee specification development process if required

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Benefits of this Approach (1 of 2)

• The student engages in the proven instructional paradigm of “learning followed by doing”

• The system automatically performs intelligent, real time assessment of the student’s interaction with the simulation and feeds the results directly back to the learning management system, enabling focused, individualized remediation

• Automated remediation reduces reliance on instructors for one-on-one student assessment

• A legacy simulation may be made available without moving its dedicated hardware or trying to create a new installation on potentially rare hardware, both very expensive propositions

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Benefits of this Approach (2 of 2)

• The simulation can stay home-based with its technical support and configuration management

• Content can also be home-based with its technical support and configuration management

• Simulations and training are guaranteed to be absolutely up to date when delivered to the student

• The warfighter can access this rich training environment both while deployed and while home based

• The web-based protocols employed allow operation through most firewalls

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Next Steps

• Test the approach in a larger, more complex environment Operational simulation Substantial content with significant interaction with the

simulation

• Test the feasibility of interaction with remote content and simulation Identify potential challenges with repositories

• Evaluate the efficacy of the broad deployment vision

Backup Slides

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Background

• Oct 2000 – As part of HLA transition, DMSO tasked members of the HLA technical support team to build a training distribution system to provide HLA course content to the M&S community. At the same time, the DoD’s Advanced Distributed Learning Program

was in the early stages of delivering the initial SCORM specification DMSO became an Early Adopter by converting HLA course content into

SCORM format.

• March 2001 - DMSO commissioned a study to investigate the instructional soundness and feasibility of combining simulations and content using the HLA and SCORM.

• Oct 2001 – Member’s of the HLA technical support team were tasked to develop a proof of principle prototype of an HLA ADL architecture.

• June 2002 - Demonstrated Phase I

• Oct 2002 - Lab tested Phase II architecture using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP).

• Dec 2002 - Demonstration of Phase II architecture at I/ITSEC