The PSI Handbook of Virtual Environments for Training and Education: Developments for the Military and Beyond

The increasingly complex environment of the 21st century demands unprecedented knowledge, skills and abilities for people from all walks of life. One powerful solution that blends the science of learning with the technological advances of computing is Virtual Environments. In the United States alone, the Department of Defense has invested billions of dollars over the past decade to make this field and its developments as effective as possible. This 3-volume work provides, for the first time, comprehensive coverage of the many different domains that must be integrated for Virtual Environments to fully provide effective training and education. The first volume is dedicated to a thorough understanding of learning theory, requirements definition and performance measurement, providing insight into the human-centric specifications the VE must satisfy to succeed. Volume II provides the latest information on VE component technologies, and Volume III offers discussion of an extensive collection of integrated systems presented as VE use-cases, and results of effectiveness evaluation studies. The text includes emerging directions of this evolving technology, from cognitive rehabilitation to the next generation of museum exhibitions. Finally, the handbook offers a glimpse into the future with this fascinating technology.

This groundbreaking set will interest students, scholars and researchers in the fields of military science, technology, computer science, business, law enforcement, cognitive psychology, education and health. Topics addressed include guidance and interventions using VE as a teaching tool, what to look for in terms of human-centered systems and components, and current training uses in the Navy, Army, Air Force and Marines. Game-based and long distance training are explained, as are particular challenges such as the emergence of VE sickness. Chapters also highlight the combination of VE and cybernetics, robotics and artificial intelligence.

Dylan Schmorrow, PhD, is an international leader in advancing virtual environment science and technology for training and education applications. He has received both the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Leland S. Kollmorgen Spirit of Innovation Award for his contributions to the field of Augmented Cognition, and the Society of United States Naval Flight Surgeons Sonny Carter Memorial Award in recognition of his career improving the health, safety and welfare of military operational forces. Schmorrow is a Commander in the U.S. Navy, and has served at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Office of Naval Research, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Naval Research Laboratory, the Naval Air Systems Command, and the Naval Postgraduate School. He is the only naval officer to have received the Navy’s Top Scientist and Engineers Award.

Joseph Cohn, PhD, is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, a full member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the American Psychological Association, and the Aerospace Medical Association. Selected as the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies’ 2006 Lewis and Clark Fellow, Cohn has more than 60 publications in scientific journals, edited books and conference proceedings, and has given numerous invited lectures and presentations.

Denise Nicholson, PhD, is Director of Applied Cognition and Training in the Immersive Virtual Environments Laboratory at the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Simulation and Training. She holds joint appointments in UCF’s Modeling and Simulation Graduate Program, Industrial Engineering and Management Dylantment, and the College of Optics and Photonics. In recognition of her contributions to the field of Virtual Environments, Nicholson received the Innovation Award in Science and Technology from the Naval Air Warfare Center, and has served as an appointed member of the international NATO Panel on Advances of Virtual Environments for Human Systems Interaction. She joined UCF in 2005, with more than 18 years of government experience ranging from bench level research at the Air Force Research Lab to leadership as Deputy Director for Science and Technology at NAVAIR Training Systems Division.