DiSTI's "Advanced Learning Environment" (ALE) is a state of the art intranet and internet capable Advanced Distance Learning system that provides a 3D virtual training environment.
The ALE package takes advantage of industry standards such as Open GL and CORBA to provide real time interactive 3D simulations of complex equipment linked in a collaborative classroom environment that can span multiple geographic locations. The Advanced Learning Environment contains many powerful and easy to use features that include a prepackaged, reconfigurable instructor station that offers:
- Remote educational session management capabilities
- Remote logging of student activities and performance
- Remote viewing of student activities
- Remote override control of student station from the instruction station
- Remote task assignment to students and fully interactive free play simulation
- Optional automatic remediation for the student, freeing up instructor time for other tasks
In the instructor led mode, the instructor can take control of all of the student stations and lead the students through a virtual walk of the equipment or demonstrate a task. As the instructor proceeds through a task, the student station will mirror the actions of the instructor. This allows the instructor to simultaneously configure all student stations to the same state, saving the instructor time versus configuring a room full of Training Test Equipment (TTE).
In the instructor managed mode, the instructor assigns tasks to each student remotely from the instructor station. Each student can be assigned an individual task. Since a complete free play simulation may be used, the student can be assigned multiple tasks and faults simultaneously. The instructor is then notified when a student completes their current task or if they are struggling with a task. This allows each student to proceed independently and notifies the instructor when students need assistance. The instructor can also assign each student the same task and wait for all student stations to check in green before proceeding with the next assignment.
In free play mode, the ALE allows each student to have their own 3D free play simulation of the equipment, replacing costly TTE. The students interact with a virtual real-time photorealistic representation of the training equipment and receive the same responses from the virtual equipment as would come from actual equipment.
In the example shown below, the instructor is training students to configure the TACLANE KG-175 network encryption device. The Instructor Operator Station is able to show which Student Stations are active and have completed their training scenarios. Notice the active Student Stations #3 and #5 on the Instructor Operator Station. The instructor is able to see exactly what the students are doing:
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