Keesler creating virtual training environment

Published May 7, 2009
By Susan Griggs
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI -- Keesler is taking the three-dimensional virtual world into the instructional environment as a MyBase training and education prototype takes shape.

Imagine a virtual classroom where an avatar embodying the instructor strides through a doorway, greets the students and sits down to present a lesson to students in Japan, Kuwait and Oklahoma simultaneously. Those students can interact in that virtual classroom by typing or voice, instructor-to-student or student-to-student. Videos, standard classroom presentations, small group exercises, reading assignments and even virtual chalkboard exercises are part of the package.

Keesler is playing a pivotal role in MyBase, a virtual learning environment designed to enhance Air Force recruiting, training, education, and operations. MyBase represents the Air Force's commitment to transforming its training and education system into a continuous learning culture to meet future Air Force missions.

To explore those training and education possibilities, Keesler developers are collaborating with a team of contractors to construct a persistent 3-D virtual environment to provide distributed learning, including hands-on performance based projects.

"You can be in the desert, you can be anywhere -- you log in and you're reaching back to Keesler," said Bob Stage, project manager for the 333rd Training Squadron. "We're creating distance learning in a virtual format that will save time, money and resources."

"Our end goal is to develop true online interactive courses," commented David Carley, 81st Training Support Squadron's project manager. "This is leading edge technology for the Air Force's technical training world. It has the potential to drastically increase the effectiveness of distance learning courses."

At Keesler, the 333rd and 338th TRS and the 81st TRSS joined forces with Abacus Solutions Group, which was awarded the software license and technical support contract for the project, along with General Dynamics, which is providing computer support for the software, and K-Mar Industries, the base's multimedia contractor, for graphics illustration.

"Industry doesn't really have what we're trying to develop here," Mr. Stage commented. "They have parts of it, and that's why we got this contractor to come in and give us a piece we need -- building avatars, developing communication and working together with the virtual software to help us develop the hands-on piece that nobody has yet.

"When this collaboration with the contractor is completed, we hope to have learned enough so that the Air Force then owns the knowledge and doesn't have to rely on other sources," he added.

Two years ago, Mr. Stage's mission was to convert mobile technical training courses to distance learning. The effort would eliminate sending trainers and equipment to offsite locations, instead bringing individual students to a classroom around the world where a whole course could be delivered to a desktop.

Although Keesler secured educational and training technology application funding for the project, an acceptable bid wasn't received, so trainers began to redefine their requirements.

"About the same time, Air Education and Training Command issued a white paper which challenged the Air Force to capitalize on the new technologies to bring today's Airmen into a comfortable and familiar world in which a 3-D virtual environment plays a huge role," Mr. Stage explained. "AETC provided additional funding to bring us to where we are now."

"Keesler's MyBase prototype training and education project supports AETC's ongoing efforts to transform the Air Force into a learning organization of knowledge-enabled Airmen," explained Suzy Sutton of AETC's technology requirements branch. "The Keesler project implements the white paper's recommendation to initiate the cyberspace pilot project which will convert two courses -- network administration messaging and communications and electronics maintenance standards and evaluations procedures -- into a virtual 3-D environment.

"Lessons learned from this project will provide valuable data to enhance decision making as AETC continues to transform from today's education and training environment to a culture of learning," Ms. Sutton continued.

The 18-month project kicked off March 3-5 with AETC officials touring Keesler's Cyber Campus in Stennis Hall before workgroup meetings for those collaborating on the project. Teams from the 81st TRSS and 333rd TRS have set up a computer laboratory with the Qwaq 3-D software platform for developer training, courseware design and development and initial courseware deployment.

Milestones for the project are organized in four increments.

Increment 1 involves prototype design, development and debugging through August. Small-group tryouts and lessons-learned fixes are anticipated in September and October.

Increment 2 involves course offerings provided on a stand-alone Keesler network from October through December.

Increment 3 projects distributed offerings via the Internet and hosted on a ".com" Web site from January through March.

Increment 4 projects distributed offerings via the Web and hosted on a secure military Web site from April-June 2010. In August 2010, AETC's studies and analysis squadron will complete evaluation of the project and issue a final report.

During this proof of concept phase, developers are dealing with several challenges that could impact the effectiveness of the project.

One is the fact that the courses are conducted live in real time, with students logging in at the same time across widely-varying time zones.

"Keesler will come on at a designated time and right now, students might have to come in at midnight, mid-morning, mid-afternoon," Mr. Stage said.

Security issues are also a concern, he continued.

"Going across the Internet -- .com and .edu -- is a back door for hackers to an Air Force base," he pointed out.

Mr. Carley said the main challenge for the 81st TRSS instructional technology unit has been to complete its normal mission while allowing five to seven people to work on MyBase each day.

"We still have ongoing projects and many people involved in the MyBase project have to finish up projects that were in progress when this proof of concept started. "The folks are taking on twice the normal workload, but their motivation, devotion to the job and initiative keeps this project moving forward."