Do serious games work for training and message propagation, do they change beliefs?

[Erwin]

Reposted here from a milsims group as I thought it might be of interest:

"Well, perhaps start with evidence from outside the military arena and look in an Academic Journal Simulation and Gaming is perhaps the most accessible, This has a large number of high quality journal articles demonstrating examples of serious games that can assist learning and change attitudes. There are a number of projects using games e.g. see the European funded project http://www.aspis-learn.eu/index.php which uses games to change peoples ideas about public spaces. The project is European Union funded for three years. There is no question in the academic world that serious games have the potential to be useful training tools.

Back to the military perspective, it is apparently harder to demonstrate the same. To carry out a test, a sample unit would have to deploy to Afghanistan without using training games prior to deployment. There performance would have to be compared to a unit that did use games prior to deployment. e.g. measuring casualties taken. Obviously, the US/UK military are not going to carry out such a test.

However, there is some evidence that the use of serious games in the military can work. See two examples below from a book chapter on serious games that will be published in March 2012. (I am the co-author of the chapter).

"Example 1: The Canadian Army conducted a study into the way they trained their Troop Warrant Officers on the Leopard and Coyote prior to deployment to Afghanistan (Roman & Brown 2008). Traditionally the course lasted 6 weeks, had no game based content and a 28% failure rate. They experimented with different proportions of game based training, with the following results:

Serial 0602 (No VBS®) Serial 0701 (1 day VBS®) Serial 0702 (2.5 weeks VBS®)

% pass on 1st trace 0 30% 67%

% pass by ½ of traces 61% 72% 100%

% pass by end of course 72% 83% 100%

"It should be noted that there was no reduction in the amount of live training available for the course, yet substantial savings in ammunition and vehicle mileage were still able to be made, by those who had reached the necessary standard being released from training early. This not only had a psychological impact on the remaining students, but the instructor to trainee ratio increased as the training progressed and the remaining trainees benefited from more personal instruction.

"Example 2:In a recent deployment to Afghanistan, one unit actively embraced the potential benefits that virtual training could bring with the VBS2 system, requesting additional training and a set of the training equipment to be provided on loan within the unit to allow them to conduct their own training. They trained extensively with the system until personnel at all levels were confident of their roles and responsibilities. This approach was vindicated in the eyes of the Officer Commanding when, on their first patrol in Theatre they were attacked within 20 minutes of moving out of the Barracks. He was personally convinced that lives were saved by the quick reactions and application of the correct procedures inculcated in the men by use of the simulation (Burbridge, 2010).

It is possible to go back into military history and see examples of serious wargames and their impact on war.

"The Western Approaches convoy game played in Liverpool during World War II was an example of a game played for training, helping to induct new convoy and escort commanders into current best practice. However, Commander Gilbert also used the Western Approaches games for operational analysis, reasoning through U-boat commanders’ likely responses to escort tactics. He was subsequently applauded by Winston Churchill for his input into the eventual success of the Allies in the Atlantic convoy battles." (Curry, 2012)"

[Boche]

Deffinately interesting, might whatch out for that book .

[LUCASWILLEN05]

I think some games like Harpoon and perhaps, yes CMSF could have an Aapplication to training although I am not a military or civillian professional. Thhey are certainly educational for the general public as well as being entertaining wargames.

[Boche]

Suppose the good thing about the digital age of comunications and management in the Army is that these games or simluators are both theory and practice and can set up situations that happen in real life.

And yes IMO CMSF is a brilliant tool, especially for teaching theory. I for one think I will have quite a head start on small unit infantry/mech/armour tactics, names and characteristics of several vehicles and weapons and alot of infantry terms than allot when hopefully I manage to get into NCO academy. Still, never shot anything before

[LUCASWILLEN05]

the caveat of course is that the game has to be a good simulation. For the commercial market it has to be a good game. I think CMSF is certainly a good game and probably a reasonably good siimulation. No doubt some capabilities that would make it a great simulation, particularly at a professional level are. most likely missing. Having said that well designed scenarior require good and realistic tactics to win, let alne to survive sometimes. With US/NATO forces I try to win with mnimal caaualties. If I do win but take moderatel heavy losses I regard my performance as less than satisfactory even if I achieved a magor or total victory under the scenario victory conditions

[LongLeftFlank]

Thanks, Erwin, again for sharing. This is very interesting stuff.

Some form of CoPlay seems essential for any serious training purpose, so that the command trainee can only directly control units in voice or visual range (or perhaps less) of his personal unit and must relay all other orders and receive situational information via a referee.

CMSF seems to me particularly valuable in teaching infantry and armour leaders how to cooperate.

[abneo3sierra]

For sure games are often used. From a military standpoint in games the idea is not necessarily to win the game, but to learn the ideas behind specific techniques, and sometimes to test out how a tactic might work in theory.