Rego Granlund

C3Fire in command and control research

New and envisioned technological means and abilities for exerting command and control have increased the interest of man-machine research in a military context. Although there are many current proposals for how new command and control systems should be designed, many of the proposed properties that are considered advantageous have never been tested or could even be impossible to test in real-world situations. In spite of that, proposed design solutions are generally held valid in many Western countries where developments of major command and control system projects are in progress. An important question is how microworlds can be used for research on team decision-making. The use of microworlds gives us the possibility to create controlled settings and the opportunity to use advanced monitoring tools to study the subjects. Our studies indicate that the microworld concept, even though the simulation is fairly simple, reflects some of the crucial aspects of team-work in dynamic settings. The article presents results from a study in command and control using the C3Fire microworld (http://www.c3fire.org). Results and methodological issues are discussed.

Web-based micro-world simulation for emergency management training

Abstract Micro-world simulation and exercise monitoring will have an important role in future group distance exercise (GDE) systems. Micro-world simulations can be used for training basic co-ordination and collaborative work in emergency management and command-and-control situations. An important design task when developing distributed interactive simulation systems for GDE is to define a proper monitoring functionality that will help the training managers to evaluate the exercises. In our research, we have developed C 3 Fire, a web-based distributed interactive simulation system. This paper presents results from using the C 3 Fire micro-world and our work on exercise monitoring.

Designing web-based simulation for learning

Web-based simulation can be a powerful tool in education and training. The nature of simulation-based learning combined with the availability of the web make learning supported by web-based simulation a powerful strategy. In simulation-based learning, learners can experience environments that would be too costly, time-consuming, complex or dangerous to provide through other means. This article discusses some basic properties of learning using web-based simulation with the focus on different types of learning goals (instructional goals) and on proper instructional strategies (pedagogical strategies) for web-based simulation. We exemplify the classifications discussed with three web-based systems, developed by the authors, that represent different types of web-based simulation. Chernobyl — a nuclear power plant simulation. C3Fire — a micro-world supporting command and control training. ERCIS — a group distance-exercise system supporting equipment handling, action-protocol performance and group interaction.

The Effect of a Geographical Information System on Performance and Communication of a Command and Control Organization

This article tests the claimed benefits of using geographical information systems (GIS) in emergency response. An experimental study, which compares command and control (C2) teams using (a) a C2 tool with GIS-functionality and (b) traditional paper maps in a forest firefighting scenario, is presented. A total of 132 persons, forming 22 teams, participated in the study. Eleven teams had access to a C2 tool with GIS-functionality, which provided real-time data about the position of the firefighting units and the fire outbreak. The other 11 teams were using traditional paper maps. The result shows that the teams with access to the C2 tool with GIS-functionality performed significantly better than the teams using the traditional paper maps in terms of saved area. Communication volume was reduced in the case of the C2 teams using the C2 tool with GIS-functionality. The content of exchanged messages was also significantly different in the two settings.

Computer Support for Collaborative C3I Decision Making and Training

OFMspert : Inference of operator intentions in supervisor y control using a blackboard architecture. of an intelligent associate system for supervisory control. This paper reports on a project which aims at providing a technical basis and understanding for providing compute r support for joint decision making in C3I systems, with a n emphasis on simulation and training. In particular we are interested in the development of simulation systems for training of staff in emergency decision making and crisis management . The work involves development of simulation tools an d methods for effective training of decision makers in • utilizing support systems (technical aspects) , ▪ understanding sitations and taking appropriat e action. • control of complex operations. At the same time the system should suppor t • planning and carrying out training sessions according to a conscious pedgogic strategy. • feedback and debriefing facilities for th e trainees. Relevant research areas and technologies include : 1. Knowledge-based systems, where we have extensive ongoing activities in several domains. Of special interest is our research on expert cri-tiquing systems, which provide comments an d argumentation with respect to a course of action or proposed solution to a problem. 2. CSCW, where we are engaged in an international research programme, COST 14 CoTech , in the area of computer-supported collaborative process management [Waern 94]. This researc h is concerned with group decision making i n the context of a real-time process or situation. 3. Software tools for scenario generation and environment simulation. The ambition is tha t tools should support easy modelling of the decision making situation, especially with respect to pedagogical aspects of a training process . We are currently involved in studies of the possiblity to improve training of military staffs in command and control, a s well as civilian applications, such as appear in process control industry. The example of tactical training below wil l hopefully serve to illustrate the flavour of the research approach . Basically our studies are intended to be independen t of the specific application to a certain degree, since we ai m at developing generally applicable solutions. Main application domain One application system tha t we are currently studying is a system for training militar y staffs that command and control a military infantry unit wit h a size of a battalion (800 people). This type of staff consist s of 6 persons working in …

The effect of a GPS on learning with regards to performance and communication in municipal crisis response

This paper describes the basic learning aspects of crises management training in a computer simulated environment. A total of 108 professionals, 18 teams, contributed to the study where the impact of a GPS on C2 work was investigated. A comparison between professional groups on performance and learning show that the GPS has an impact that differed depending on the teams professional composition.