Transcript Defense Modeling and Simulation Office

High Level Architecture
Simulation Assisted Learning Using
HLA and ADL
COL Mike Finnern
Director, Defense Modeling and Simulation Office
703 998 0660
The Vision
Y
Technically
Feasible?
N
High Level Architecture
Integrate existing HLA-compliant simulations with
ADL-compliant web-based instructional content to
provide the student with a richer learning
environment; one in which active interaction with
simulations supports the proven instructional
paradigm of “learning followed by doing.”
Y
Operational
Value?
N
The Broad Deployment Vision
• The warfighter can get simulation-enriched instruction
anywhere there is access to a web browser (including local
platform)
• The location of the simulation and instructional content,
whether local or remote, is transparent to the student
• A legacy or newly developed simulation may be made
available without moving its dedicated hardware or trying
to create a new installation on potentially rare hardware,
both very expensive propositions
• The use of open standards preserves DoD’s investment in
simulations, learning content, and tools, and protects
stakeholders from the risks of proprietary solutions
• Simulations and training will be as up to date as possible
(owner dependent) when delivered to the student
HLA & ADL in more detail…
• HLA (www.dmso.mil)
– IEEE 1516 Series
– Defines
• Structure of data to be
shared (OMT)
• Set of requirements
for interacting with the
Federation (RTI)
– Data exchanges are
frequent, and usually
small
– Tightly coupled
framework
OMT – Object Model Template
RTI – RunTime Infrastructure
• ADL (www.adlnet.org)
– IEEE 1484 Series
– Defines
• Structure of Webbased course content
(DTD)
• Set of requirements
for delivery
mechanism (LMS)
– Data exchanges are
infrequent, size varies by
instructional design
– Designed for web delivery
DTD – Document Type Definitions
LMS – Learning Management Systems
DMSO HLA-ADL Project
Requirements
• Use available open standards and products built to them
–
Eliminate ties to expensive, risky proprietary solutions
• Minimize impact on the existing HLA and ADL standards
–
Leverage existing expert communities to modify standards as necessary
• IEEE SISC, LTSC – sponsor committees of IEEE Computer Society
• ADL Co-Labs – Orlando, and Alexandria
• Use appropriate security mechanisms with minimum configuration
modifications
–
Must work with firewalls and standard security mechanisms
• Maximize broad supportability in a distributed deployment
environment
–
Simulation repositories, contents repositories, and LMS may not be co-resident with
the student
• Prepare for projected standardization efforts
–
–
Within simulation community – develop Best Practices from simulation viewpoint
Transition Best Practices to ADL community for expansion from ADL viewpoint
SISC – Simulation Interoperability Standards
Committee
LTSC – Learning Technology Standards
Committee
Proof of Principle (Phase I)
HLA-ADL Interface
Student’s Platform
Tomcat
SCORM LMS
Browser
Collector SCO
Launcher Asset
API Wrapper
Launcher
Applet
Listener
Application
Collector Applet
RTI
Existing
Simulation
Phase I - Proof of Principle
“Hello World”
• “Keep It Simple”
– Focus on interface issues
• Use In-house training material in ADL-format for teaching
HLA
• Use the in-house HLA HelloWorld simulation distributed
with the RTI
• Put all components of architecture on student’s machine
–
–
–
–
HLA RTI
ADL RTE and supporting server
HLA Training material
HelloWorld federation
• Use ADL program’s Sample RTE
RTI – RunTime Infrastructure
RTE – RunTime Environment
Progress and Plans to Date
•
Progress:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
•
Oct 00 – As part of HLA transition, DMSO tasked members of the HLA
technical support team to build a training distribution system to provide
HLA course content to the M&S community.
Mar 01 - DMSO commissioned a study to investigate the feasibility of
combining simulations and content using the HLA and SCORM.
Oct 01 – Member’s of the HLA technical support team were tasked to
develop a proof of principle prototype of an HLA ADL architecture.
Jun 02 - Demonstrated Phase I to DMSO leadership
Sept 02 - Demonstrated Phase I to Mr. Dan Gardner, USD for Personnel
and Readiness
Oct 02 - Lab tested Phase II architecture using Simple Object Access
Protocol (SOAP).
Dec 02 - Demonstration of Phase II architecture at I/ITSEC using Hello
World federate
Plans:
–
–
–
Test the integrated SOAP architecture with a more complex federation
and more substantive content (JFCOM JTLS)
Develop a draft HLA-ADL Guidance specification (Best Practices) in
accordance with the IEEE Learning Training Standards Committee
specification development process
Have ADL community expand use, and update Guidance Specification
High Level Architecture
Simulation Assisted Learning Using
HLA and ADL
QUESTIONS?
High Level Architecture
BACKUPS
At the Highest Level…
•
HLA – www.dmso.mil
The High Level Architecture (HLA) is a
general purpose architecture for
simulation reuse and
interoperability. The HLA was
developed under the leadership of
the Defense Modeling and
Simulation Office (DMSO) to
support reuse and interoperability
across the large numbers of
different types of simulations
developed and maintained by the
DoD. The HLA Baseline Definition
was completed on August 21, 1996.
It was approved by the Under
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition
and Technology (USD(A&T)) as the
standard technical architecture for
all DoD simulations on September
10, 1996. <snip> The HLA MOA was
signed and approved in Nov. 2000.
•
ADL – www.adlnet.org
The Sharable Content Object Reference
Model (SCORM) defines a Webbased learning "Content
Aggregation Model" and "Run-Time
Environment" for learning objects.
The SCORM is a collection of
specifications adapted from
multiple sources to provide a
comprehensive suite of e-learning
capabilities that enable
interoperability, accessibility and
reusability of Web-based learning
content. The work of the Advanced
Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative
to develop the SCORM is also a
process to knit together disparate
groups and interests. This reference
model aims to coordinate emerging
technologies with commercial
and/or public implementations.
Proof of Principle (Phase II)
HLA-ADL Interface
the “system” must be able to
notify the LMS if student failure,
thus enabling the student to
obtain remedial training from
the LMS if desired
Client-side Platform
Tomcat
SCORM LMS
The “system”
Federation Web Services Platform
Browser
Tomcat
API Wrapper
Launcher
Applet
Collector Applet
The “system”
must be able to
feedback the
student’s
progress
HTTP
Post
HTTP
Get
SOAP
Results
Listener
Launcher
Servlet
Collector
Servlet
The “system”
must be able to
launch a federate
from a SCO
must be able to
monitor the
student’s
performance of
the desired task
Listener
Federate
RTI
SOAP-based HLA-ADL
Integration
Simulation
Platform
Existing
Simulation
Benefits of this Approach (slide 1
of 2)
• The student engages in the proven instructional
paradigm of “learning followed by doing”
• The system automatically performs intelligent,
real time assessment of the student’s interaction
with the simulation and feeds the results directly
back to the learning management system,
enabling focused, individualized remediation
• Automated remediation reduces reliance on
instructors for one-on-one student assessment
• A legacy simulation may be made available
without moving its dedicated hardware or trying
to create a new installation on potentially rare
hardware, both very expensive propositions
Benefits of this Approach (slide 2
of 2)
• The simulation can stay home-based with its
technical support and configuration management
• Content can also be home-based with its
technical support and configuration management
• Simulations and training are guaranteed to be
absolutely up to date when delivered to the
student
• The warfighter can access this rich training
environment both while deployed and while home
based
• The web-based protocols employed allow
operation through most firewalls