The document discusses the use of virtual worlds for training opportunities in three areas: the Smart Condo, EMS/ER handoff scenario, and augmented/alternative reality games (AARGs). For each area, it outlines the technical challenges involved in implementing realistic virtual world simulations and the potential training benefits. Some key challenges mentioned are reflecting the physical world accurately, representing realistic interactions and behaviors, and handling synchronization between real and virtual systems. Potential training benefits highlighted include practicing rare/dangerous scenarios cost-effectively and improving collaboration/communication skills.

1. Between the Real and the Virtual: looking for training opportunities EleniStroulia stroulia@cs.ualberta.ca Professor iCORE IRC (supported by IBM) in "Service Systems Management” Department of Computing Science, University of Alberta http://ssrg.cs.ualberta.ca/

3. EMS/ER Handoff

5. Technical Problems in the Smart Condo Reflecting the physical world Without a capability to import mesh models (in SL), the virtual world costs substantial effort to build and may still seem crude Reflecting the occupant If it is an avatar it cannot be controlled and if it is an object it is not very believable Synchronization between the real and virtual worlds There is substantial delay between sensing, stream data mining and VW events Inferring location (and activity) The avatar capabilities Path planning between sensed locations SL Behavior inference based on state maintenance NL generation based on activity history June 25: Virtual Worlds @ Work Workshop (Eleni Stroulia) 4 The Smart Condo

6. Training opportunities in the Smart Condo The smart condo is a test-bed for studying the daily activities of people with disabilities Clinicians in rehabilitation medicine can gain new insights on how disease impacts daily activity Industrial designers can measure the impact of alternative design decisions Other potential contributions Is there a clinical value? Is there a social value? Making monitoring more acceptable Using VW as a two-way video-phone June 25: Virtual Worlds @ Work Workshop (Eleni Stroulia) 5 The Smart Condo

7. Scenario Overview The task here is to develop a VW in which EMS/ER personnel can realistically enact the handoff scenario What does realistically mean? The patient is virtual but his vital signs are real The objects involved correspond directly to real objects in the real scenario June 25: Virtual Worlds @ Work Workshop (Eleni Stroulia) 6 The EMS/ER Handoff Scenario

8. Implementing theEMS/ER Simulation(VW meets SOA) Workflow types: Process workflow: defines all paths Normative workflow: intended/desired action sequence Object and character workflows: artifact and automated person behavior Process vs. normative workflows: Process: include erroneous and sub-optimal paths Normative: describes “correct” behavior June 25: Virtual Worlds @ Work Workshop (Eleni Stroulia) 7 The EMS/ER Handoff Scenario

9. Scenario Definition Process Wiki used by context experts June 25: Virtual Worlds @ Work Workshop (Eleni Stroulia) 8 The EMS/ER Handoff Scenario Workflow created by technical experts

10. Technical problems in the EMS/ER Simulation Limited set of interactions (e.g., touch, wear) Some actions are awkward in Second Life A consistent API is necessary for modeling actions Creating realistic 3D models of artifacts Import from external source Create using in-world tools Representing artifact behavior in believable manner (sufficient level of realism) June 25: Virtual Worlds @ Work Workshop (Eleni Stroulia) 9 The EMS/ER Handoff Scenario

11. Training opportunities in the EMS/ER simulation Simulations as a cost-effective means of learning-by-doing (People generally remember10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, 50% of what they hear AND see, 70% of what they say or write, and 90% of what they say as they do something, Dale 1946) More practice is possible Practice of rare and dangerous scenarios is possible Interdisciplinary-skills practice becomes simpler and more likely Other potential contributions Could general experience with VWs advance computer-sophistication and ease? June 25: Virtual Worlds @ Work Workshop (Eleni Stroulia) 10 The EMS/ER Handoff Scenario

12. Virtual Worlds Augmenting the Real World Ludorica, an emergency preparedness volunteer, has come to Edmonton for the Festival of Games 2012. She registers for Serious Gaming Summit on Medical Simulations and she is given an RFID nametag and the role of a paramedic responding to the scene of people falling ill in pathogen research centre. June 25: Virtual Worlds @ Work Workshop (Eleni Stroulia) 11 AARGs

13. Technical Challenges Implementing AARGs Multiple devices of varying scales of capacity and interaction patterns We need conceptual models for virtual-world behaviors and how they interact with the underlying middleware through the various devices Immersion and believability When there is no “scenario” to impose a context, it is the environment that has to engage the player; what worlds can support that? June 25: Virtual Worlds @ Work Workshop (Eleni Stroulia) 12 AARGs

14. Training opportunities in an AARG Collaboration and communication skills Strategy History and geography of a place “Dorian Gray” games Other potential contributions Active lifestyle Civic participation June 25: Virtual Worlds @ Work Workshop (Eleni Stroulia) 13 AARGs

15. Some concluding thoughts Simulation-based training in virtual worlds seems inevitable BUT it is not clear where the (low hanging) fruit is The lack of standards is a huge impediment in research geometry modeling avatar behavior (gestures, interaction with objects) Evaluation is necessary Educators are keen to migrate “problem-based learning” theories of pedagogy to virtual worlds BUT assessment of learning goals is difficult, especially since some skills were never explicitly tested (or even taught) before June 25: Virtual Worlds @ Work Workshop (Eleni Stroulia) 14 AARGs