IMPACTS – A tool for the Improvement And Measurement of Perceptual, Attentional, and Critical Thinking Skills

Attacks against patrols and convoys have become one of the defining characteristics of Operation Iraqi Freedom, with ambushes by snipers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) accounting for a large proportion of US casualties due to the difficulty of detecting these threats in a complex and foreign environment. This proposal respond to the problem by presenting a plan to develop IMPACTS, a comprehensive system for the Improvement And Measurement of Perceptual, Attentional, and Critical Thinking Skills. IMPACTS consists of several components, which provide capabilities such as anomaly detection training, decision support, team collaboration, and training content development. IMPACTS features several innovations in instructional technology to ensure efficient, accelerated learning. In Phase I, we focus on addressing several key enablers needed for system development, including acquisition of domain knowledge, development of methods and technologies for optimizing training in that domain, and identification of a suitable testbed for developing training materials and approaches.