Enriched Cross-Cultural and Language Familiarization Training Tools

For this Phase I SBIR project, we will develop a design baseline for authoring tools and a run-time environment for creating and delivering vignettes for cross-cultural and foreign language training. As part of these training vignettes, the learner will be able to interact with role-playing virtual humans, representing indigenous characters, using a spoken language interface. These vignettes will place the learners in realistic situations in which they must try to elicit information from the simulated characters, or to influence their behavior. Depending on his/her spoken responses to the characters' statements or actions in various situations, the learner will receive feedback in any of three forms: by observing the reaction or response of the characters; by receiving remediation on pronunciation, intonation, or prosody; or by receiving direct feedback on the content of his/her spoken response, given the situation at hand and goal that is to be achieved. For Phase I, we will not only develop and document the design baseline, but will also implement proof-of-concept software to verify technical feasibility of selected components. For Phase II, we will develop a fully functional prototype of the Authoring Tool and run-time software, and evaluate its efficacy and efficiency by creating example learning content.