Development of a Pedagogy and Tools for Scenario-Based Decision Skills Training for Geographically Distributed Teams

Emerging new missions, complex new teams, and rapid deployment goals require effective, integrated training systems to support geographically dispersed teams. Distributed Mission Training (DMT) is a new training concept being pioneered in the military, andin the Air Force in particular. DMT is based on three principles. Teams, not individuals, execute missions; team skills are built upon individual skills, but are different; and technology must be used to overcome the limitations of time, distance, andtraining resources. Existing models and training paradigms do not adequately support the analysis of requirements for distributed team decision making and careful structuring of training to achieve team competence. Klein Associates' models of teamwork,cognitive task analysis expertise, and successful projects in Decision Skills Training provide an ideal basis for understanding and providing solutions to the challenges of distributed team decision making. In addition, our ability to leverage trainingtools we have already produced to support training development and distribution will allow us to move ahead quickly into prototype development and pilot testing of distributed training in a domain outside of the military-firefighting. The results willprovide a rich foundation for further development of a training system for the military and other domains. The DMT concept originated from military training, but distributed teams in other domains such as business, firefighting, corrections and lawenforcement, and medicine can benefit from military solutions. A solution that supports the development and implementation of Decision Skills Training in one setting will have direct implications and transferability to other domains.