T-TRANE: Teamwork Training and Remote Assessment in a Networked Environment

The goal of this work is to develop a web-enabled scenario-based teamwork skills training program for adaptive, rapidly deployable military teams. The program will provide a completely portable training system that allows teams to increase theirreadiness before and after deployment, whether they are co-located or distributed. In Phase I, using applicable research on team theory and team training, we developed concepts, methods, and proof-of-concept demonstrations for a web-enabled distributedteamwork skills training program applicable for military emergency medical teams. The program is comprised of a set of modules, instantiated in a combination of synchronous and asynchronous collaborative technologies, that are linked to teamwork trainingobjectives. Each module includes a self-contained pre-brief, training exercises, and a debriefing framework that will allow the team to conduct an analysis of their task and teamwork processes without the presence of an instructor. In Phase II we willcomplete development of the program for Air Force Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) teams, and apply the concepts and materials for civilian medical emergency teams and for other military rapid-response teams. We will also develop an instructionalguide that team leaders can use for planning and conducting training sessions when participants are not face-to-face. The value of this work is that it provides a vehicle for geographically distributed teams to develop teamwork and task skills beforebeing deployed to an operational setting. Because the program is web-enabled, team members can access the training modules from their home station, while en route, or at the deployment location. It is different from other training programs in that it isa self-contained program that can be used without having an instructor present when the team is training. The approach that is developed for this program can easily be adapted to any domain in which multifunctional, flexible distributed teams that will becalled upon to respond rapidly and effectively to complex emergency situations will benefit from pre-deployment or on-station or refresher training, including peacekeeping missions, disaster relief, or force protection.