Aptima Launches Performance Measurement Software to Enhance Simulation-based Training

Tools fill assessment gap, ensuring that 'gaming leads to training'

Orlando, FL - November 26, 2007 --[ASDWire]-- Aptima, Inc., a leader in human-centered engineering, announces the launch of Performance Workbench and Performance Measurement Engine, two tools that provide instructors and trainees using large scale, immersive simulators with precise feedback for practicing and developing real-mission skills. Both products are members of the A Measure software family, the industry's first full performance measurement solution that integrates all aspects of performance measurement to support local and distributed training exercises.


Performance Workbench and Performance Measurement Engine will be demonstrated at I/ITSEC*, which brings together government, industry, and academia, to showcase the latest warfighter training technologies, at Aptima booth #4033.

High fidelity simulators, which excel in visuals and realism, typically aren't engineered to produce quick and meaningful performance feedback for users, which can limit their training effectiveness and potentially impact field success. Performance Workbench and Performance Measurement (PM) Engine are software applications that connect to simulator systems allowing trainers to define a wide-range of detailed performance measures with easy-to-use use Wizards or 'drawing palettes.' These tools extract, capture and graphically display the results of practice exercises from raw simulator data and log files, enabling pilots, special operations forces, and commanders to hone the specific skills needed in environments such as urban warfare, flight combat, and military strategy.

"Training equals practice plus feedback. The end goal is to develop the abilities needed for the actual mission - and that requires having immediate, pin-point feedback so you can gauge and master what's important," stated Jean MacMillan, Chief Scientist at Aptima. "How far your plane was from others in formation, whether you hit civilian targets, how long you kept your radar locked on a target - these 'details' are largely missing or too complex and time-consuming to comb out of simulator data files." PWB and PME are tools to bridge that gap, ensuring that simulators deliver effective training.

Performance Workbench and PM Engine work with a wide variety of 'training operations center' simulators to measure and assess performance, allowing instructors and trainees to build the most cost-effective training regimens.

"Naval aviation training has a critical need for flexible, easy to use tools capable of providing detailed performance measurement and rapid, meaningful feedback in a distributed simulation environment," reports Lt. Commander James E. Patrey of the U.S. Navy's Aviation Training Systems. "It will enable us to greatly increase the training value and effectiveness of networked simulators and live-virtual-constructive (LVC) exercises."

Applications of Performance Workbench and PM Engine include:
. Evaluating Innovative Training. In the Office of Naval Research's (ONR) Virtual Technologies and Environments (VIRTE) program, Performance Workbench and PM Engine capture trainee performance data to assess the effectiveness of novel training solutions.
. Enhancing Training Effectiveness. During training exercises for MH-60R helicopter crews, Performance Workbench and PM Engine can assess crews as they learn to collaborate internally and externally in a variety of missions, such as anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, and search and rescue.
. Enabling Distributed Exercises. In a simulated environment, trainees may be actually located across the country or around the globe. Performance Workbench and PM Engine enable the assembly of after action reviews that can be quickly and simultaneously distributed to trainees in multiple locations.
. Training Research. In laboratories that study the relationship between training and performance, Performance Workbench and PM Engine help researchers more easily access data for analysis.
. Medical Training. Simulation is increasingly used to train medical teams. Performance Workbench and PM Engine provide data that allows the team to learn from their simulated experience, improving patient safety.

Performance Workbench and PM Engine, which are compatible with HLA (high level architecture), a standard for networked simulators, can pull data and create feedback measures that capture team coordination and dynamics in demanding environments such as F-16 training exercises. Using Aptima's XML-based 'Human Performance Markup Language,' Performance Workbench and PM Engine collect precise simulator data without requiring the time and expense of software programmers.

Aptima has drawn on its 10 years of experience developing performance measures to design the instructions, controls, and sequence of wizard dialogues that help users produce effective measures and avoid time-consuming pitfalls.

Performance Workbench and PM Engine are part of Aptima's A-Measure software, a suite of performance measurement tools for maximizing training effectiveness. A-Measure assesses human performance in simulators, games, and in live field exercises to ensure that trainees are practicing and learning for optimal readiness. A Measure integrates into games and simulators to accurately measure performance, providing the feedback and deliberate practice guidance that develop and reinforce skills for real-world missions.

* I/ITSEC is the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference, November 26-29, 2007, Orlando, FL. Detailed information on the Conference can be found at www.iitsec.org.

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About Aptima:
Aptima is a leader in the field of human-centered engineering, solving the problems of human performance in today's complex sociotechnical systems. Recognized by The Boston Business Journal as one of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in Massachusetts (2003-2006), Aptima's unique approach couples social science principles with quantitative, computational methods. The company provides products and services focused on the design of organizations, user-centered technology, and training systems. Aptima is headquartered in Woburn, MA, with offices in Washington, DC and Dayton, OH. www.aptima.com.Debra McNeely
Aptima, Inc.
781.496.2423
dmcneely@aptima.com

Joel Greenberg
DCPR LLC
202.363.1065 | 202.669.3639 cell
joel@dcpr.com

Source : Aptima, Inc.