After 9/11 the US military (and, it has to be said, those of many other nations) recognised that one of the imperatives for preparation for the looming conflict revolved around the question of how best to prepare troops for the milieu in which they would be operating. Language was certainly one of the issues that needed to be addressed but so, too, was the issue of cultural awareness.
The ITEC and I/ITSEC conferences of subsequent years saw a rash of companies offering solutions of varying levels of suitability for both language and cultural awareness training. Few of them provided a holistic solution – one that recognised the fact that 70% of communication is non-verbal, for example, or that provided cultural context much beyond how to ask for directions, tea or help changing a wheel.
One of the exceptions was Los Angeles based Alelo, Inc., a company that enjoyed a rapid ‘zero to hero’ growth in recognition and acceptance. Using simulation to teach both language skills and awareness of the nuances of a culture in which troops would be operating – and instilling those skills along with decision making skills in lower and lower levels of command – the ‘strategic corporal’ syndrome – the company established a prominent position in a niche market.
Co-founded by Dr. W. Lewis Johnson, a former professor at the Center for Advanced Research in Technology for Education at the University of Southern California, Alelo has quickly progressed to the next level of its development and is showcasing it at I/ITSEC 2014 in Orlando this week.
Recognising that demand is changing with an increasing emphasis on full spectrum and peacekeeping operations as well as the need for interoperability between coalition partners, Johnson and his colleagues have further developed their technologies to provide trainers with a fresh and innovative platform for more effective training – Virtual Role Players or VRP.
The behaviour files, which govern how the characters speak and interact with trainees, are written in Jason and fully reconfigurable by the trainer ‘on the fly,’ meaning that the trainee is confronted with a character who can become more or less hostile depending on the progress of the conversation or interference from external events. Role playing has become a modus vivendi for the current generation – extending this familiar environment into a training scenario is proving an effective tool for the military – which is where 90% of Alelo’s current business lies. “It widens perspective,” says Johnson. “Soldiers get plenty of practice in how to shoot – but very little in how to decide whether not to shoot.”
Looking forward, Johnson sees his business mix changing dramatically in the next ten years. Use of the VRP solution in training to deal with contentious issues – such as sexual harassment events, which can be deeply uncomfortable for those being trained – is already sparking interest among users and Alelo has multiple enquiries in areas such as corporate and management training as well as some of the more obvious domains like law enforcement.
“It’s somewhat ironic that we are using artificial intelligence to train in emotional and social intelligence – but the VRP solution is repeatable, it’s safe and it reduces discomfort levels significantly,” says Johnson. Which inevitably leads to more effective training. Job done.
The ITEC and I/ITSEC conferences of subsequent years saw a rash of companies offering solutions of varying levels of suitability for both language and cultural awareness training. Few of them provided a holistic solution – one that recognised the fact that 70% of communication is non-verbal, for example, or that provided cultural context much beyond how to ask for directions, tea or help changing a wheel.
One of the exceptions was Los Angeles based Alelo, Inc., a company that enjoyed a rapid ‘zero to hero’ growth in recognition and acceptance. Using simulation to teach both language skills and awareness of the nuances of a culture in which troops would be operating – and instilling those skills along with decision making skills in lower and lower levels of command – the ‘strategic corporal’ syndrome – the company established a prominent position in a niche market.
Co-founded by Dr. W. Lewis Johnson, a former professor at the Center for Advanced Research in Technology for Education at the University of Southern California, Alelo has quickly progressed to the next level of its development and is showcasing it at I/ITSEC 2014 in Orlando this week.
Recognising that demand is changing with an increasing emphasis on full spectrum and peacekeeping operations as well as the need for interoperability between coalition partners, Johnson and his colleagues have further developed their technologies to provide trainers with a fresh and innovative platform for more effective training – Virtual Role Players or VRP.
The behaviour files, which govern how the characters speak and interact with trainees, are written in Jason and fully reconfigurable by the trainer ‘on the fly,’ meaning that the trainee is confronted with a character who can become more or less hostile depending on the progress of the conversation or interference from external events. Role playing has become a modus vivendi for the current generation – extending this familiar environment into a training scenario is proving an effective tool for the military – which is where 90% of Alelo’s current business lies. “It widens perspective,” says Johnson. “Soldiers get plenty of practice in how to shoot – but very little in how to decide whether not to shoot.”
Looking forward, Johnson sees his business mix changing dramatically in the next ten years. Use of the VRP solution in training to deal with contentious issues – such as sexual harassment events, which can be deeply uncomfortable for those being trained – is already sparking interest among users and Alelo has multiple enquiries in areas such as corporate and management training as well as some of the more obvious domains like law enforcement.
“It’s somewhat ironic that we are using artificial intelligence to train in emotional and social intelligence – but the VRP solution is repeatable, it’s safe and it reduces discomfort levels significantly,” says Johnson. Which inevitably leads to more effective training. Job done.
Tim Mahon