ELECT BiLAT

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Enhanced Learning Environment using Creative Technology – Bilateral Negotiations Trainer


Overview

As part of their deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Army officers with the rank of Major and above have become responsible for maintaining the peace while working together with locals from villages, towns and city sectors. While these officers have had some cultural sensitivity training, this tool was designed to help them gain specific skills that are useful in cross-cultural meetings and negotiations at the interpersonal level.

Date delivered: October, 2007

 

What GPS Created

ELECT BiLAT is a PC-based training program in use at the in use at the US Army Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth. It was created in collaboration with the Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT). GPS created the user experience that allowed ICT virtual human research project technologies, including a dialogue manager, SmartBody animation, and USC Information Science Institute’s PsychSim social simulation system, to be integrated into a training program through the use of a game engine.

 

How it works

The training has three phases: Research, Negotiation, and Follow-up.

Research Phase:

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After reviewing and choosing their objective, the student is in a discovery process, finding information that will be useful and enable future actions. If the student’s research efforts are inadequate, later options will be limited.

Negotiation Phase:

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In the negotiation phase the student must build rapport with their meeting partner. He or she must behave and communicate in a culturally appropriate way to help build trust. During the negotiation phase, students take part in conversations and can view their meeting partner across the table or in a top-down view showing both parties and negotiation options.

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A trust meter shows the student how well they are doing during the course of the meeting so they can see the immediate consequences of their actions and choices.

Follow-Up Phase:

The intelligent tutor reviews the meeting or negotiation and tells the student what they did correctly or incorrectly. Parts of conversations are replayed to demonstrate key points. During this phase the student will also see the results of actions taken (or inaction) by their negotiating partner and themselves.


For more information on ELECT BiLAT, please contact us.

Impact

ELECT BiLAT has been very successful in meeting training goals. GPS continues to work on enhancements to the system.

The ELECT BiLAT system was built for a specific type of negotiation in a particular cultural context, but these same technologies and concepts can be applied to other scenarios and situations, such as business negotiations or doctor/patient interactions.

Services

  • Training System Design
  • Custom Software Development
  • Simulator Design and Construction
  • Classroom Design and Construction
  • Curriculum Development
  • Simulated Equipment Design and Development
  • Special Effects Design and Implementation
  • Training Facility Staffing

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