A framework for dynamic visualisation in simulation based instructional training

Work by researchers in the area of simulation based instruction has shown that the visual presentation of the simulated domain in terms of emphasising domain concepts, changing the level of detail or reducing the complexity of a presentation plays an important role for effective instruction and knowledge transfer. Earlier approaches have tackled this important instructional aspect by creating several different simulations of the same domain or by manually assembling several views of the simulation in order to present instructionally valuable variations of the simulated domain to the trainee. In contrast to that, we propose a framework which builds on the concepts of data-enrichment of the domain simulation, a higher level descriptive definition and characterisation of different views and a query-based assembling mechanism for generating a specific view, thus automating the process of view generation. The implementation of this framework is achieved through the ADVISE (Adaptive Visual Simulation Environment) prototype system. The ADVISE system allows the characterisation and enrichment of domain simulation data and provides an integrated view-specification and view-visualisation suite. The underlying simulation model is based on the behaviourally described object approach and hence domain-independent