Conference Workshops

Conference workshops will be held on Monday 4 June and Tuesday 5 June 2007 (for the Mining / Construction industry).

1. SIAA Introduction to Simulation in Australia
[Monday 0830–1200]

Presenters

This tutorial will be delivered by members of the SIAA Professional Development Committee, led by Phil Wallace. The Committee members are highly experienced participants in the field of simulation in Australia and actively involved in advancing the skills of those involved in the field.

Outline of Workshop

This half-day tutorial is a tentatively-endorsed activity of the SIAA Professional Certification Program (subject to ratification by the SIAA Executive Committee in early 2006) and designed to introduce people new to the field of simulation to its practice in Australia. Key organisations, standards and underpinning concepts are introduced through reference to Australian applications. Participants also undertake interactive activities to explore pathways for their professional development in the field.

Who Should Attend

This is an introductory-level tutorial aimed at people who have existing expertise which they wish to apply to the field of simulation, or who are undertaking entry-level formal qualifications in the field.

Benefits of Participation

This tutorial is a pre-requisite to award of the SIAA Simulation Introduction Certificate. Participants in this tutorial will gain a fundamental understanding of the field of simulation and its application in Australia. Participants will also be provided with guidance on how to access resources and make informed decisions regarding their further professional development options.

Outcomes for Participants

Participants will be able to:

• describe the context of simulation in Australia
• apply fundamental simulation concepts in the workplace, and
• utilize the resources available to simulation professionals in Australia

Outline of Program

1. Context of simulation in Australia
   1. The SIAA and SimTecT 
   2. Simulation definitions 
   3. Forms and uses of simulation 
   4. Range of simulation applications in Australia 
2. Fundamental simulation concepts
   1. Fidelity 
   2. Resolution 
   3. Simulation and human behaviour 
   4. Verification, Validation and Accreditation 
   5. Effective deployment 
   6. Simulation and modelling standards 
   7. Simulation specifications 
3. Resources available to simulation professionals
   1. SIAA resources. 
   2. Other organisations and events 
   3. The SIAA Professional Development and Professional Certification Programs

2. Simulation Support to Developing the Force and Capability Management
[Monday 0830–1200]

Presenter

Darren McFarlane – ADSO-Navy 1, Australian Defence Simulation Office

Outline of Workshop

This half-day workshop will include guest lecturers who are able to provide insight into the use of simulation support in the Capability Life Cycle (CLC) and Capability Management and how these will be used to develop the ADF. Traditionally, simulation has only supported training, however, there is growing demand to extend simulation support across all phases of the CLC. This workshop aims to cover concepts and worked examples in applying simulation support to a CLC. The workshop is designed to be a vehicle for a variety of lecturers to present areas of interest in providing simulation support to the CLC. The capability life cycle extends from establishing and defining a capability need, defining requirements, acquiring, using and eventual disposal.

Who Should Attend

The workshop is aimed at those seeking to improve the use of simulation support to the CLC and Capability Management.

Benefits of Participation

Participation will generate a broad knowledge in use of simulation to support the CLC. It will not only show case the latest policy, guidance and concepts to broaden the use of simulation support to the CLC but also provide examples of the simulation support used or to be used in capability projects. It will provide a forum for industry interaction with the aim of improving simulation support to this important process.

Outcomes for Participants

Participants will gain broader knowledge of simulation support to CLC activities currently underway or completed. They will be able to apply this knowledge to their own capability programs. They will be able to participate in an open forum for expressing views on how to improve this application area.

Outline of Program

1. Introduction to Defence Capability Life Cycle and Capability Management
2. Guidance for providing Simulation Support to the Defence CLC
3. Broad gaps in simulation support to the Defence CLC
4. Case Studies
5. Open Discussion. Where to from here?

3. Using Simulation in a Training Environment
[Monday 1300-1630  and Tuesday 1430-1730]

Presenters

Dr Elyssebeth Leigh – Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education, University of Technology, Sydney
Rob Carpenter, Army Simulation Wing
Todd Mason, Army Simulation Wing

Outline of Workshop

This workshop will provide an overview of the key issues and concepts associated with the use of simulation for Training applications. This will cover low level Computer-Based Training and games to sophisticated mission simulators and embedded training applications. The workshop will provide an introduction and case studies/ lessons learnt from key practitioners in the field.

Who Should Attend

Training Managers, training end users and Training Simulation developers requiring an understanding of the uses/potential of simulation for Training in its various forms, as well as wanting the experience of practitioners in the field.

Benefits of Participation

Participation will generate a broad knowledge in use of various simulation technologies to support Training. It will provide lessons learned from practitioners and how it can be best managed and deployed for optimal training transfer.

Outcomes for Participants

Participants will gain broader knowledge of the issues encountered in the use of training through various simulation technologies and how to optimally apply it in their own areas of application.

Outline of Program

1. Introduction and Overview
2. Background and History of Simulation in Training
3. The types of Simulation Technology in use for Training
4. Case Studies
5. Future Trends

4. Training Needs Analysis for Simulation Systems
[Monday 1300-1630]

Presenter

Phil Wallace – Learning Systems Analysis Pty Ltd.

Outline of Workshop

This half-day tutorial covers key principles of learning and instructional design, with examples and small-group exercises of tasks leading from initial analysis of the training need to specification of required simulation functionality. The focus of the tutorial is on technology-assisted virtual, constructive and live simulations, as distinct from simulation activities that do not involve technology, eg classroom role-plays.

Who Should Attend

This is an introductory-level tutorial aimed at two groups:

1. Those who have an understanding of simulation technologies and who are seeking a better understanding of learning and instructional considerations that define required simulation functionality; and 
2. Those who have an understanding of learning and instructional processes and who are seeking a better understanding of how simulation technologies can provide effective instructional functions.

Benefits of Participation

Participants in this tutorial will gain practise in the process of defining training needs and matching these with simulation technologies. They will debate the key issues in training needs analysis for simulation and be better prepared to plan and contribute to such studies in the future.

Outcomes for Participants

Participants will be able to:

• Describe how processes for the conduct of training needs analysis can be applied to simulation
• Debate key issues in achieving a valid and reliable simulation specification through training needs analysis
• Critically assess the planning and conduct of training needs analysis for simulation

Outline of Program

1. Principles of Learning and Instruction
   1. Learning theories
   2. Models for instructional design
   3. The Australian approach to competency-based training 
2. The Contextual Analysis
   1. The circumstances of job performance and training
   2. Workplace roles and training tasks
   3. Surveying potential training solutions
   4. Gap Analysis and the Impact Statement
3. The Baseline Instructional System
   1. Task analysis techniques
   2. Instructional stimuli and fidelity
   3. Instructional support features
4. Simulation Options Evaluation
   1. Performance comparisons
   2. Cost comparisons

5. Simulation for Analysis – How to Define the Need and the Simulation Requirements
[Monday 0830-1630]

Presenters

Jaci Pratt – Senior Systems Analyst, DSTO Land Operations Division
Marcus Tregenza – Senior Military Analyst, DSTO Land Operations

Outline of Workshop

The key focus of this workshop is on practical methods to achieve good analysis and experimentation outputs through the careful development of analytical and simulation needs/requirements in the Problem Definition and Experiment Design phases. Whilst referring to theory, it is more about how to take the theory and turn it into practice.

Who Should Attend

Anyone involved in managing and/or working in Systems Analysis, Research & Development or Experimentation in Defence or Industry who has needed to define and understand their requirement for simulation to assist in their work. This includes individuals involved in identifying supporting simulation for the capability acquisition lifecycle of a system.

Benefits of Participation

• Understand how to match analysis needs to simulation requirements
• Be able to select the right simulation for the application
• Understand the process of problem definition and experiment design

Outcomes for Participants

An understanding of how to match analysis problems to simulation requirements and being able to pick the right simulator to analyse the problem at hand.

Outline of Program

1. Introduction and Overview
2. Experimentation and Analysis overview
3. Problem Definition Approaches
4. Experiment Design – how to match the simulation to the problem
5. Facilitated Panel Discussion / Open Forum

6. Network and Communications Simulation - Applications, Tools and Techniques
[Monday 1300-1630]

Presenter

Ben O’Loghlin – Managing Director, Tenfold Network Solutions together with a range of industry experts and users.

Outline of Workshop

This workshop will cover the domain of networks and their analysis through simulation. With the ever-increasing complexity of defence and commercial networks around the world this domain is one that is seeing increasing simulation support, which will continue to grow in the future.

Who Should Attend

Communications Industry managers and engineers, network simulation end users, Network and System Engineers, and developers requiring an understanding of the uses/potential, technologies and trade-offs associated with network simulations.

Benefits of Participation

Participants will gain an understanding of the key managerial and technical issues in network modelling and simulation and applications in decision support, design and verification.

Outcomes for Participants

Participants will have an understanding on how to approach network engineering using modelling and simulation methods and where it applies.

Outline of Program

1. Introduction and Overview
2. Types of networks, network engineering and issues
3. Where simulation can be used in network engineering & analysis
4. Classes of simulation tools that can be applied to network analyses
5. Case studies in simulation applied to network engineering
6. State of the art in network simulation

7. Simulation Support to Operations
[Monday 1300-1630]

Presenter

Michael McGarity – Manager, Products & Technology, CAE Australia

Outline of Workshop

This workshop will provide an overview of the key issues and concepts associated with the use of simulation for Military Operations. The workshop will provide an introduction and case studies/ lessons learnt from key practitioners in the field.

Who Should Attend

Military Analysts, Training Managers, Mission Rehearsal end-users and Training Simulation developers requiring an understanding of the uses/potential of Simulation for Operations, as well as wanting the experience of practitioners in the field.

Benefits of Participation

Participation will generate a broad knowledge in use of simulation to support Operations. It will provide lessons learned from practitioners and how it can be best managed and deployed for optimal analysis and training applications.

Outcomes for Participants

Participants will gain broader knowledge of the issues encountered in the use of operations support through simulation and how to optimally apply it in their own areas of application.

Outline of Program

1. Introduction and Overview
2. Background and History of Support to Operations
3. Rehearsal for Operations
4. Planning for Operations
5. Execution of Operations
6. Simulation Support to Operations Today
7. Key Benefits and Issues
8. Case Studies
9. Future Trends

8. Human Factors – an Introduction
[Monday 0830-1200]

Presenter

Simon Parker – Crew Environments and Training, Air Operations Division, DSTO

Outline of Workshop

This workshop will provide an overview of the key issues and concepts associated with the deployment of Human Factors in areas related to Simulation Technology, such as Training, as well as other areas. It is meant to be a broad introduction to the field and will look at all issues involving the integration and inclusion of humans in the system lifecycle.

Who Should Attend

Program Managers, Engineering Managers, Technologists and Engineers in various disciplines that have exposure to Human Factors issues and would like to learn more about this field.

Benefits of Participation

Participation will generate a broad knowledge in concepts and use of various Human Factors techniques to improve Human integration into systems. It will provide lessons learned from practitioners and how it can be best managed and deployed.

Outcomes for Participants

Participants will gain broader knowledge of the issues encountered in the use of Human Factors and how to optimally apply it in their own areas of application.

Outline of Program

1. Introduction and Overview
2. Background and History of Human Factors
3. Human Factors Principles
   1. Matching People to Systems
   2. Anthropometrics
   3. Training
   4. Matching Systems to People
   5. Guidelines/Standards
   6. Soft Approaches
   7. Useability
   8. Crewing
      
4. Issues where simulation helps now and can be used in the future
   1. Safety (Human and Environmental) and Usability – air quality, heating, ventilation
   2. Construction efficiency in design and construction processes
   3. Infrastructure Lifespan, Stress and Fatigue
   4. How simulation assists in Building and Construction
5. Building and Construction Design
   1. Construction Process
   2. Visualisation
6. Overview of simulation tools commonly used
7. Case Studies
8. Future Trends

9. Visualisation Systems – how and when to use them
[Monday 0830 - 1200, Tuesday 0830-1200]

Presenter

Gary Eves – Development Manager, VR Solutions

Who Should Attend

Analysts, Scientists, Simulation end users, System Engineers, and developers requiring an understanding of the uses/potential, technologies and trade-offs associated with visualisation.

Benefits of Participation

Participants will gain an understanding of the key managerial and technical issues in visualisation use, specification and design.

Outcomes for Participants

Participants will have an understanding of the applications for, and technologies used in, image generation and visual displays, and the issues and tradeoffs associated with these technologies. Participants will also understand the process of specifying visual database requirements, constraints, general processes involved in database development, data sources used, and the types of tools required for database development.

Outline of Program

1. Introduction and Overview
2. Why Visualisation?
3. Overview of history of Image Generation Technology and use
   of Visualisation
4. Visualisation technology overview – IG, Projection & Databases
5. Image Generation Basics
6. Current technology and Future technology trends
7. Overview of projection and display technologies
8. Technical issues and tradeoffs associated with Visualisation
   technology
9. Future technology trends
10. Overview of Database Development
11. Data Source requirements and data sources
12. Development Tools
13. Future trends in Databases
14. Users of Visualisation – success stories and lessons learned

10. Given a Problem, Which Simulation Technique(s) or Method(s) Should You Choose to Solve It?
[Monday 1300-1630]

Presenter

Dr Rick Nunes-Vaz – Senior Operations Analyst, DSTO

Rick is a senior operations analyst at DSTO, applying various problem-solving techniques to national security issues. He has previously contributed to DSTO’s efforts to strengthen its military experimentation methodology (including co-authorship of GUIDEx). Prior to joining DSTO in 2000, Rick had a successful academic research career as a physical oceanographer with the University of New South Wales and Flinders University of SA after gaining his PhD from the University of Wales, UK in 1982.

Outline of Workshop

Do ‘expert’ practitioners of each problem-solving technique / approach (eg, closed-loop simulation) have a common view of what that technique should (or should not) be used to do? Is there a ‘real’, definable, objective view of the strengths and weaknesses of each technique? 

This workshop aims to (partially) answer these questions. If, as previous research suggests, there is a definable view of the generic characteristics of each technique, then the discussion and outputs of this workshop should help to:

• distil the essence of what makes someone an ‘expert’;
• see whether that essence is common, and can be described in generic terms (descriptors);
• develop a guide to inform the choice of method / technique for solving given problem types.

The workshop will be highly interactive and relies on there being ‘experts’ (in a broad range of techniques) to help characterise each approach against a consistent, universal framework. This framework aims to describe each technique (using 9 ‘attributes’) in terms of the type of problems it should be used to solve, and the type of outputs (products) it generates. If such a framework can be generated, a future user should be able to describe their (new) problem, and what outputs are required, and gain guidance on which solution techniques should be considered suitable.

Who Should Attend

The more ‘experts’ (in a range of techniques) that attend, the more lively, spirited and stimulating the discussion will be. From past experience, the exchanges are always interesting and non-experts also gain a great deal from listening (and contributing) to the discussion since it generates a viable framework from which to make sense of alternative choices of approach. Technique, refers to any simulation, experimental, modelling, mathematical (deterministic or stochastic), human (soft systems) or other approach to solving complex problems. And an ‘expert’ is someone who has used the technique on more

Benefits of Participation

• Gain an appreciation of the similarities and differences between different techniques
• Develop a conceptual framework to be able to classify (and group) alternative techniques
• Develop a basis from which to choose which technique can (and perhaps should) be applied.

Outcomes for Participants

A stronger and more enduring appreciation of why technique A should be used, in a given situation, rather than technique B.

Outline of Program

1. Introduction and Overview
2. Conceptual framework for characterising techniques (using 9 ‘attributes’)
3. Group discussion to achieve consensus on what each attribute actually means
4. Characterisation of a range of techniques
5. Wrap-up, group discussion of characterisation approach and indicative results.

©2007 Simulation Industry Association of Australia
Updated: 27 April 2007