Machinima in the Marine Corps
Currently the Marine Corps trains and educates their enlisted Marines utilizing antiquated methods such as platform teaching, boring PowerPoints, and multiple choice tests. The example of fire team formations below shows just how underwhelming such an approach can be. As a curriculum team leader and developer for the Marine Corps, I have been working on implementing adult teaching methodologies and technology into the courses. In the past year we have implemented Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2), a fully interactive, three-dimensional training system that provides synthetic environments for training and experimentation purposes.
I have found the implementation of simulations into courses both exhilarating and exhausting. Students, as products of our video gaming society, embrace learning through simulations and have a very short learning curve. Last semester I took Nicholas Burbles’ class where I was introduced to Machinima. Initially, I didn’t see the value in it. However, after doing more research into Machinima’s educational applications, I began to see it as a means of expanding the training power of simulations. Michinima allows video software to capture, edit, and polish simulation sequences; it allows creation of instructional videos.
For my milestone #2 project, I decided to use VBS2, CamStudio and Jaycut to make a Machinima training movies. As I stated above there are two ways that I think this technology/media will aide my students and instructors. The first way is by replacing the Academy’s current PowerPoint presentations with Machinima movies of VBS2-based sequences. For the past two centuries the Marine Corps has been using symbols to identify people, billets and equipment—see the fire team formations graphic above. Twenty-first century students want to be taught with 21st century technology and techniques. Utilizing Machinima will allow me to create images of actual Marines rather than relying on pictures and symbols. I will also be able to create movies that show Marines moving in formations. This gives the students a much more lifelike representation of tactical movement.
Another benefit of using Machinima is a reduction in the need for instructors to provide one-on-one instruction to students. In Marine Corps academies, there are usually only one to two instructors for every twenty two students. Applying Machinima technology to VBS2-based simulation sequences, I will be able to create step-by-step videos that demonstrate to students how to manipulate the avatars in the simulation, freeing the instructors to focus on other things. These videos will answer the simple questions students will have, as well as freeing up instructors to work with individuals that require more help.
The resource demand for this project will be minimal. All developers have simulations laptops dedicated to the development of simulations. The application software (e.g., CamStudio for video capture and JayCut for video editing) is free and fairly simple to use. There will be a slight learning curve for learning the software, but once this is overcome the development time and expense of the videos and images will be minimal.
Simulations are the future of education in the Marine Corps. Finding a way to immerse Marines in this virtual world is the challenge. Using Machinima videos—in conjunction with hands-on training—will give students an avenue to learn when the instructor is not available. Technology allows us to teach from a distance and that is what this project is all about.
