Frequently Asked Questions

What will be developed at the GEMS Institute?

The aim is to develop a Cognitive Map-based Tactical Decision Support System (CM-TDSS) to be used initially for training at Fort Benning, Georgia. The main components of the proposed DSS are a knowledge elicitation and model building tool, KnowET, used for constructing cognitive maps, and a simulation tool, CMTrainer.

What will this system be used for?

CM-TDSS will be used for training specifically concerned with tactical decision making in battlefields. The knowledge engineer, with the help of subject matter experts (SMEs), will use KnowET to create models of battlefield scenarios based on cognitive maps. Trainees will use simulation based on these models to enhance their tactical decision making skills. CMTrainer will be used by them to simulate the evolution of a scenario with time and perform predictive analyses on it. The objective of these analyses will be to investigate different tactical decisions and associated courses of action (COAs). Trainees will subsequently analyze a given scenario manually as part of the training exercise. The instructor will then use predictive analysis using CMTrainer to validate and critique trainee decisions in the given scenario. This feedback received from the instructor will be used by trainees to further reinforce their learning of tactical decision making.

What are the project stages?

• Detailed assessment of the training needs and procedures to be followed at Fort Benning
• Development of KnowET, the knowledge elicitation and model building tool
• Development of CMTrainer, the cognitive map-based simulation tool
• Development of CM-TDSS, the decision support system built around KnowET and CMTrainer