About Open Simulation Platform
From OSPDocs
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) Open Simulation Platform (OSP) is a web-based learning and instruction environment. It combines a 'simulation wizard' that will enable subject matter experts to easily author and run online simulations with an innovative library to support and encourage sharing and reuse of simulations.
The vast majority of simulation tools to date have been closed, complex systems. The barrier to entry for creating simulations is still too high; one needs a fairly large budget and substantial engineering support to create multi-player online simulations, and the number of subject matter experts involved in creating simulations is still rather small. In addition, re-use of simulation content in such systems is typically limited at best; each tool exists as a de facto data silo for the associated simulation subject matter.
What is needed is an open, extensible simulation platform that supports direct authoring of simulations by subject matter experts, without requiring knowledge of programming languages and underlying technologies. By giving such authors direct access to put their ideas in usable and teachable forms, a far broader pool of wisdom can be tapped, and the field of simulation design can benefit and grow accordingly.
Such a learning tool also needs to allow those using it to understand all of the assumptions going into a simulation, and to be able to provide meaningful feedback. And as simulations evolve and mature over time, the aggregated knowledge and experience needs to be captured in a form that can be re-shared with others, in a library model that is easily browsed and expanded.
The optimal solution needs to be open at both the software level, in the form open source code, and at the data level, in terms of shareable and reusable simulation content. This openness allows all interested stakeholders to contribute their knowledge, whether that knowledge takes the form of enhancements to the underlying platform, or improvements and new contributions to the library of simulation resources. And open systems can be readily adapted to the needs of each community of users, while at the same time inheriting new functionality from the rich ecosystem of other open source packages. The United States Institute of Peace is currently implementing such a platform.
USIP is developing the Open Simulation Platform (OSP) to address the challenges and solution vision detailed above.
The term 'simulation' has a range of meanings in a range of contexts. For the OSP, 'simulation' refers to 'training simulation.' Each simulation is a training event designed to leave the participants changed in some meaningful way, able to view the world differently or perform better than if they had not conducted training with the simulation.
In the initial release, OSP simulations will be multi-player engagements, with humans playing the roles of all of the actors. While artificial intelligence (AI) may at some future point mature to the point where computer-driven characters can be useful participants in simulations, the multiple-players model allows for the richest experience and best set of interactions that we can provide to players at present. And because the simulations are be multi-player, a hosted online platform provides for the richest and most flexible participation framework, requiring only a standard browser window on the part of all users.
The OSP architecture is designed to serve four user audiences:
- Simulation Authors will design and create the training simulations. The platform will enable them to create simulations, edit all aspects of a simulation, create and administer instructors and players, and initiate and facilitate simulations.
- Simulation Facilitators will initiate and run simulations, either of their own creation or from the simulation library. The platform will enable them to initiate simulations, view simulation state and activity, engage in simulation play like any other player, change simulation phases, send news updates, terminate play, and author the After Action Report for each initiated simulation.
- Players will animate the roles in the simulation, using background information, simulation state changes, and their own intuition to navigate behavior for their role. The platform will enable them to log in to simulations and play, receive news updates, and chat with other players.
- Administrators will install and maintain the overall state and operation of the simulation platform. The platform will enable them to create and manage all platform user types, administrate the platform database, and perform all operations other users can perform.
While the author and facilitators roles will overlap in practice, they are separated from a platform design standpoint to emphasize the vision for simulation reuse. The subject matter experts needed to author compelling simulations come from a relatively small pool, but instructors willing to employ such simulations in their agendas represent a more substantial user audience for the platform.
For a more complete overview, see the White Paper.
