Situation awareness measurement techniques for gaming simulations: An overview and application for railway traffic controllers

Abstract

This paper provides an extended gaming simulation framework and methods overview for the selection and development of situation awareness (SA) measurement techniques in gaming simulations. Gaming simulations are here defined as a simulation of a system through the use of gaming methods. Unlike SA measurements in human-in-the-loop simulators like cockpits, measurements for situation awareness in multi-actor gaming simulation environments are little investigated as a methodological approach. The aim of the framework is to bridge the gap between the theoretical implications of gaming simulations design elements and SA measurement techniques. Secondly, to provide key elements in game design and evaluation for the development of situation awareness measurement techniques. The framework is applied to determine a set of situation awareness measurement techniques for Dutch railway traffic controllers, in which the Dutch railway sector is increasingly using gaming simulation methods to investigate influences of new innovations for the railway system before innovations are put into the operations. Different sets of situation awareness measurement techniques for individuals and team/groups in railway traffic control are selected.