Development of a web-based periscope simulator for submarine officer training

Abstract

This thesis addresses the instructional gap existent between the theoretical instruction that is typically delivered in the classroom and the hands-on training in periscope simulators. In those navies that adopt the eyes-only or perisher technique for training of periscope depth safety rules, the submarine officers need to gain knowledge and master a series of skills and abilities prior to the training sessions in periscope simulators. This work suggests and explores the use of web-based simulation as a tool to diminish this gap, applying the concept of part-task training to enable the delivery of better-prepared officers to the simulator phase of training and better leverage the time spent at a full-scale simulator. To test this concept, a prototype web-based periscope simulator was developed, and a usability study was conducted among the body of students of the Naval Postgraduate School. The findings revealed that most of the participants were receptive to web-based simulation for training, and that it is a viable and promising field, but some technical caveats were identified. Although this thesis focused on the periscope simulation, the concept can be extended and applied for other domains in which a similar gap can be found between theory and hands-on training.