Enthusiasm for high-tech simulation-based training should never obscure the fact that trainees must be validly and dependably trained to perform tasks to given standard metrics. The educational performance and effectiveness of any such training method, simulation model and training scenario must therefore be rigorously verified and validated. Stringent quantitative acceptance criteria should be applied to allow fair and detailed skill training effectiveness comparisons with traditional training methods. The challenges of verifying and validating a proposed generic architecture for serious games for effective virtual Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) are explored with regard to established tactical, medical and educational validation practices. As the fitness of such games for their educational purposes can make the difference between life and death of both trainee and casualty on the battlefield, their development and validation processes cannot be left to chance. Yet conflicting validation practices of medical, educational and military authorities may obscure design constraints for serious games combining medical and tactical purposes. Despite this uncertainty, our perception of best practice for establishing acceptance criteria for such games is outlined. Based on a minimum core validation procedure and official TCCC performance metrics, it emphasizes designing physiologically valid casualty models of deliberately limited complexity for TCCC training purposes, interacting with highly realistic serious game tactical training scenarios.    «

Enthusiasm for high-tech simulation-based training should never obscure the fact that trainees must be validly and dependably trained to perform tasks to given standard metrics. The educational performance and effectiveness of any such training method, simulation model and training scenario must therefore be rigorously verified and validated. Stringent quantitative acceptance criteria should be applied to allow fair and detailed skill training effectiveness comparisons with traditional training...    »