The document introduces the Open Simulation Platform (OSP) which allows users to easily create and share simulations online through an open-source framework. It discusses how simulations can provide educational benefits by allowing people to learn from different experiences in a safe environment. The OSP aims to make simulation creation accessible to anyone by providing tutorials and requiring no specialized training. Examples are given of students and instructors who have used simulations created with the OSP for learning.

1. A Brief Introduction to the Open Simulation Platform

2. A Brief Introduction to the Open Simulation Platform Lightening Fast

3. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Institute of Peace, which does not advocate specific policy positions.

4. Discussion Points (Why, How, What) The Kool-Aid: Simulation Training is the Future A Vision of that Future Working Backward From the Answer The ‘Sit in the Dark’ Guide to Construction Actors, Phases and Interactions Authors and Instructors and Students This is a reality Gedankenexperiments This is Not Going Away

5. The ‘I Believe in Simulation’ Kool-Aid It is better to allow people to make their mistakes in a simulated, as opposed to a real, reality. In a simulation participants can obtain empathy, see the world from different perspectives. In a simulation participants can gain humility: an appreciation for complexity and ‘unknown unknowns.’ The act of creating a simulation gives a person a more a holistic view. Simulations help prepare people to make better decisions, and we need people making better decision Today.

6. The Future In the future we will prepare people for what might come at them by putting them into simulated experiences. In the future, creating simulations will be an everyday experience. (And not just by us!)

7. Working Toward A Goal Consider where you are and where you want to be.

8. Working Toward A Goal Consider the next/previous states closest to each end point.

9. Working Toward A Goal Finding a viable path is key.

10. Working Backward from the Answer In the future, simulation training will be the norm. (One big truth) Simulation technology will be invisible. (Follows from above.)

11. Working Forward from What We Have Motivation (Gumption) Open Source Software

12. The ‘Sit in the Dark’ Guide to Construction Close your eyes and ponder what the ultimate ‘simulation creation’ interface would look like. What would it ask you? What would it try to fill in for you? What things could change, and what things would need to be constant?

14. A Simulation is a Set of Interactions over Time

15. A ‘One Stop Invisible Technology Shop’ Implies Many Perspectives

16. Author’s Perspective

17. The Printing Press Enabling terrible authors since 1439

18. Technology Spectrum From BOGGSATT to Holodeck The OSP currently creates simulations at the level of ‘Technology Enhanced Role Play’ (TERP). I also like to think of this as the ‘Strategic Communications’ level.

19. Why TERPs? Allows people playing your simulation to act more as they would in the real world: communicating via email and chat, working on draft agreements together, etc. Allows people to be physically located in different places. Allows the linking-in of real time data available on the web (such as current articles and videos) to your simulation. Reduces the work on instructors running the simulation, thus increasing the chances that it will get played. Allows the automated tracking of data (how student’s respond to events, for example) allowing ‘accessible experience*’ to accumulate. Opens the door to further automation, such as the addition of hard constraints, by keeping your data in a standard format (XML). Provides places to put information (such as your objectives, audience, plan for playing it, etc.) to help make sure one has all bases covered. Opens the door to improved sharing and collaboration by keeping the design considerations together with the simulation. * ‘Accessible experience’ is experience not trapped in one person’s head.

20. TERP Technology Enhanced Role-Play As technology has come to be a vital part of our lives, it just makes sense to include it in our role-play.

21. Stairways From TERP to GAME TERPs with enough intelligence may begin to look more like games. We are helping develop the user interface to help mere mortals write games.

22. Bringing it Down to Earth (Simulation Creation)

23. Student (After Playing in our Afghanistan Reintegration Simulation) This simulation made me realize that theory is so much different from practice. Even if we have a clear plan and good intentions, problems always happens… I have never been sensitive about how to write something as I was today. Instructor (Facilitating Simulation) Today was great - the kids were using the Simplatform during class while they did research, and they were getting a lot done. It was actually really interesting watching them. They also seem really into it - they're excited about trying out something new like this. "Thanks" doesn't seem like enough, but really, thank you! Student (After Partaking in Creating Simulations) The creation of online simulations through the OSP was surprisingly easy. Drafting the storyboard and materials are the hardest part of the process, but once those documents are completed they can be easily plugged into the online simulation platform. Programming a simulation is pretty straight-forward and does not require any in-depth training; and the online tutorial provides the basic information necessary to start the process. As a result the OSP is program suitable for novices to experts in the field, as it can produce simulations as simple or as complicated as the creator desires. Instructor (At GWU, where students authored simulations) Simulation design and facilitation has always been something that has been carried out in institutions, in universities, and in expensive training programs. It has been, until this point, only available to the elites. The OSP levels the playing field by providing access to these life changing skills for anyone with an internet connection.

24. OSP Con 2010

25. Gedankenexperiments If Wikipedia didn’t exist, would someone have to create it? If YouTube didn’t exist, would someone have to create it? Doesn’t someone need to create the ability for all of us to easily create and share simulations?

26. Why This is Not Going Away It is an idea whose time has come. It is in use. It can’t be killed – It’s Open Source nature keep it alive. As long as I have life and breath …

27. [email_address] Thank You! Tutorials Online at demo.opensimplatform.org

28. What is Open Source? Moodle Wikipedia (Open Source-ish) FireFox Apache Linux It’s the opposite of ‘proprietary.’ Essentially anyone can see and modify the underlying source code. Some examples include … “ Linux makes Windows better.” Ted Kaelher of ManTech

29. What Do You Mean by “Crystal” Linus Torvald did not contribute all 8,000 person-years. He created something ‘good enough’ for others to contribute to. He created the crystal. According to the web site of David Wheeler, if one were to develop Linux 7.1 from 2001, “ It would cost over $1 billion …” “ It includes over 30 million physical source lines of code (SLOC).” “ It would have required about 8,000 person-years of development time, as determined using the widely-used basic COCOMO model.”