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www.sea-technology.com November 2016 / st 35 the architecture is scalable. If a feature is developed once, design- ers can use that feature multiple times in different training environ- ments. For example, if a feature is created to make a component glow in the virtual environment, then any component will glow in any context (e.g., a ship, a vehicle, a plane). The combination of the game engine, architecture and tools would be worthless without the studio environment that has been created at Cubic. This includes development methodologies, as- pects of the culture and even job positions typically found in gam- ing industry studios. One major development methodology bor- rowed from the game industry is that of experimental development practices to include cross-functional teams. Cross-functional teams are fully re- sponsible for the development of individual lessons. These teams include subject matter experts, instructional systems designers, game content developers, artists and simulation engineers—all working together to create instructional con- tent. This eliminates communication problems that often plague similar software development projects where the in- dividuals typically serve on segregated teams. Furthermore, the cross-functional teams have all been trained to use the tools that communicate with the database and output the software code for the instruction they are developing. These tools are designed for ease of use, so that any member of the team can employ them. The tools and database become the "common language" that everyone on the team uses to communicate. This collaboration and the supporting tools reduce errors, decrease development time and improve the overall quality of the training product. The Cubic studio also borrows elements of the agile software development process. Depending on the focus of the team members, they either engage in Scrum or Kan- ban development. Scrum involves a product backlog and work organized in short sprints. Kanban is essentially a list of things to create, where priority dictates which item on the list is made first. All teams hold quick, daily stand-up meetings, so that everyone remains aware of the overall progress. Ensuring that communication is open and can- did helps to shape the game-studio culture at Cubic. The studio is also fairly casual, but still serious and focused. Everyone on every team is devoted to the cause—the LCS sailors and the benefits the training will give them. Finally, Cubic also adopted a key role from the game industry— producers. The producer's function is to track the progress of his or her assigned team, foster communica- tion within and between teams, and resolve issues. Producers fa- cilitate the development process so that team members can reach their greatest potential. The combination of cross-functional teams following sound instructional design principles and utilizing a tool set that feeds a data-driven software architecture results in a new level of training that can support the broader U.S. Navy beyond LCS, as well as others who value a higher de- gree of training effectiveness while also reducing the time it takes to achieve the required level of proficiency. ST Dr. Katelyn Procci is the Cubic Studio's chief scientist and producer for the software engineering team. She graduated with a doctoral degree in applied experimental and human factors psychology from the University of Central Florida. Her research interests include best practices for serious game design and game engagement. Procci resides in Orlando, Florida. Gabriel Velasco is the senior naval training manager and senior naval subject matter expert for Cubic Studio. He is a retired Navy veteran with more than 24 years of military service and 10 years' experience in the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. He resides in San Diego, California. Louis Y. Valsaint has an M.S. in education and serves as the Cubic Studio's instructional design manager, leading a team composed of instructional design- ers, human performance engineers and human systems integration engineers. He graduated from Florida State University with a master's degree in instruc- tional systems, with an emphasis in performance improvement in human re- sources development. He resides in Orlando, Florida. "The core of those tools is a massive database that houses everything from learning objec- tives to individual interactive components within the virtual environment."