Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Using Immersive Simulations to Develop Intercultural
Competence
W. Lewis Johnson
Alelo Inc., 19210 Culver Bl., Suite J, Los Angeles, CA 90066 USA
ljohnson@alelo.com
Abstract.
This chapter describes a simulation-based approach to cultural
competency training realized in the Alelo family of learning products. It is
intended to help people who may not be cultural specialists to quickly develop
the cultural skills they need to be effective in intercultural settings. This
includes the knowledge and skills necessary to handle common situations
involving intercultural interactions, as well as the adaptability needed to cope
with unexpected intercultural interactions. Crucially, it utilizes simulations of
intercultural encounters that learners are likely to experience in the course of
carrying out their jobs or missions, which help learners develop the skills and
confidence necessary to be effective in those situations. The approach also
supports the assessment of cultural competence by testing trainees in simulated
intercultural encounters. The approach makes use of a number of innovative
technologies, but most importantly immersive game and artificial intelligence
technologies.
Keywords:
Cultural competence, cultural skills, agent-based computing,
simulation-based learning environments, serious games.
1 Introduction
Intercultural skills are increasingly recognized as important for many jobs and everyday
situations. The workforces of multinational corporations are frequently organized into
multinational teams in which people from various cultural backgrounds need to work
together effectively. Companies that deliver products internationally need to understand
the cultural backgrounds and perspectives of their potential customers in each target
market. Professionals engaged in health care, law enforcement, education, humanitarian
relief, and peacekeeping operations all require skills in interacting with people with
other cultural backgrounds [2], [5], [10], [11], [14].
This need for intercultural knowledge and skills poses a significant educational
challenge. Experts in the language education community, such as the American
Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), commonly assert that true
intercultural competence arises only after years of immersion in the target culture, as
part of a language education program [9]. Unfortunately, relatively few specialists in
other professions get the opportunity to devote that much time to cultural training.
Thus a major challenge for cultural skills training is finding ways to help people
develop the intercultural skills they need, in the time they have to learn.
