Running head: Military Simulation

Chapter Three Research Design and Methodology Introduction In order to gather my research for my project, I will have to test the project with people. My research must be collected through an experimental design since I have to figure out if my simulation is good enough and has no bugs. Design of Study The design of this study is experimental. In order for the simulation to be great. I will have to experiment on specific things in the simulation. An example would be the map of the terrain. Is it stealthy enough to be a good terrain, is there enough cover and, are there pathways a person could go through in order to play his/her own way. Another example would be if the simulation does what it goes. I have to make sure that there are no bugs in the simulation and the code works great. A bug in the simulation can cause many problems that could affect the training of the soldier. Target Population & Sample Selection The target population would be people who want to and/or going into the military. That could be male and or females. Another part of the target population are people who are 17 and older. People love to play military simulations in the world today. Two popular simulations are Call of Duty and Battlefield. Millions of people play the game for fun and this simulation could be used for entertainment. Children in grades Kindergarten through 4th grade should not be playing this simulation for entertainment. Military simulations are violent for children since they have people shooting other people. Data Collection Method

Running head: Military Simulation

There are two types of data collection methods. The types are quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative data collection methods, rely on random sampling and structured data collection instruments that fit diverse experiences into predetermined response categories.(people.uwec.edu) Examples of quantitative data collection are experiments/clinical trials, observing and recording well-defined events, administering surveys with closed-ended questions, and obtaining relevant data from management information. Qualitative data collections methods play an important role in impact evaluation by providing information useful to understand the processes behind observed results and assess changes in peoples perceptions of their well-being.(people.uwec.edu) Qualitative data collection methods are characterized by the being open-ended, less structured protocols, rely on heavily on interactive interviews, use triangulation to increase credibility, and their findings are not generalizable to any specific population. Judging by these facts, my project would be qualitative because when the beta testers play the simulation, I will be interviewing them constantly in order to make the simulator run great. Data Analysis Procedures When it comes to data analysis procedures, I would need a hypothesis. My project is not a hypothesis based. It is like a goal I would like to achieve. But when it comes to the testers, I will be gathering their responses so I can make the simulation better. Limitation of Research There are many limitations in the project that I have faced. The huge one was money. When you make a simulation, it can be very expensive. A lot of things need to be purchased when making a good simulation. You need a good laptop that can get the job

Running head: Military Simulation

done. I would love to make the animations smoother by using a software that can capture my movements and put them on a 3D model. Along with that I would need a 2 Kinect or 4 PS Eye to capture my movements as well. Another example would be the area to capture my movements. I would need a huge area space like a studio to do stunts. Sadly all of this cost money and time. Another limitation is my laptop. My laptop was not made for gaming. It was made for business purposes. My processor is an i5 and clocks at 1.7 Ghz. Usually games/simulations need at least a 2.0 Ghz core or more. My graphics card is an Intel HD 4000. This graphics card is not the best card and to some people, they hate it. It can play some games but not games like Crysis 3 in which you need a good graphics card to run it. The software that I wanted to use is the CryEngine SDK. The CryEngine SDK is a free online kit that people can use to make their own games. When I ran it on my laptop, the frames per second were terrible. A good frames per second ranges between 30 and 60. Sometimes it can go over 100 frames and beyond. My laptop ranges 5-20 fps. That is not a good frame rate for games. The third and last limitation is time. I would love to put an actual game with an actual story into my simulation. But sadly, that will take too much time to do since I have school work, internship, and preparing for college. Role of Researcher Since my project is somewhat qualitative, my role as a researcher is to interact and collaborate with the people who are testing my simulations. I will gather their thoughts on the simulation so that I can make the simulation better. I cannot be the role of a quantitative researcher because the researcher uses equipment to collect data and does not interact with the people.

Running head: Military Simulation

Summary This project is very unusual since it doesnt have a hypothesis. It has a goal. Even though it doesnt have a hypothesis, it is still a qualitative project and Im a qualitative researcher. The project has many limitations that can hinder to project from striving to perfection. If I had money, a studio, and a better laptop, this project could have been better.

Running head: Military Simulation

REFERENCES Data Collection Methods. (n.d.). Data Collection Methods. Retrieved January 1, 2014, from http://people.uwec.edu/piercech/researchmethods/data%20collection%20methods/ data%20collections%20methods.htm