# Remote Virtual Simulation for Incident Commanders--Cognitive Aspects
###### Abstract  
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, on-site Incident Commander (IC) practical training and examinations in Sweden were canceled as of March 2020. The graduation of one IC class was, however, conducted through Remote Virtual Simulation (RVS), the first such examination to our current knowledge. This paper presents the necessary enablers for setting up RVS and its influence on cognitive aspects of assessing practical competences. Data were gathered through observations, questionnaires, and interviews from students and instructors, using action-case research methodology. The results show the potential of RVS for supporting higher cognitive processes, such as recognition, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, and allowed students to demonstrate whether they had achieved the required learning objectives. Other reported benefits were the value of not gathering people (imposed by the pandemic), experiencing new, challenging incident scenarios, increased motivation for applying RVS based training both for students and instructors, and reduced traveling (corresponding to 15,400 km for a class). While further research is needed for defining how to integrate RVS in practical training and assessment for IC education and for increased generalizability, this research pinpoints current benefits and limitations, in relation to the cognitive aspects and in comparison, to previous examination formats. cognitive aspects; remote; virtual simulation; incident commander; user experiences; problem solving; decision making; assessment; learning +
Footnote †: journal: Medical  
additional education to become IC-1 focuses on improving \"non-technical skills\" [4] as situational awareness, decision making, communication, and leadership. For firefighters, education is offered in classroom sessions and practical training at the training field. When practical training is scenario-based, it is called Live Simulation (LS). The scenarios unfold in a physical, controlled environment, using real fire (burning wood or gas), smoke, vehicles, and people acting according to a predefined setup for an arranged incident scenario. The physical objects and environment in LS are considered to allow naturalistic experiences, and thereby trigger cognitive processes in a similar way as real incidents do. Since the training of firefighter students is coordinated with the training of IC-students, the latter can command a student-fireighter team, thus practicing communication and leadership. However, LS has limitations as a method for training ICs, since the training facilities (involving a limited number of steel-and-concrete buildings, which have already sustained numerous fires) may not provide adequate variation and detailed cues to train situational awareness and decision making. During the last decade, Virtual Simulation (VS) has become a mature method for practice-based training, implemented by several organizations. There are contradictory opinions among stakeholders regarding the effectiveness of VS for training from the different educational fields, such as medicine, nursing, architecture, and management. However, also critical voices recognize the possible complementary value of VS training as a supplement to LS training [5]. Since COVID-19 hindered many training possibilities, especially for groups in laboratories or training grounds, the focus on allowing remote training (in the format of Remote Virtual Simulation, RVS), supporting the targeted cognitive processes has increased. Training and learning interventions are often discussed from the angle of cognitive science [6], due to the influence of cognitive load [7] for understanding and solving tasks. Additionally, higher cognitive processes such as recognition, decision making, and problem solving are essential during an emergency response [8]. In March 2020, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), responsible for firefighter and IC-education in Sweden, stopped all on-site training to avoid gathering of people.