Integration of a Generic Diagnostic Tool in Virtual Environments for Procedural Training

In this article we discuss the problems related to the process of integrating a generic diagnostic tool in virtual environments for training. Virtual environments are suitable applications for training procedural tasks; however, they usually lack the tools to provide an educational dimension to the training. In this research we propose the use of DETECTive, a generic diagnostic tool, in order to facilitate the development of virtual environments which maximise the educational value of the training. We consider that usability of the integrated system is a priority issue. Therefore, we seek a balance between the cost of knowledge acquisition and reliability in the diagnostic phase. The virtual reality system educationally improved during this research is VIRTOOL, a virtual learning environment for machine-tool processes.