E-Learning Assessment Part II---Real World Scenario-"They Can Run But They Can't Hide!"--The Problem

In the last post dealing with assessment, the student team had received feedback on their performance both as individuals and as a collaborative group from the assessment team. They now know more about each others talents and academic aptitudes than they did when they first met. They also have a much clearer picture on how they match up with world standards in a variety of disciplines from their assessors. They have also been able to see the linkages between skill sets used in a variety of disciplines germane to the tasks they were involved in. Now they are going to complete the final part of the assessment in which they will have to work effectively as a collaborative team to come up with creative and innovative solutions to a pressing real world issue. They use the key to open the next door which leads them to a secret government research laboratory. Once again the countdown for the event begins.

Credit: www.indiehangover.com

As the door opens, they see a room that has a number of flat screen monitors on the right and left hand walls and directly in front of them is a full wall panel which has a display of an dynamic digital map of the Earth.

Their teacher appears, in avatar form, and presents them with the following real world scenario:

Scenario Title: "They Can Run But They Can't Hide!"

Scenario Problem:  " As you are aware, global terrorism has been on the rise since ISIS or the Salafi-Jahadi organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham overan Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq on June 10, 2014. Since then they have captured large swaths of territory with the intention of declaring a caliphate in these middle eastern zones. The response of the West to the atrocities committed by ISIS has been to conduct air strikes daily with the intent of crippling their ability to maintain their armies and supply lines.

However, we are not going to go through this sorted history but instead want to point out to you two major problems that their actions are causing for the western powers. It is on these two problems that you and your team are going to concentrate on:

1. Since ISIS has began its campaign of terror there have been many in the Middle East who have flocked to join them from countries such as Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya...etc. The problem is that these volunteers take part in terrorist acts and then during the day fade back into the urban population. After that happens, it is hard to identify them as terrorists until they strike once again. It is impractical to locate surveillance equipment in every village to track movements of the residents and we can't rely on resident informers because we may be getting set up for ambushes of our troops. We need a way in which we can realistically identify terrorists in an urban population!
2. A second problem is that although watch lists exist in western countries,  limited surveillance coupled with difficult legal rules for acting on people on watch lists makes it difficult to stop radicalized home grown Jihadists from committing acts of terror such as what has been seen in countries such as Canada, France and the United States. We need a way to track their movements that does not rely on extensive use of  law enforcement personnel both on the local and national level!

Our scientists have come up with a proposal and it is your team's responsibility to investigate the feasibility of the proposed solution, suggest alternatives and be able to defend your choices before our new group of assessors.

At your disposal in this research facility you have:

• Computer technology including the new revised augmented technology, Microsoft Hololens headgear as well as the new and revised VR headgear Oculus Rift will be available to you.
• Access to real time satellite data that can be displaced on the large flat screen monitor at the front.
• Complete access to the web and a variety of relevant databases
• Access to a 3D printer
• Access to your teacher

The proposed solution that you are about to see is code named: "Celestial Necklace". You will need to identify what disciplines that you will need to access and what skill sets will be required to analyze the problem thoroughly and either approve the solution or create a hybrid solution or discard the solution entirely and come up with an alternative solution. Which ever choice that you make, you must be prepared to defend that choice before your assessors......

Next---- The Proposed Solution