Predicting the efficacy of simulator-based training using a perceptual judgment task versus questionnaire-based measures of presence

The quality of a virtual environment, as characterized by factors such as presence and fidelity, is of interest to developers and users of simulators for many reasons, not least because both factors have been linked to improved outcomes in training as well as a reduced incidence of simulator sickness. Until recently, most approaches to measuring these factors have been based on subjective, postexposure questioning. This approach has, however, been criticized because of the shortcomings of self-report and the need to delay feedback or interrupt activity. To combat these problems, recent papers on the topic have proposed the use of behavioral measures to assess simulators and predict training outcomes. Following their lead, this paper makes use of a simple perceptual task in which users are asked to estimate their simulated speed within the environment. A longitudinal study of training outcomes using two of the simulators revealed systematic differences in task performance that matched differences measured using the perceptual task in a separate group of control subjects. A separate analysis of two standard presence questionnaires revealed that they were able to predict learning outcomes on a per individual basis, but that they were insensitive to the differences between the two simulators. The paper concludes by explaining how behavioral measures of the type proposed here can complement questionnaire-based studies, helping to motivate design aspects of new simulators, prompting changes to existing systems, and constraining training scenarios to maximize their efficacy

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 359)

This bibliography lists 164 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Jan. 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance

A Novel Haptic Simulator for Evaluating and Training Salient Force-Based Skills for Laparoscopic Surgery

Laparoscopic surgery has evolved from an \u27alternative\u27 surgical technique to currently being considered as a mainstream surgical technique. However, learning this complex technique holds unique challenges to novice surgeons due to their \u27distance\u27 from the surgical site. One of the main challenges in acquiring laparoscopic skills is the acquisition of force-based or haptic skills. The neglect of popular training methods (e.g., the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery, i.e. FLS, curriculum) in addressing this aspect of skills training has led many medical skills professionals to research new, efficient methods for haptic skills training. The overarching goal of this research was to demonstrate that a set of simple, simulator-based haptic exercises can be developed and used to train users for skilled application of forces with surgical tools. A set of salient or core haptic skills that underlie proficient laparoscopic surgery were identified, based on published time-motion studies. Low-cost, computer-based haptic training simulators were prototyped to simulate each of the identified salient haptic skills. All simulators were tested for construct validity by comparing surgeons\u27 performance on the simulators with the performance of novices with no previous laparoscopic experience. An integrated, \u27core haptic skills\u27 simulator capable of rendering the three validated haptic skills was built. To examine the efficacy of this novel salient haptic skills training simulator, novice participants were tested for training improvements in a detailed study. Results from the study demonstrated that simulator training enabled users to significantly improve force application for all three haptic tasks. Research outcomes from this project could greatly influence surgical skills simulator design, resulting in more efficient training

The Effect of Transactive Memory and Collective Efficacy on Aircrew Performance

The use of teams is becoming prevalent in American organizations. The United States Air Force for example, employs aircrew teams on the majority of their aircraft. This thesis focuses on system and motivational variables that influence the performance of aircraft teams. Two potentially important team variables are identified and examined in three research studies. Transactive memory is a system which combines the knowledge possessed by individual team members with a shared awareness of who knows what, who is good at what, and who does what. Collective efficacy is the group\u27s collective belief that it can perform a specific task. This research tests these two constructs as competing constructs in explaining team performance. A laboratory and two field studies are conducted to determine the effects of transactive memory and collective efficacy on team performance. The results indicate that transactive memory has a consistent and positive relationship with performance across studies. However, the relationship failed to reach statistical significance due to small sample sizes. Change in the composition of the team due to turnover is shown to be detrimental to transactive memory. In addition, transactive memory makes important contributions to the team\u27s collective efficacy. In operational environments. collective efficacy is significantly related to higher performance. A confident team is a more effective team. These results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical significance

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 324)

This bibliography lists 200 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during May, 1989. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and psychology, life support systems and controlled environments, safety equipment, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, and flight crew behavior and performance

An Exploration of the Feasibility of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy as a Neurofeedback Cueing System for the Mitigation of the Vigilance Decrement

Vigilance is the capacity for observers to maintain attention over extended periods of time, and has most often been operationalized as the ability to detect rare and critical signals (Davies & Parasuraman, 1982; Parasuraman, 1979; Warm, 1984). Humans, however, have natural physical and cognitive limitations that preclude successful long-term vigilance performance and consequently, without some means of assistance, failures in operator vigilance are likely to occur. Such a decline in monitoring performance over time has been a robust finding in vigilance experiments for decades and has been called the vigilance decrement function (Davies & Parasuraman, 1982; Mackworth, 1948). One of the most effective countermeasures employed to maintain effective performance has been cueing: providing the operator with a reliable prompt concerning signal onset probability. Most protocols have based such cues on task-related or environmental factors. The present dissertation examines the efficacy of cueing when nominally based on operator state (i.e., blood oxygenation of cortical tissue) in a novel vigilance task incorporating dynamic displays over three studies. Results pertaining to performance outcomes, physiological measures (cortical blood oxygenation and heart rate variability), and perceived workload and stress are interpreted via Signal Detection Theory and the Resource Theory of vigilance

An Examination of Personality as a Predictor of Guard Behavior in a Virtual Environment

Military personnel need access to realistic training tools that can provide a safe environment in which to acquire skills that will generalize to real world tasks. A virtual environment (VE) is one such tool. The focus of the present study was to evaluate a VE as a training tool for military guards. The first goal was to examine the potential of VE technology to provide effective training for standing watch at a military checkpoint. The second goal was to study a set of personality traits that might predict performance. Participants completed the NEO Personality Inventory and were trained to perform the role of a military checkpoint guard within a CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment. Trainees interacted with virtual drivers and determined whether drivers exhibited suspicious behavior and met identification requirements for entry onto a fictional base. Results indicated that participants were able to use VE technology to (a) familiarize and immerse themselves in a military checkpoint task, (b) improve performance on training scenarios, and (c) transfer their knowledge from one session to a subsequent session. Examination of personality traits yielded significant results only for openness as a predictor of performance. Collectively, these findings suggest that VEs show potential for scenario-based training

Haptic-Enhanced Learning in Preclinical Operative Dentistry

Background: Virtual reality haptic simulators represent a new paradigm in dental education that may potentially impact the rate and efficiency of basic skill acquisition, as well as pedagogically influence the various aspects of students’ preclinical experience. However, the evidence to support their efficiency and inform their implementation is still limited. Objectives: This thesis set out to empirically examine how haptic VR simulator (Simodont®) can enhance the preclinical dental education experience particularly in the context of operative dentistry. We specify 4 distinct research themes to explore, namely: simulator validity (face, content and predictive), human factors in 3D stereoscopic display, motor skill acquisition, and curriculum integration. Methods: Chapter 3 explores the face and content validity of Simodont® haptic dental simulator among a group of postgraduate dental students. Chapter 4 examines the predictive utility of Simodont® in predicting subsequent preclinical and clinical performance. The results indicate the potential utility of the simulator in predicting future clinical dental performance among undergraduate students. Chapter 5 investigates the role of stereopsis in dentistry from two different perspectives via two studies. Chapter 6 explores the effect of qualitatively different types of pedagogical feedback on the training, transfer and retention of basic manual dexterity dental skills. The results indicate that the acquisition and retention of basic dental motor skills in novice trainees is best optimised through a combination of instructor and visualdisplay VR-driven feedback. A pedagogical model for integration of haptic dental simulator into the dental curriculum has been proposed in Chapter 7. Conclusion: The findings from this thesis provide new insights into the utility of the haptic virtual reality simulator in undergraduate preclinical dental education. Haptic simulators have promising potential as a pedagogical tool in undergraduate dentistry that complements the existing simulation methods. Integration of haptic VR simulators into the dental curriculum has to be informed by sound pedagogical principles and mapped into specific learning objectives