The influence of automation support on Air Traffic Controller behaviour with a Speed And Route Advisory function

The aim of this paper is to describe the influence of automation support on Air Traffic Controller performance, workload and Situation Awareness (SA). Controllers handle traffic through means of tactical control involving heading, speed and altitude instructions. Future Air Traffic Management (ATM) concepts, such as Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) and NextGen, promote the use of 4D trajectories, thereby introducing a time-dimension to current control tactics (SESAR, 2007). At present, Amsterdam Area Control (ACC) delivers traffic over to Schiphol Approach control (APP) via three Initial Approach Fixes (IAFs) with a margin of plus or minus 120 seconds between the planned time and the actual time. This variability can make it difficult for APP controllers to merge traffic streams and build a landing sequence, especially during peak periods. In the future, a change in delivery accuracy to less than plus or minus 30 seconds is foreseen thereby aiming to increase the punctuality of flights

Measurement of effectiveness for training simulations

This paper presents and discusses experimental designs, measures, and measurement methods for determining the effectiveness of training simulators. First, we describe experimental designs in which training effects of training simulators are compared to those of conventional training. Next, the most commonly used metrics for quantifying the potential beneficial effects of training applications are explicated. We also present and discuss three main categories of measurement methods that may be used to assess the beneficial effects of new ways of training on transfer or training effectiveness; that is, methods based on measurement of learning performance of trainees, methods focusing on the synthetic training device or overall training program itself, and ratings or questionnaires focusing on the subjective evaluations of trainees. All designs, metrics, and measurement methods have their specific advantages and limitations, which may make them highly complementary. In general, one should always be aware of the advantages and drawbacks of each method and consider the most appropriate combination of methods for each study, given the main research questions. Therefore, various types of measurement techniques should be used in combination with each other for effective results in order to meet reliability and validity requirements of training effectiveness studies. Finally, we give some examples of practical approaches and draw conclusions on best practices

Effectiviteit van serious gaming in het onderwijs

De belangstelling voor serious gaming in het onderwijs is de laatste jaren sterk toegenomen. De behoefte naar gedegen uitgevoerd effectiviteitsonderzoek wordt hiermee steeds groter. TNO heeft onderzoek gedaan naar de effectiviteit van vijf verschillende serious games op vijf scholen. Dit artikel beschrijft de opzet en belangrijkste resultaten

The influence of automation support on performance, workload, and situation awareness of Air Traffic Controllers

decision support tool, called Speed and Route Advisor (SARA), was developed at Schiphol Airport to help air traffic controllers achieve increased accuracy in traffic delivery. Its influence on controller performance, workload, and situation awareness was evaluated in a real-time simulation and in an operational trial. The findings indicate that this additional system support is necessary to achieve higher accuracy without increasing the controllers; workload. At the same time, controllers must stay in the loop to maintain situation awareness. This must be kept in mind while designing decision support systems such as SARA. © 2012 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

Competence retention in safety-critical professions: A systematic literature review

Contains fulltext : 225294.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access)Optimal competence is vital in safety-critical professions. To optimize (refresher) training, insight into the process of competence decay and influencing factors on competence decay is crucial. Although retention of knowledge and simple skills has been studied for many years, literature on retention of complex skills remains limited. This literature review focuses on the factors influencing retention that have been studied empirically since 2010 in the context of safety-critical professions. Furthermore, the nature of competence retention curves over time was studied. Methods The initial search yielded 882 articles, which were scanned systematically according to inclusion criteria. The main inclusion criteria were whether refresher training or longitudinal designs were used to study competence retention. The final set of articles included in this review contains 40 articles. Results 39 studies were carried out in the medical domain, only one article focused on aviation. The majority of studies showed that competence decreases over time. Important factors related to retention were: (a) the quality of initial training, (b) practice or refreshers, (c) personal factors, and (d) task complexity. In 23 articles enough data was provided to reconstruct and compare skill decay curves. Novices who did not practice the skill after their initial training showed faster skill decay than novices who were allowed to practice, and participants with mixed or little experience. Recommendations More empirical research should be conducted to determine the optimal refresher interval and to study the effects of individual differences, especially regarding competence retention of complex skills outside the medical domain.14 p

Public Order Management in a Virtual World

In urban operations, military commanders have to take into account the civilians present in the operation area. This is why Public Order Management (POM) is an important subject of their training. The organization of POM field training is challenging. It requires lots of humans to act as crowds. It is hard to make the training sufficiently effective and efficient for the own units

Spatial disorientation survey among military pilots

Item does not contain fulltextBackground: Spatial disorientation (SD) remains a significant cause of accidents and near accidents. A variety of training methods have been used to assist pilots to anticipate the SD problem. The value of such training in the prevention of disorientation has been difficult to assess. Methods: To study transfer of SD awareness training, we related reported incidents to the content and frequency of SD awareness training received. The questionnaire was completed by 368 out of 495 pilots; 189 currently flying fixed-wing, and 150 flying rotary-wing aircraft. On average, their age was 38, and they had 2466 flight hours on-type. Results: Respondents gave high ratings for the importance of SD training and their awareness of SD, the latter being one of the training objectives. The amount of SD training received by respondents was positively correlated with ratings for appreciation and importance. Self-rated awareness was positively correlated with the number of reported SD experiences. Although the correlations were below 0.50, the results provide an indication that SD training is effective. In total, respondents reported 5773 SD experiences, 195 of them resulting in a serious risk for flight safety. Narratives of these serious events show that, in many cases, pilots managed their SD by carefully checking the flight instruments, and also by good crew coordination. Discussion: The results of the survey provide some evidence, although based on subjective reports, for transfer of SD training. The results of the SD experiences can be used to improve the SD training in terms of content and frequency.7 p

Training support for Naturalistic Decision Making : Serious gaming for adaptive performance of military personnel

Introduction: For effective decision making in the 21st century where operational environments are complex and uncertain, there is a strong need for training support and its practical application to naturalistic, real-world settings. In this contribution, we focus on training of adaptive performance using NDM approach. In particular, we introduce serious games (SGs) as a potential means to train adaptive performance of military personnel. Method: The design of our SG is explained with the aim of enhancing adaptive performance and effective decision making in complex and uncertain environments. The rule change element is introduced and other game design elements are described taking the perspective of Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) approach. Results: The findings from a game design validation session show that participants were able to assess the situational change and adapt their actions during the SG play. Challenges of practical application of the training support into the Dutch Major’s school are described. Discussion: We discuss future directions of SG improvement within an NDM approach

Self-Directed Learning in Adaptive Training Systems: A Plea for Shared Control

In the field of aviation, air traffic controllers must be able to adapt to and act upon continuing changes in a highly advanced technological work environment