Examination of the Impact of Various Training Approaches on Different UAS Operator Populations

In recent years, the UAS industry has extended beyond military and recreational use and is now positioned to become a major portion of the aviation industry. As we move toward UAS integration into the national airspace system, UAS operators need effective training to ensure safe operation. Training UAS operators in an engaging way is important to ensure the best performance and transfer of training. Training methods that elicit high levels of learner engagement have been shown to improve knowledge gains, performance, and therefore such training techniques provide an opportunity for improving UAS training effectiveness and transfer. The growth of the UAS industry across various domains such as first responders and industrial inspectors has resulted in a broad demographic of end users. Given this, training may need to be tailored based on the population to ensure an engaging experience. To examine this topic, a study was conducted in which UAS pilots from the student population and first responder population participated in UAS training to test the effect of different training approaches on learner engagement of different end user populations. Participants engaged in instructional videos, simulation challenges, and live obstacle courses and were measured on their engagement levels and performance. This presentation will describe the methods and findings associated with the study along with implications for the aviation industry