Assessing Situation Awareness in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential utility of the Situation Awareness Linked Indicators Adapted to Novel Tasks (SALIANT) methodology as an assessment tool in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations. Eighteen participants completed a UAS scenario (port security) as part of nine two-person crews (pilot and sensor operator). Subject matter experts mapped the naturally occurring team behaviors in the UAS scenario to create a SALIANT checklist, which was then used to rate participants’ SA. Results showed the SALIANT methodology was able to discriminate differences in SA behaviors among the UAS crews. Results also revealed significant correlations between targeted operator characteristics and several of the SALIANT indicators

Racial Diversity in Aviation

Commercial aviation has grown rapidly since the 1950s yet racial diversity in the aviation workforce has showed little progress. To explore this issue, this archival study was conducted to examine the representation of Black individuals in aviation occupations and other specialized professions from 2009 to 2018. Data were obtained from the American Community Survey using Public Use Microdata Sample from the United States Census Bureau. The frequency count and percent were calculated each year for each occupation by race (White or Black). Five aviation occupations were selected for comparison: aircraft pilot and flight engineer; air traffic controller and airfield operations specialist; aerospace engineer; avionics technician; and aircraft mechanic and service technician. Four specialized training professions were compared to pilots: actuary; mechanical engineer; lawyer, judge, and magistrate; and physician. This study also quantified the percent change of Black pilots, compared to White pilots, across the 10-year time frame. Results highlighted a consistent lack of racial diversity across the aviation occupations and specialized training professions examined in this study. Percent change across the years was shown to be markedly erratic for Black pilots, while percent change for White pilots was relatively stable. Further research is warranted to investigate the underlying causes for this erratic trend. Findings from this archival study highlight a potential untapped resource for solving the labor shortage facing the entire aviation industry

Creating Communities of Practice to Promote Sustainability: A Framework for Organizational Change

Everything necessary for human survival depends on our ability to establish stewardship practices that preserve critical resources and foster conditions to ensure long-term protection of Earth’s natural environment for future generations. Sustainability practices rely upon individuals to adhere to conscientious principles to establish a reasonable balance between environmental, social, and economic influences. This presentation seeks to establish a candid dialogue about how to identify opportunities for sustainability, how to implement policies that reinforce sustainability practices, and encourage the formulation of a community of practice to reinforce accountability and continuous improvement of sustainability efforts. Identifying sustainability practices requires a keen understanding of business unit practices, including: What resources are used? How are they expended? What factors influence employee behavior or decision-making regarding resource use? What policies or practices encourage or incentivize employees to support sustainable alternatives? Are sustainable alternatives safe, efficient, and socially acceptable? Are sustainable alternatives economically feasible and reasonable? Using this proposed framework for organizational change, companies can leverage stakeholders to make meaningful and measurable efforts toward enhancing sustainability. As with any business practice, organizations should be prepared to monitor, track, and report the effectiveness and impact of sustainability practices. Engaging a collaborative team can aid organizations in identifying opportunities for sustainability improvement and soliciting possible alternatives. By creating a community of practice, organizations can better integrate sustainability practices and make them a part of the accepted corporate culture. Finally, effective sustainability practices will often generate organizational economic benefits, positive employee rapport, and enhanced community goodwill

Investigating UAS Operator Characteristics Influencing Mission Success

The two objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate how specific operator characteristics (prior experience in manned and unmanned flight, teamwork, and gaming) influence mission success in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations; and 2) evaluate the potential utility of a performance assessment tool. Mission success was assessed using a modified version of the Situation Awareness Linked Indicators Adapted to Novel Tasks (SALIANT) methodology. Eighteen participants completed a UAS scenario (port security) as part of 9 two-person crews (pilot and sensor operator). Results showed that the SALIANT measure was able to discriminate differences in performance among the UAS crews. Results also revealed significant correlations between the targeted operator characteristics and several of the SALIANT indicators. Findings from this study will be used to refine the SALIANT measure to support future research on how to optimize human performance in this domain

Application of a Skill Taxonomy in Aviation

The objective of this project was to develop a preliminary taxonomy for defining the construct ‘skill,’ drawing from the various definitions described in the extant literature. Three separate cognitive task analyses (CTA) were conducted utilizing interviews and observations with subject matter experts within the context of (1) a virtual reality part task trainer for airborne refueling, (2) skills required by pilots in commercial aviation, and (3) aviation maintenance skills for unmanned aircraft systems. The findings from the CTAs were applied to refine the preliminary taxonomy

Defining Aviation “Skills” to Ensure Effective, Safe, and Efficient Evaluations: A Qualitative Study

The present qualitative case study strives to define the term skill within aviation, drawing from the cognitive psychology, organizational psychology, and training literature as well as input from subject matter experts in the aviation industry. A review of the published literature revealed no consensus for defining what constitutes a skill. While some definitions follow a task-based approach, others emphasize more cognitively based representations. Moreover, a formal, commonly accepted definition of the term skill within the aviation domain is lacking. The researchers employed a qualitative case study methodology to extract true descriptions from the subject matter experts to bound and expand from the current literature while rooting the findings within the theoretical model of situation awareness. Findings from this study indicate the term skill encompasses multiple high-order thinking processes. While these processes can be defined differently depending on the field in which one applies the term skill, they are still rooted in three common themes: goal-oriented, efficiency, and high proficiency

Benefits and Challenges of Multidisciplinary Project Teams: Lessons Learned for Researchers and Practitioners

Adopting a multidisciplinary research approach would enable test and evaluation professionals to more effective!y investigate the complex human performance problems faced in today\u27s technologically advanced operational domains. To illustrate the utility of this approach, we present lessons learned based on our experiences as a multi-agency, multidisciplinary team collaborating on an Army research project involving a dynamic military command and control simulation. Our goal with these lessons learned is to provide guidance to researchers and practitioners alike concerning the benefits and challenges of such collaboration. Our project team\u27s diverse members, drawn from both industry and government organizations, offer their multiple p perspectives on these issues. The final sections then summarize the challenges and benefits of multidisciplinary research

September 2018 School of Graduate Studies Newsletter

Notes from the Associate Dean: Reaching the Finish Line SGS Hiring MSA Thesis Defense Dissertation Defenses Student Opportunity SGS Announcementshttps://commons.erau.edu/db-sgs-newletter/1015/thumbnail.jp

Mitigating the Negative Effects of Stress in Space Flight: ATransactional Approach

The primary goal of this theoretical paper is to highlight how a transactional approach to investigating stressor effects during space flight can lead to a greater understanding of the complex processes by which humans adapt psychologically and physically to the adverse conditions encountered in this extreme environment.Transactional approaches conceptualize stress as occurring in the nature of the transaction (Le., interaction) between the individual and the stimulus environment, emphasizing the role of cognitive appraisal (Le., perceived ability to cope with the situation). Interventions that positively influence this cognitive appraisal process may, therefore, lessen the experience of stress and optimize human performance in space. This paper begins with a theoretical overview of the transactional model, followed by a brief review of several major environmental, physiological, and psychological stress-provoking factors encountered during space flight. The final section discusses interventions, within the context of cognitive appraisal, for selection, training, in-flight support, and design

Metacognitive Situation Awareness in Aviation

This exploratory study was aimed at gaining a better understanding of metacognitive situation awareness. Seven subject matter experts, two each for commercial aviation and aviation maintenance and three for air traffic control, were asked to define ‘situation awareness’ as it relates to their job and identify the knowledge, skills, and strategies enabling them to effectively monitor, evaluate, and regulate their situation awareness as they perform their job. Findings from this line of research can guide the design, development, and evaluation of approaches for enhancing and assessing metacognitive situation awareness