This study put forth two instructional interventions set within a direct instruction (DI) framework specific to an aviation maintenance context. To evaluate the effectiveness of these two training interventions a criterion was established to measure near transfer during a performance evaluation on a live aircraft. Information learned within this study indicates that DI can be highly effective in technical training environments. This study also articulates how VR experiences may be included within these types of training contexts and discusses the factors and affordances that come with utilizing VR in instructional activities.
Additionally, this study revealed experiential characteristics of a DI training experience from the learner perspective. Most notable among them was how much emphasis learners placed on the Present phase of the direct instruction framework, oftentimes discussing the quality, usefulness, and preference of the study’s training videos comparative to other forms of instructional media, including even the study’s VR experience itself.
Finally, this study leveraged a novel research design for both the instructional context and the study’s unit of measurement in near transfer. This study exemplifies how within-subject repeated measure design may be an ideal framework for researchers looking to address long-standing critiques of experimental research within the field of instructional design
