Evaluating Computer Based Training for In Flight Icing

Abstract

Since the 1940’s a great deal has been learned about aircra ft icing. However, icing accidents continue to occur. Many of these accidents appear to be preventable. Had the pilots known the danger that they were in and had they taken appropriate actions, lives could have been saved. To address this apparent gap in knowledge, a variety of training products have been developed. The most elaborate of these is an interactive computer based training (CBT) product for professional pilots. This CBT was designed both to impart factual knowledge and to enhance pilots’ a bilities to make appropriate operational decisions regarding icing. To accomplish these goals, the educational design of the CBT relied heavily on current work in cognitive science on learning and decision -making. To evaluate the effectiveness of this ap proach, an experiment was conducted. Professional pilots’ factual knowledge of icing and decisions in operational situations were evaluated. Then the participants received one of three educational products: the original CBT, a CBT lacking the interactive exercises, or a booklet on icing. After completing this training, the pilots’ factual knowledge and operational decisions were again evaluated. In addition, subjective evaluations of the materials and evaluations of the pilots’ previous training experie nce were obtained. Preliminary results indicate that the pilots learned more from the CBT and rated it more highly than the other materials and their previous training. This suggests that training based on current knowledge of learning and decision -makin g can be unusually effective and that the time, money, and effort required to produce these products are justified. I. Introduction Over the last 60 years, our understanding of icing has increased substantially. We now know a great deal about the physics, meteorology, and aerodynamic effects of icing. However, the continuing occurrence of icing accidents suggests that this knowledge is not permeating through the aviation community as it should. To address this problem, the Icing Branch at Glenn Research C enter of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed a series of videos and other training products designed to teach pilots about in -flight icing. ‡ A recent installment in this series is A Pilot’s Guide to In -flight Icing 1 , a comput er -based training program designed for use by pilots without instructor intervention. A Pilot’s Guide to In -flight Icing was designed to provide pilots with the background and procedural knowledge that would lead them to make appropriate operational decis ions about icing. The primary goal of aviation training should be to provide pilots with the knowledge and skills they need to make appropriate operational decisions and to implement those decisions. Pilots must not only learn a great deal of informatio n, they must learn how to apply their knowledge effectively in the operational environment. In this context, cognitive psychologists make a distinction between declarative and procedural knowledge. 2