Computer-based Training Device Research Articles

Improving poststroke recovery: Neuroplasticity and task-oriented training

Neurorehabilitation is a critical part of the overall process to achieve optimal outcome after stroke. Presently, the field of neurorehabilitation is in transition. New research suggesting novel approaches to optimize functional recovery after stroke is on the horizon, but clear knowledge of the underlying mechanisms of this recovery is still being unraveled. In practice, many rehabilitation centers continue to provide traditional compensatory rehabilitation training while many others are practicing newer, "task-oriented" approaches. A few centers are incorporating new technology, such as computer-based training devices or robotics, into rehabilitation care. This transition is happening because neuroscientific research has shown that neuroplastic changes in the cerebral cortex and in other parts of the central nervous system (CNS) are necessarily linked to motor skill retraining in the affected limbs. Task-oriented training that focuses on the practice of skilled motor performance is the critical link to facilitating neural reorganization and "rewiring" in the CNS. Therefore, whenever possible, task-oriented training at an intense level should be incorporated into the rehabilitation program of any patient with stroke-related motor deficits. Two such task-oriented therapies that should be available at all neurorehabilitation centers are constraint-induced movement therapy and body weight-supported treadmill training. The optimal intensity of training (frequency and duration) is still not clear but is certainly greater than that available in clinical programs. Therefore, the incorporation of automated training devices will be necessary in the future. However, the engineering necessary to make these devices effective, easy to use, affordable, and portable remains a challenge for the next decade of neurologic bioengineering research.

Evaluation of a Formal Methodology for Developing Aircraft Vertical Flight Guidance Training Material

Aircraft automation, particularly the automation surrounding vertical navigation, has been cited as an area of training difficulty and a source of confusion during operation. A number of incidents have been attributed to a lack of crew understanding of what the automation is doing. This paper describes the translation of information from a formal methodology used in design of an automated vertical guidance system to a training package, and an experiment that tested the new training. This study is part of a larger project to improve the recognition and understanding of the “objectives and behaviors” of automated systems through a formal methodology. The formal method, referred to as the operational procedures methodology, integrates the design of the system with the design of the training and display information requirements for that system (Sherry, 1995). The study utilized a training package designed to teach the vertical guidance portion of the Flight Mode Annunciator (FMA), as seen in normal operations of the Boeing MD-11. The results of the study showed that this type of training can be successfully delivered via a computer based training device. Additionally, a study in a full cockpit simulator showed that the training, coupled with the new display, provided significantly less errors on a simulated flight, although the training alone did not provide significantly better performance.

The Use of Personal Computer-Based Training Devices in Teaching Instrument Flying: A Comparative Study

The in-flight performance of aviation students trained on PC-Based Training (TDs), using “Elite” and “IFT” software packages, was compared to the in—flight performance of students trained in a FAA approved generic training device (the Frasca 141). Seventy-nine students enrolled in a Instrument Flight Training Course were trained on one of the three TDs and then flew in a Mooney 20J. Instructors/ evaluators used a form, based on criteria specified in FAA's Performance Test Standards (PTS) for an Instrument Rating, to evaluate student performance on six maneuvers and two categories of general flight skills. Student performance was evaluated by course instructors and independent “Stage Check Pilots” during both the ground-based and in-flight portion of the course. For the factors evaluated, no significant difference was noted among those studnets taught in any of the TDs in either the number of trials per task or hours to instrument flight proficiency in the aircraft. However, compared to students trained on the Frasca, students trained on the PC-Based TDs required significantly fewer hours and trials per task, to reach the overall PTSs in the TDs. Additionally, training received in the PC-Based TD cost 46% less than training received in the Frasca. Finally, the cost of the PC-Based TDs, associated hardware and Software was 7.6% of the $60,000 cost of the Frasca. The authors recommend that steps be initiated to qualify PC-Based TDs as Flight Training Devices, in which instrument rating training credit can be accrued.

Effectiveness of PC-Based Flight Simulation

PC-based flight-simulation effectiveness was analyzed through a transfer-of-learning study. Sixty college students with no previous flight experience performed a designated-aircraft maneuver. Thirty of the subjects were trained in a computer-based training device (CBTD) before flying; the remaining 30 were taken directly to the aircraft. Chi-square and t test analyses on the data revealed a statistical advantage at the .01 level of confidence for the CBTD-trained experimental group, which performed significantly better than the control group. The CBTD chosen for this study was AzureSoft's Electronic Instrument Flight Rules Environment (ELITE™), run on a Zenith personal computer. Cessna 150 and 152 aircraft were used for the flight portion of the study. The incorporation of CBTDs in flight training is recommended because they have the potential for reducing the amount of hours spent in the airplane.

A Multidimensional Scaling of Video Games

Ten video games currently used in commercial markets were subjected to pairwise similarity ratings. A multidimensional scaling of the responses revealed three underlying dimensions that accounted for 30% of the variance: destructiveness, dimensionality, and graphic quality. These three dimensions are readily interpretable, can be embedded within personality and motivation literatures, and have application to the design of computer-based training devices.