Funded by the Office of Naval Research
Cognitive and Neural Sciences Division
Program Officer: Dr. Susan Chipman
Award Number N000140210152
2005-2006. $32,000.00

PI: Dr. Stephanie Doane
Team Members: Dr. Gary Bradshaw, Ben Craig, Andrew Egerton, Dave Wilson

Tutoring Dynamic Task Performance: Instructor – Student Interaction Dynamics*

Abstract:
Optimizing warrior performance in dynamically changing tactical environments requires training for adaptation. Our force must be quick to respond, flexible in their methods, and able to adapt to dynamically changing environments in real time. In order to design platforms, weapons and training programs that promote warrior adaptation, we must first understand the cognitive mechanisms that support adaptive warrior cognition and action. One goal of ONR’s cognitive science program to determine the cognitive mechanisms that govern training. The overarching goal of training research is to use human learning and performance evidence in the development and evaluation of theories of human learning. This in turn provides a scientific basis for predictive human engineering of embedded cognitive tutors that train optimal human performance in complex systems such as aviation cockpits. The present initiative will examine cognitive mechanisms that govern the dynamics of instructor-student interactions (ISI) during actual flight performance. Specifically, human flight instructors and flight students will perform flight maneuvers in a real aircraft. Instruction sessions will be videotaped. Of particular interest are the ISI dynamics during actual flight. The ISI will be analyzed to determine what aspects are crucial for optimizing adaptive warrior training. The results ill inform the design of the ISI for a real-time cognitive tutor for piloting aircraft. The budget for this effort includes funds to pay for flight instructors as consultants, flight time, and subject hours. This effort will facilitate design of a prototype of how to use a cognitive tutor to improve training of real-time dynamic tasks, a critical need for a broad range of 21st Century Navy aviator jobs.

*This is a sub-award of “Tutoring Real-Time Complex Dynamic Task Performance”. It is split internally on MSU Award 360052 192700.