Simulator Model Interactivity: Effects on Cognitive Development

Manufacturers of synthetic devices, in particular aircraft simulators, have readily adopted the latest advances in technology in order to achieve the commercial edge over their competitors. Technological advances in computer graphics and computational power enable manufacturers to develop simulators with unprecedented levels of fidelity. Despite these advances, simulators are not realising their full potential nor achieving the anticipated levels of training transfer. Some researchers attribute this shortfall to the application of technology without fully understanding the training audience’s cognitive development requirements. Furthermore, they suggest that current simulator design methodologies may actually inhibit the training audience’s capacity for adaptability and resilience when training transfer is dependent upon the synthetic medium.To verify these concerns, this research investigates the concepts of adaptability and resilience and the role situational awareness (SA) plays in their enhancement. Furthermore, it explores the development of mental constructs that may facilitate SA. In doing so, this research studies knowledge acquisition mediums and defines attributes that may enhance both adaptability and resilience. The research also reviews current simulator design methodologies and their capacity to facilitate attributes. It is identified that current model practices rely on scripts, in particular, system models that support emergency and malfunction training. Limitations associated with script-based models may undermine the attributes that support the development of adaptable and resilient mental constructs.In order to quantify the effects these attributes have on the cognitive development of the training audience, two experiments were designed and implemented. The first experiment was designed to empirically measure the effects system model predictability has on the subject’s SA. The second experiment was designed to investigate the effect the primary attribute, interactivity, has on both the training audience’s cognitive development and SA. Both experiments applied metrics derived from Endsley’s three levels of SA model. The resulting empirical evidence suggests attributes defined in this research have a statistically significant effect on the subject’s mental construct development and SA.Finally, this research presents an alternative modelling approach that facilitates the aforementioned attributes. The proposed approach models the physical system rather than scripting the system’s behaviour. It is suggested that this approach may realise commercial benefits as well as enhancing the training audience’s adaptability and resilience