Student Perceptions on the Usefulness of Simulation-Based Training

The NASA Flight Operations Center Unified Simulation (FOCUS) lab is a high-fidelity simulation of an airline operations center. Its purpose is to train senior aerospace students to collaborate and communicate effectively with team members in a highly interdependent environment that mirrors the airline industry. Data wascollected from the participants on their perceptions and the lessons learned from running the lab. These results were analyzed across elevensemestersover the last five years. Specifically,the quantitative data captured student perceptions about whether the lab was helpful in preparing them for their future job demands. The qualitative questions assessed their most important lessons learned, the problems they encountered, and their recommended changes.While there were some variances in student perceptions, teamwork and communication were repeatedly cited as being the most crucial variables to their success in running the virtual airline