Transfer of Learning Effectiveness: PC-Based Flight Simulation

Sixty college students with no previous flight experience performed a designated aircraft maneuver so transfer of learning between a computer-based training device (CBTD) and an aircraft could be analyzed. Thirty of the subjects were trained in a CBTD before flying; the remaining 30 were taken directly to the aircraft. This study demonstrated a positive transfer of learning between the CBTD and the aircraft: CBTD-trained students took an average of 12 minutes, while the others took 20 minutes to complete the maneuver. The result was t-value of 5.11 which exceeded the critical t of 2.0, and the transfer of effectiveness ratio formula revealed a 48 percent transfer of learning. Further research is recommended to determine the role of CBTDs in the training of pilots