Research Summaries

Back Developing Expert Performance on Complex Cognitive Tasks

Fiscal Year 2010
Division Research & Sponsored Programs
Department Modeling, Virtual Environments & Simuation Institute
Investigator(s) Sullivan, Joseph A.
Sponsor Office of Naval Research (Navy)
Summary The goal of this research project is to extend our understanding of training methods and performance assessment techniques related to expert performance on continuous, complex cognitive tasks. Many of the training challenges for the defense and security communities involve complex cognitive tasks. Typically these tasks are not only difficult to master, but they occur in operational environments that are not conducive to training. Because of the prevalence and importance of these complex tasks, the application of simulation to raise the efficiency of training is a critical research topic. Environments to study the utility of simulation in training continuous complex cognitive tasks are difficult to establish; however the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES) Institute has experience and resources that can serve as a uniquely valuable test bed. Previous work in the domain of helicopter overland navigation provides key insight into the role of simulation in the acquisition of complex skills. Related work at NAWCTSD focused on determining a trainee's cognitive state has involved discrete tasks with clear beginning and endpoints. Extending and eventually merging these research threads will allow us to study continuous tasks that interrelate with discrete tasks and will improve our understanding of the role of simulation in the development of expertise. We expect that our results from this research will be generalized to any complex cognitive task with both discrete and continuous elements. Comparison of novice versus expert scan may provide useful information to guide instructional systems.
Keywords Training Simulation Virtual Environment Expertise
Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal