Sandrina Ritzmann

The effects of heuristic rule training on operator performance in a simulated process control environment

In complex work environments, the occurrence of novel system states represents a particular challenge for the design of training. This article is concerned with the use of heuristic rules to prepare operators for the management of unfamiliar fault states. An experiment was carried out to examine the effects of heuristic rule training on operator performance and system management behaviour. Thirty-nine trainee operators from the chemical industry took part in the study. They were trained for 4 h on a PC-based simulation of a process control task. Operators in the experimental group received training on heuristic rules while operators in the control group did not. One week later the operators participated in a 70-min testing session. While the results showed that heuristic rules training led to better diagnostic performance, it was also associated with increased operator fatigue and impaired secondary task performance. The implications of the findings for using heuristic rule training are discussed.

Comparative study of three training methods for enhancing process control performance: Emphasis shift training, situation awareness training, and drill and practice

Three training methods to improve attention management skills in process control were compared. Forty students from technical disciplines participated in a five-hour module of emphasis shift training (EST), EST combined with situation awareness training (EST/SA), and drill and practice (D&P) on a simulated process control task. Participants were then tested three times for 45min each (immediately after training, two weeks after training, and six weeks after training) for system control performance and diagnostic performance on familiar and nonfamiliar fault states. D&P led to superior diagnostic performance on familiar system faults. EST/SA training supported the diagnosis of novel system faults. EST was less effective than expected for system control performance. Implications for training design in process control are discussed.

The predictive qualities of operator characteristics for process control performance: the influence of personality and cognitive variables.

This article examines the relationship between operator characteristics and process control performance. Thirty-nine trainee operators participated in a 4-h training session of a simulated process control task and a testing session in which various system faults had to be managed. Cognitive ability, cognitive flexibility, self-efficacy and personality traits were measured as operator characteristics. Cognitive ability related positively to system control performance but not to diagnostic performance. Participants with low cognitive flexibility performed best on system control, whereas participants with high cognitive flexibility performed best on diagnostic performance. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that cognitive ability, cognitive flexibility and declarative knowledge accounted for about 30% of the variability of system control. The findings suggest that consideration of cognitive ability and cognitive flexibility be increased in personnel selection for complex work environments.

Designing Training for Temporal and Adaptive Transfer: A Comparative Evaluation of Three Training Methods for Process Control Tasks

Training in process control environments requires operators to be prepared for temporal and adaptive transfer of skill. Three training methods were compared with regard to their effectiveness in supporting transfer: Drill & Practice (D&P), Error Training (ET), and procedure-based and error heuristics training (PHT). Communication electronics trainees (N = 61) were tested twice (9 and 13 weeks after training). The D&P group outperformed the ET group with respect to temporal transfer. The expected benefits of PHT and ET for adaptive transfer were not found. The superiority of D&P demonstrates that cognitive tasks also need repeated practice for temporal transfer.

Flexibility under complexity: Work contexts, task profiles and team processes of high responsibility teams

Purpose – The purpose of the present study is to introduce the elements characterising the work context of high responsibility teams (HRTs) operating in high reliability contexts such as medicine or aviation. Based on these elements, the authors reflected on the function of teamwork in these contexts, which is strongly dominated by a notion of flexibility under complexity, based on the technical, normative, and governance dimensions of teamwork.Design/methodology/approach – Problem‐centred interviews (n=11) based on semi‐structured guidelines were conducted. Subsequently, a survey was conducted using a questionnaire inventory in six different HRT work contexts (n=551).Findings – The interviews and survey results show significant differences regarding, for example, hierarchy or stress posed on the HRTs. However, they also demonstrate relevant similarities regarding, for instance, dimensions of complexity occurring in the teamwork contexts. Both differences and similarities influence how the support systems...

Using Comics as a Transfer Support Tool for Crew Resource Management Training

Transfer of Crew Resource Management (CRM) Training is an important issue when determining the effectiveness of CRM, but factors influencing transfer after training such as supervisor support cannot be easily controlled in the daily work of airline crews. In this study, a comic-based transfer support tool for flight attendants was designed and tested. Nineteen flight attendants received four comics depicting realistic CRM-related incidents following their initial CRM training in regular intervals. The impact of comics on attitudes, knowledge, behavior, self-efficacy (SE), and retrospective perceived usefulness of training was measured and compared against a control group (n = 22). The comic group showed higher values in SE and retrospective usefulness, but lower values in mean attitude toward CRM. Results for knowledge and behavior were not significant. Correlation analyses showed that number of comics read was associated with higher SE, higher values in retrospective usefulness and assertive behavior, better knowledge about the aim of CRM and lower values in attitude toward situation awareness. Comics thus had a positive impact on SE, but higher SE might have caused a shift towards riskier attitudes (Krueger Jr. & Dickson, 1994). Further research is needed to determine the effect of comics on transfer of knowledge and behavior.

A first exploratory study on the relevance of everyday object knowledge and training for increasing efficiency in airport security X-ray screening

Secure air transportation is vital for economy and society and it relies heavily on airport security screening. Passenger bags and other belongings are screened using X-ray machines to ensure that they do not contain prohibited items. Human operators (X-ray screeners) visually inspect X-ray images to decide whether they are harmless or whether they might contain a prohibited item and therefore require secondary search (typically using manual search and/or explosive trace detection technology). Several previous studies have shown that learning which items are prohibited and what they look like in X-ray images of passenger bags is important to achieve good detection performance. As passenger bags contain a large variety of harmless everyday objects, it could be assumed that knowing what such objects look like in X-ray images could help X-ray screeners to work more efficiently by reducing false alarms (i.e. sending a passenger bag to secondary search even though it does not contain a prohibited item). In the first experiment, the relationship between knowledge of harmless everyday objects and false alarm rate was investigated with 15 certified X-ray screeners of one large European airport. Statistical analyses revealed a good knowledge of harmless everyday objects on average with some variation between X-ray screeners and a negative correlation with false alarm rate. In the second experiment, the effectiveness of an e-learning course for acquiring knowledge of everyday objects in X-ray images was evaluated. Thirty novices conducted a test-retest experiment where half of the participants conducted an e-learning course about harmless everyday objects in X-ray images between the two tests. The results revealed that e-learning can be an effective and efficient method for increasing the knowledge of everyday objects in X-ray images. Based on the results of both studies, the relevance to learn everyday objects as part of initial and recurrent training of X-ray screeners is discussed.

Initial results of web based blended learning in the field of air cargo security

With the currently implemented high standards in passenger screening, air cargo is being perceived as the security chains weakest link in civil aviation and therefore becomes an attractive target for terrorists. Detailed regulations exist to harden air cargo against terrorist attacks. Blended learning training methods can be used to enable screeners to detect suspicious consignments even in situations when technical measures (e.g. x-ray) do not indicate any threat In this study, blended learning was conducted at a handling agents premises at a Swiss airport in three courses (seven trainees in total) and evaluated subsequently. Results show a very high satisfaction with the training and very high scores in the final exam. However, trainees repeatedly skipped text inside the web based training (WBT) leading to the conclusion that the WBT has to be optimized in terms of presentation modes. Suggestions on how to create even more engaging WBT content can be found in various methods of classification of computer based training (CBT) and are discussed in this paper.