William L. Bewley

New Directions in Rifle Marksmanship Research

We propose that future rifle marksmanship research be framed within a phases-of-skill-development model (Ackerman, 1987, 1992; Anderson, 1982; Fitts & Posner, 1967). Prior research on predicting shooting performance suggests a deceptively complex task sensitive to variations in the individual, equipment, and environment. We argue that rifle marksmanship research should be framed around perceptual-motor, cognitive, affective, equipment, and environmental variables. Although it is unlikely that equipment and environment can be controlled, much can be learned—with training implications—about how perceptual-motor, cognitive, and affective variables relate to shooting performance. The phases-of-skill-development model is silent on affective variables but suggests that cognitive factors will be most sensitive to individuals learning how to shoot, and perceptual-motor variables most sensitive to individuals who already know how to shoot. Identification of where trainees are in their skill development could lead to more efficient and targeted training and decreased training costs.

Evaluation of Medical Simulations

Simulations hold great promise for medical education, but not all simulations are effective, and reviews of simulation-based medical education research indicate that most evaluations of the effectiveness of medical simulations have not been of sufficient technical quality to produce trustworthy results. This article discusses issues associated with the technical quality of evaluations and methods for achieving it in evaluations of the effectiveness of medical simulations. It begins with a discussion of the criteria for technical quality, and then discusses measures available for evaluating medical simulation, approaches to scoring simulation performance, and methodological approaches. It concludes with a summary and discussion of future directions in methods and technology for evaluating medical simulations.

Assessing Cognitive Readiness in a Simulation-Based Training Environment

This chapter describes progress toward developing and validating an assessment of cognitive readiness for Tactical Action Officer performance in a simulated Combat Information Center. In this chapter we describe the simulation environment and scenarios, the constructs defined to measure cognitive readiness, an approach to measurement, and a computer-based assessment tool that operationalizes the measures and supports data collection and reporting. The preliminary results provide evidence that the measures are meaningful indicators of the constructs, but the confirmatory factor analysis and convergent validity results were mixed, depending on the nature of the scenario. The chapter closes with a discussion of the implications for future research.