Recertification of the Boeing 737 MAX jetliner has brought into intense focus a key part of pilot training: simulators. By replicating the look and feel of an aircraft cockpit, simulators are essential for building pilots’ knowledge and skills, while allowing them to experience the physical aspects of operating aircraft.
Simulators are essential for developing psychomotor skills (both gross motor and fine motor) that are critical in aviation, as well as in many other industries, from healthcare to military and defense. In aviation, simulators allow pilots to train for real-world scenarios from routine operations to midflight emergencies. In these simulations, pilots test their knowledge and cognitive skills such as critical thinking and develop psychomotor skills, including manual operation during emergencies.
A Boeing 737 Max, identifiable by its signature winglets, takes off from SeaTac airport in Seattle Washington. Photo Credit: Getty
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Simulator training has been at the center of the 737 MAX recertification discussion given questions about the physical strength required for pilots to manually crank a flight-control wheel during mid-flight emergencies. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it has been examining this issue, although it does not expect it to delay the plane’s return to service. Two fatal crashes of 737 Max planes operated by Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines have been linked to malfunctions in the flight-control system.
The importance of simulator training was further underscored by Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who in 2009 piloted the US Airways plane that made an emergency landing on the Hudson River. In testimony before the House Transportation Committee, Sullenberger stated: “We must make sure that everyone who occupies a pilot seat is fully armed with the information, knowledge, training, skill and judgment to be able to be the absolute master of the aircraft and all its component systems and of the situations simultaneously and continuously throughout the flight.” He underscored the importance of “physical, firsthand experience,” saying, “Reading about it on an iPad is not even close to sufficient.”
Pilot training can be made more effective by using a “blended” approach—that is, simulators combined with by advanced e-learning—ideally, adaptive learning. In other fields, a blended approach speaks to the combination of in-classroom instruction and computer-based adaptive learning. This type of blended environment has been shown to be highly effective in education and workforce training.
In aviation, blended solutions would combine adaptive learning with simulators that provide a full-immersion experience. Adaptive learning can deliver personalized instruction in operations and safety protocols while also building 21st century skills of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. Such blended instruction is imperative for pilots and crews, and is increasingly being used for ground personnel, as well as for jobs across multiple industries where safety is paramount, and error-prevention can save lives.
In aviation, adaptive learning is being used for flight operations training, such as to improve crew scheduling for greater efficiency and cost savings. When technology is upgraded or a new system is rolled out, adaptive learning can help workers get up to speed quickly.
Adaptive learning delivers personalized instruction tailored to the needs of each learner. Using a questions-first approach, advanced adaptive learning platforms determine what each learner has mastered and where there are specific knowledge gaps that need to be addressed with precision. Learners spend time only on those areas in which they need development, while skipping over what they have already mastered, thus reducing the time it takes to reach proficiency. Furthermore, instruction presented with spaced repetition helps maintain knowledge over time. As we have seen among early adopters of adaptive learning in a variety of industries, time savings in reaching proficiency of as much as 50% are common, compared to traditional e-learning or instructor-led training.
Across multiple industries, simulators and adaptive learning provide a complementary approach to building knowledge, skills, and experiences, particularly in high-pressure situations. In healthcare, students, doctors, nurses, EMTs, and other clinicians use simulators to gain experience with certain patient procedures. Simulators also help build fine motor skills, such as for doctors or nurses inserting an IV. Adaptive learning further builds knowledge and competence, by uncovering gaps and the need for additional instruction in a way that is supportive and nonjudgmental.
As technology advances, one mode of learning will not suffice. The combination of state-of-the-art simulators and advanced adaptive learning platforms will help ensure professionals gain the knowledge and skills they need to perform their jobs with competence and confidence for the protection of consumers everywhere. In aviation, this blended approach can enhance pilot training and help ensure safe operation of aircraft, particularly in midflight emergencies when knowledge, skills, and psychomotor skills must come together in automatic responses.
