Fidelity in Learning Environments for the Effectiveness of Training (FLEET) Navy SBIR FY2008.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2008.1 Topic No.: N08-012 Topic Title: Fidelity in Learning Environments for the Effectiveness of Training (FLEET) Proposal No.: N081-012-1196 Firm: Aptima, Inc. 12 Gill Street Suite 1400 Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 Contact: Jamie Estock Phone: (202) 552-6119 Web Site: aptima.com Abstract: Live training of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviators is becoming increasingly constrained by the limited operational life of aircraft, geographic dispersion of personnel, and budgetary restrictions. Training professionals recognize the need for more efficient and effective training, and view simulators as a means to supplement live training at decreased costs. Though transfer from simulators to live-fly is likely to be high, the training community's knowledge of the effects of simulator fidelity on transfer is limited. The Navy is interested in understanding which training programs can be effectively trained in static flight simulators and which require dynamic flight simulators. The Navy first needs measures of pilot performance in F/A-18 missions (e.g., measures of effectiveness and measures of performance) that are sensitive enough to detect objective performance differences invoked by varying levels of fidelity. Objective performance data collected during fidelity experiments will assist the Navy in making informed decisions about the appropriate balance between training in static and dynamic flight simulators, and training in the actual aircraft. This data can also be used to refine and validate a tool for matching F/A-18 training objectives to appropriate training device fidelity - from lower-fidelity simulators, to higher-fidelity simulators, to actual training in the aircraft. Benefits: Under the Fidelity in Learning Environments for the Effectiveness of Training (FLEET) project, the team will develop measures of F/A-18 pilot performance during simulator training events. Experimental validation of the performance measures will ensure that the measures are useful in assessing pilot proficiency during simulation-based training scenarios. By focusing on developing measures that are sensitive to the impact of simulator fidelity on performance, the team will be able to conduct experiments to assess the impacts of specific simulator fidelity characteristics on specific areas of pilot performance. These results will help validate existing models of simulator fidelity training effects, thereby enabling the Navy to make more informed simulator development and acquisition decisions. Ultimately, employing the proper level of fidelity will ensure better training results and reduce costs, by eliminating investments in unnecessary training and technology. Return