Effects of multimedia pretraining on pilot's simulator performance

A review of the flight simulation literature revealed that only a limited amount of research has been conducted in the area of PC-based multimedia pretraining on subsequent pilot performance. It was therefore determined that the influence of PC-based multimedia pretraining upon pilots' performance in an approved flight training device needed to be investigated.;The purpose of this research was to determine whether pretraining through the use of an inexpensive multimedia computer program, the ELITE;A Pre-test/Post-test control group design was adopted for this experiment. The participants were first evaluated on prior knowledge of the instrument flight maneuver. Next, the subjects proceeded through a programmed instructional text that explained the instrument flight maneuver. Participants then performed practice trials on either an FAA-approved flight training device or a PC-based multimedia trainer. Finally, an FAA-approved flight training device was utilized to determine psychomotor performance. A personal computer connected to the flight training device recorded the performance data on each subject on several parameters, including altitude and tracking control.;Data analysis of pilots' performance indicated that there is no significant difference between the experimental group and the control group on cognitive performance in both the pre- and post-written evaluations. Analysis of results from pre- and post-psychomotor data indicated that distance performance on the post flight tests showed no significant statistical difference between the control and experimental groups as a function of the type of pretraining.;In conclusion, this study identified PC-based multimedia trainers in aviation as an effective procedural learning tool that can and should be used in the overall flight training environment. More specifically, the research identified the benefits of PC-based multimedia training in aviation as an area for future research. PC-based multimedia learning tools are rapidly approaching a level of refinement that will allow them to become a viable and inexpensive option to the more traditional simulator training.