A comparison between cue-based, exemplar-based, and productionbased training in an air traffic control scenario

The aim of this project was to investigate the extent to which a cue-augmented approach to training would facilitate the acquisition of skilled performance in a simulated air traffic control task. Four training conditions were developed, three of which were designed on the basis of different theoretical approaches to skill acquisition. The context for the research was air traffic control as it provided a useful, applied stimulus that involved correct or incorrect responses. Participants were tasked with learning to recognize when aircraft, displayed on a simulated air traffic control display, would be likely to be involved in a conflict in the absence of change in altitude or track. The results indicated that the generalization of training outcomes to novel stimuli was least accurate when exemplars were provided in the absence of augmented cue or production-based information. The outcomes of this research have implications for the design of training initiatives in applied operational settings.