Workforce Development and Training research seeks to modernize content and course delivery using new technology and instructional design strategies with an emphasis on linking curriculum to specific competencies and job tasks. In addition, the research seeks to identify improvements to recruitment, hiring, pre-screening, on-boarding, and placement practices. Key overarching topics within this theme include skill development and transfer, system-level training, and developing consistencies in nomenclature, training methods, and problem solving approaches throughout aviation organizations.
This research theme encompasses the original research focus areas of Curriculum Architecture, Content Management and Delivery, and Simulation and Part Task Training.
The Workforce Development and Training projects and the respective outcomes are:
ATC Scenario Training Technology (ASTT): Scenario exploration technology platform prototype to enable on demand practice of air traffic control scenarios to enhance En Route training. This project is categorized primarily as Workforce Development and Training and secondarily as Human Factors. Project completed.
Best Practices and Methods for Virtual Training Delivery: Recommendations for transition to virtual training environment with synchronous and asynchronous instructional delivery techniques, simulation, and online learning management for courses such as AT Basics and Initial Tower. Project completed.
Course Development: Means for modernizing training flexibility by demonstrating development of aviation technical courses using innovative instructional systems design practices. Project completed.
Course to Module Conversion: Development of a course to module protocol document to detail the concept of modular curriculum as well as the steps necessary to dissect a course and identify its modular components. Phase II of Modular Curriculum Design project.
Create COE Strategic Framework – Modernization of Airworthiness Training: The goal of this project is to create teaching and training materials to serve as a foundation for airworthiness precepts that can be infused into engineering education and professional training. As a function of outcome successes, future concepts will be incorporated into other teaching efforts at a national level to support defining airworthiness engineering as a new formal discipline.
Creating an Adaptive and Distributive Competency-Based Learning Environment: Comprehensive approach to adaptive testing, course development and delivery, adaptive content, managing training content, transfer of information for development of employees throughout the life cycle of their career from onboarding to OJT to refresher training (employee footprint) for aviation safety inspectors. Project completed.
Development of Learning Taxonomy: Set of learning taxonomies for use in training cataloging, analysis, and development to provide a common language, vocabulary, and understanding of how different items relate to each other so that content can be more easily identified for reusability. Recommend learning taxonomy best suited for use with an LCMS to manage content by providing a system of classification and organization, allowing development teams to check for possible duplication, existing content, and possibly content in development while allowing learners to get to content they are looking for. Project completed.
Employee Footprint: 21st Century Approach Towards Employee Development: Based on corporate strategies for hiring, training, and retaining employees, cost-effective approach to providing training. This project is categorized primarily as Workforce Development and Training and secondarily as Human Factors. Project completed.
Enhanced AT-CPC Training: Recommended enhancements for future advanced-level air traffic controller training based on skill and proficiency training. Project completed.
Explore Use of Gamification for Training: Prototype of serious game that focuses on increasing learner engagement, knowledge transfer, learner control in a risk-free environment based in a virtual work environment (Wittman Regional Airport) that contains air traffic controller tasks with elements of gamification and virtual reality. Project completed.
Field Training Standardization: Recommended enhancements to training and OJT in field facilities, allowing FAA to tailor the OJTI course to bring a more uniform OJT experience to the workforce, potentially resulting in fewer failures, fewer Training Review Boards, fewer NEST reassignments. Project completed.
Managing Training Content Including Adaptive Learning Capabilities Using 21st Century Technology: Learning Management System (LMS) or Learning Content Management System (LCMS) that supports face-to-face learning, virtual classroom learning, mobile learning, adaptive learning, modular learning, evaluation of learning, and rapid updating capabilities. Project completed.
Modular Curriculum Design: Concept mapping of content based on job function that may be appropriate for modularizing and recommend how to modify processes to develop future content to improve learners’ ability to access the right content in a timely manner by creating smaller, consumable pieces that can either be used independently as on-demand resources or aggregated into larger training products in the future Learning Content Management System (LCMS). Project completed.
Optimize Simulation: Benefits and return on investment for simulation and recommend when and how to optimize simulation for use in training and process for updating simulations concurrent with equipment changes. This project is categorized primarily as Workforce Development and Training and secondarily as Human Factors. Project completed.
Part 141 Pilot School Model Feasibility Study: With emphasis on determining feasibility of a 141 pilot school model, recommended model to deliver currency/proficiency and training services to aviation safety participants in FAA Flight Program. This project is categorized primarily as Human Factors and secondarily as Workforce Development and Training. Project completed.
Research Alternative ISD Model: Extensive technical report and executive summary describing best practices for instructional design and development of technical education and training to reduce development time and costs, increase development capacity, and speedup delivery of training. Project completed.
Standardization of Training for Training Administrators: Recommended enhancements for the train the trainer program to produce more capable, confident, and well-rounded administrators. Project completed.
Technical Operations: Airway Transportation Systems Specialist Training Analysis: Based on gap analysis of existing training and needs of Airway Transportation Systems Specialist (ATSS), updated process map for visualizing and validating the training track and in-field process flow experienced by the technician to reduces outage restoration time and erroneous/waste of limited parts logistics. Project completed.