Event-Based Approach to Training (EBAT)

The importance of providing real-world experience through virtual environments is well accepted, and this mode of training is used extensively in aviation. It is, therefore, surprising that there are few general methods that guide the design of simulation-based training. The lack of such methods is problematic. Due to recent factors in the aviation industry, such as advances in technology, individuals must now possess a range of skills, increasingly cognitive in nature, that must be trained and evaluated through hands-on experience. Second, training is broadening from an almost exclusive focus on individuals and teams to include multiple crews. It is clear that exercise design methodologies are needed. The purpose of this article is to describe a general approach to the design of simulation-based exercises referred to as the Event-Based Approach to Training (EBAT). Event-based techniques guide the design of training opportunities by systematically identifying and introducing events within training exercises that provide known opportunities to observe behaviors of interest. With EBAT, explicit links are maintained between training objectives, exercise design, and performance assessment. We also discuss several recent applications and address potential new areas that may benefit from its application.