Utility of Concurrent Bandwidth Feedback in Training Aircraft Flight Tasks

The effects of concurrent bandwidth feedback on operator performance and workload was analyzed in training an aircraft flight control task. In the experiment, participants completed a simulated flight task consisting of three complexity levels using traditional flight instruments. Thirty participants were divided into equal sized control and feedback groups. The control group controlled simulated aircraft motion with visual guidance for pitch, roll, and altitude provided by traditional flight instruments. The feedback group received additional visual concurrent bandwidth feedback for each controlled degree of freedom. For both groups, performance and workload measurements were evaluated to determine the effects of the feedback on subject learning rate and maximum skill level. To assess short-term retention of learned skill for the feedback group, the concurrent feedback was removed, and performance was again evaluated. Statistical analyses showed that participants in the feedback group immediately performed better than those in the control group, that the performance difference between the two groups was more pronounced for more complex tasks, and that final performance levels for the feedback group significantly exceeded that of the control group. We found that concurrent bandwidth feedback does not reduce workload in our flight tasks, and that for the short periods tested, participants continued to perform at the same performance and workload levels when the feedback was removed.

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