Performance Modelling of Interface Dynamism in Motor Skills Acquisition

Instructions are central to many human skill acquisition processes e.g. like those used for pilot training (Dennis & Harry, 1998). Recent advances in computing technologies have expanded the scope of computer based instructional delivery especially where safety and cost may preclude the use of traditional training systems. The effectiveness of such CBT systems has been subjected to considerable research (Höffler & Leutner, 2007). An important aspect of research into the effectiveness of such instructional methods, which is relevant to the study reported here, is the benefit of dynamic over static components of instructional interfaces used in the acquisition of procedural motor skills as typical in aviation engineering training simulators. Akinlofa, Holt, and Elyan, (under revision), propose a model (Figure. 1) to explain the observed benefit of dynamic visualisations compared with statics for learning novel procedural motor skills by aviation engineering trainees. Following on, a representative sub-step from the study is modelled using the ACT-R 6.0 architecture to examine the post-learning task performances of the different learner groups.