A Tutoring System For Air Traffic Control On the Basis of a Cognitive Model

In this paper we present a new computer based training environment for the domain of air traffic control. It is the application of an already existing implementation of a cognitive model for air traffic control (Niessen et al., 1998) that is based on the psychologically founded cognitive architecture ACT-R (Anderson & Lebiere, 1998). The novelty of our new training system lies in its approach to use a cognitive model of an experienced operator. This simulated operator monitors the ongoing events in the environment and builds up an internal representation of the situation. The resulting structure is assumed to be analogous to the mental model the trainee is desired to have. The simulated mental model enables the training system to support the learner by presenting additional training related information. In the next section we describe what air traffic control is. After that we show that in the air traffic control domain other computer based training approaches can not be sufficiently exploited. Thus we describe the ideas behind our training system. We close our report with a brief discussion of the possibilities to apply our approach to other domains.