Problem solving in expert teams

Abstract

This paper presents a functional model (one that describes processes, interactions, and evolution of time) that describes the process of solving problems that takes place in a team of expert engineers and scientists. The context is real-time, safety-critical NASA spaceflight mission operations, specifically the team of flight controllers in the Mission Control Center (MCC). The model includes descriptions of the agents (the representation of the flight controllers) involved and abstractions of their expertise. The model describes abstractions of controller expertise in terms of character stats inspired by multiplayer role-playing games. The problem-solving process follows three stages: detection, isolation, and recovery. The middle stage is the most complex, with two different groupconsensus rules that depend on the difficulty of the problem.