A Model of Monitoring as Sensemaking: Application to Flight Path Management and Pilot Training

Abstract

Monitoring is a critical part of supervisory control and plays a critical role on the flight deck. Monitoring the flight path is critical to aviation safety. Recently, there has been interest in improving training of monitoring. We propose a model of expert monitoring that can serve as the basis for training. We claim that effective monitoring is much more than a scan pattern or where eyes point. In aviation, monitoring is centered around the pilot’s Situation Model, which integrates and represents the pilot’s knowledge from mental models in memory with observations about the current state. Effective monitoring is a cycle of posing a monitoring question, identifying how to gather the evidence needed to answer the question, and assessing implications for action. These processes may be fluent or effortful but depend on strategic regulation. We step through implications of our model for training.