SAT Revisited — A Critical Post-Examination of the Systems Approach to Training

Abstract

A unique application of the Systems Approach to Training (SAT) was carried out for the design of the B-1 aircrew instructional system. A preliminary report was presented at the 1975 Human Factors Society Meeting by Johnson, et aI, (1974) and Sugarman, et aI, (1974). Based on the additional experience, this presentation will share with the training community a look at some of the strengths and weaknesses of the SAT process. The particular application provided a harsh test of the process since the B-1 air vehicle is still in the developmental stages. This resulted in many opportunities to be faced with missing or incomplete data whose criticality to the analysis became more than apparent. The genral state-of-knowledge within Instructional System Development (ISD) itself is incomplete, which also became apparent when applying a highly structured (i.e., internally consistent and documented) SAT process. The major strength of the SAT process is the capability it provides for the justification of many decisions that were hitherto prone to hand-waving. This particular strength comes from the internal documentation for each decision process which is an important feature of SAT. The adequacy of the assumptions underlying the decision processes then becomes subject to scrutiny. The power of the documentation is enhanced by the use of computer aids in data management and economic analysis which facilitate the documentation. Within the present paper, problem areas which weaken the SAT process are also discussed. These include the data bases for the task analysis and economic/policy data, the media selection process, and the development of instructional strategies.