Cognitive task analysis and innovation of training : The case of structured troubleshooting
article
Troubleshooting can often be a time consuming and difficult activity. The question how the training of beginning technicians can be improved was the starting point of the research described in this article. A cognitive task analysis was carried out consisting of two preliminary observational studies on troubleshooting in naturalistic settings, combined with an interpretation of the data obtained in the context of the existing literature. On the basis of this cognitive task analysis, a new method for the training of troubleshooting was developed ("Structured Troubleshooting"), which combines a domain-independent strategy for troubleshooting with a context-dependent multi-level functional decomposition of systems. This method has been systematically evaluated for its use in training. The results show that technicians trained in Structured Troubleshooting solve twice as many malfunctions, in less time, than those trained in the traditional way. Moreover, Structured Troubleshooting can be trained in less time than traditional troubleshooting. Finally, technicians learn to troubleshoot in an explicit and uniform way. These advantages of Structured Troubleshooting ultimately lead to a reduction in training and troubleshooting costs.
Topics
TNO Identifier
9799
Source
Human Factors, 42(1), pp. 75 - 86.
Pages
75 - 86
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