This paper describes the design and computer production of highly illustrated training materials to teach complex operating procedures. Procedure training is the most common type of military training and is widely perceived as needing improvement. The training materials described in this paper, and the computer routines used to create them, have been successfully field-tested in teaching selected operating procedures of the SH-3D/H aircraft. A typical page is highly illustrated and follows a strict format, including an overview of the equipment, and pictorial close-ups for action and response. Narrative description is kept to a minimum. Computer routines can control vocabulary by checking each word against carefully developed lists (including technical words, abbreviations and nomenclature). In addition to the book, the procedural training package includes a detailed line drawing or photograph of the equipment's control panel (paper mock-up); students continually refer to the paper mock-up during their learning. Formats and word lists are now incorporated into draft specifications for the Naval Technical Information Presentation Program, an automated process to produce technical information for new Navy systems.
Computer Aided Authoring of Procedural Training Documents
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