Instructional designers have claimed for years that systematically designed, outcome-oriented training is not only better but is also cheaper. As the argument runs, properly designed training addresses specific needs that have been accurately identified by prior analysis; only the training needed is developed and administered, thus saving wasted time and motion in the training of irrelevant or already acquired skills and knowledge. This argument has always had strong appeal, but has seldom been supported by data. This is probably partly because much systematically designed training is implemented for emerging systems where no basis of comparison with past training practices exists. Moreover, when systematic training design practices are used to revise training practices for existing systems, the effort is typically coupled with a major revision in content so that the effect of new training practices cannot be clearly distinguished from the effect of new training content.

The Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) for the initial and continuing qualification of commercial airline pilots offers a good opportunity for assessing the effects of systematic training design without the intervening effect of new and different training content. As an initiative to allow airlines to replace current training practices with an approach driven by well-documented analysis of training needs and requirements, the AQP will allow training professionals to observe the effect of new design on existing content in a well-bounded and well-understood domain.

This paper provides an overview of the AQP development process, and shows how an AQP provides opportunities for assessing the cost effectiveness of the products of instructional systems development. A training cost model is introduced as a potential dependent measure for use in assessing cost effectiveness and in predicting the costs/benefits of specific training design options. Preliminary results of the application of the model show support for the positive economic impact of systematically designed training.