Although there is a commonly held belief that high-fidelity simulators provide a high degree of transfer, some evidence indicates that lower-fidelity simulators can provide benefits without the added expense and complexity of high-fidelity simulators (Wickens & Hollands, 2000). The civilian flight simulator market contains inexpensive systems for training procedures and operations. A plethora of force-cueing devices can augment the lower-fidelity simulators. However, the effect of force-cueing devices on performance and training is a heavily debated topic (e.g., Heintzman, 1997). Furthermore, the available information regarding the impact of fidelity on training effectiveness is documented in a disparate and fragmented literature. The ability to assemble this information in a common location and to establish quantitative, predictive relationships between simulator fidelity and training effectiveness would greatly enhance the value of training programs that utilize simulators to train operators.
In this paper, we will describe the Relating Effective Learning to Attributes of the Training Environment (RELATE) approach, a process designed and applied in the Performance Effects Related to FORce-cueing Manipulation (PERFORM) project. The purpose of the RELATE approach is to establish quantitative, predictive relationships between the attributes of a training environment and training effectiveness. In the PERFORM project, the training attribute of interest is simulator fidelity. The RELATE approach consists of six steps: (1) identifying the relevant dimensions of simulator fidelity, (2) identifying the knowledge and skills (K&S) necessary in the specific domain, (3) determining whether a relationship exists between the fidelity dimensions and the K&S, (4) developing functions that define the relationships between fidelity dimensions and K&S, (5) developing algorithms that predict training effectiveness, and (6) empirically validating the functions and algorithms. We will walk through the steps as they were applied in the PERFORM project, which aimed at determining the level of fidelity required for effective air-to-air combat training in F-16 simulators.