Understanding a topographic map is a non-trivial cognitive and perceptual process that is a critical part of Land Navigation training for many military personnel. The three-dimensional representation implied by the contour lines on a map must be mentally constructed and transformed in order to tie the map representation to the visual perception of the world. Understanding the relationship of map to environment is necessary for navigation and to make planning decisions appropriate to the environment. Developing this skill is a learning process typically done through a traditional combination of instruction and field exercise, with expertise developing from extensive field experience. The CERES project aims to accelerate the development of map reading expertise by a novel practice protocol using simulation-based training to provide many hundreds of practice events rapidly and inexpensively. With large numbers of repetitions, a process of implicit learning is engaged leading to development of fluid, automatic, and expert cognitive performance. The training approach is accomplished by using procedural generation of terrain environments from which topographic maps are generated. Over training, topographic maps are repeatedly paired with first person perspective views within the simulated environment, each shown briefly (30s total). Participants express understanding of the map by successfully indicating their facing orientation from the first-person. During training, feedback about the accuracy of their orientation judgment is provided and the task difficulty adjusted adaptively. With practice, participants gradually improve their ability to connect the visual features of their location with the structure implied by the contour lines on the maps and correctly read their position and facing on the map. Improved ability to understand the topographic maps is shown in better performance on a no-feedback post-training assessment (compared to pre-training) reflecting preliminary success at training rapid, intuitive map understanding with a high-repetition simulation-based training protocol.
Human Performance Analysis and Engineering
Cognitive Expertise through Repetition Enhanced Simulation (CERES): Learning to Understand Topographic Maps
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