Influence of hands-on exploration and classroom orientation on learning for developing basic motor control skills for equipment operators

Bhushan N Bhalerao, Purdue University

Abstract

Training for construction equipment operation is risky and costly. Hazards involved, the costly equipment needed, and requirement of personal trainers impose limitation on training. In addition, many of the site conditions required for training may not be feasible, safe or possible to create. Virtual Training Systems (VTS) emerge as a solution to these limitations, effectively reducing risk and training time and allowing flexibility in choosing learning environments. Traditional training for equipment operation includes a classroom orientation for teaching motor controls. In this thesis, the traditional classroom method of learning has been compared with hands-on exploring on a simulator. Subjects taught with classroom orientation executed commands faster and committed fewer errors than subjects who learned controls through hands-on exploring on the simulator. Subjects with hands-on practice expressed higher levels of confidence and their learning strategy was related to the practice time they were allotted. Results indicate that skill development for motor controls requires a balance of instructional orientation and hands-on exploring depending on the proportion of cognitive and perceptual components of the task. In general, subjects demonstrated a trend of executing commands faster and committing fewer errors over time as they practiced on the simulator. Inter-subjects standard deviation reduced, indicating that subjects became more and more like each other with practice on the simulator irrespective of their learning method.

Degree

M.S.C.E.

Advisors

Dunston, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Civil engineering|Cognitive psychology

COinS