Possible Thesis Areas and Topics.
Each paragraph describes a general area of work. These give a broad description of the high level problem and approach. Below the paragraph are a few samples of specific thesis topics that would solve a reasonable portion of the problem. These samples are intended to serve as a starting point and suggest or inspire additional approaches. Based on a problem domain you are more familiar with or ideas you have to address the issue you may come up with much more insightful hypotheses.
Improved Task Analysis Products and Techniques:
Create better ways to understand real world tasks; more useful descriptions of defense and security community’s challenging tasks (e.g. better inform training simulation design process, improve operational capability): Currently methods for designing training start with descriptions of both how the task is performed (cognitive task analysis) and how people learn (learning task analysis.) Can we improve current task and learning analysis techniques? For different roles (command and control, urban operations, irregular warfare); how do we find out what trainee behaviors and neurophysiologicl cues might provide useful information to instructors and instructional systems?
Efficient and Reliable Methods for Matching Technology to Training Need:
Improve the way we select the most suitable technology for various tasks, user groups and operational settings. Technology evolves quickly based on incremental improvements to underlying capabilities such as processor speed, memory, network bandwidth, graphics fill rates, display technologies. The pace of integrating these new technologies into operational training systems tends to lag. The development of technology tends to be along the lines of know capabilities, and is independent of processes to define how these capabilities could be applied to operational challenges. Similarly the tasks facing defense and security communities are also changing rapidly in unpredictable ways. What technologies show the greatest promise in this changing landscape? How do we assess the risks and benefits and guide research decisions related to improvements in core capabilities?
Improve Technology for Training:
Creating a virtual environment that supports learning experiences depends on the underlying technology. What advances in the underlying technologies for virtual environments would provide leap-ahead training and operational capability? How can we improve rendering, connectivity, assessment technologies in meaningful ways? How do we improve capabilities that lead to realism and effectiveness?
Understanding Navigation
Improving Methods for Measuring Skill
Exploring additional methods for assessing skill level; including fMRI, EEG and others. Is terrain association related to other spatial reasoning skills? What tests accurately predict performance in missions? Does ability to conduct terrain association in static scenes relate to terrain association on the fly?
Skill Acquisition in Complex Cognitive Tasks
Explore how skill levels improve in complex cognitive tasks. This could be based on Ericcson’s definition of expertise or Gary Klein’s naturalistic decision making model. For Klein’s work, skill acquisition does not occur as a linear pattern. Could we use eyetracking, fMRI, cognitive tests, etc to attempt to mark more subtle stages of skill acquisition, beyond novice vs expert. Also to determine when a novice has reached adequate level of a particular skill.
