Training Device Design: The Simulation/Stimulation Controversy

Hands-on practice is a necessary aspect of most instructional programs, and training devices are an accepted method for providing such practice. However, the relative effectiveness of two different types of training devices, synthetic trainers and actual equipment trainers, for providing this practice is a matter of controversy. In the absence of a definitive answer, many training organizations have adopted policies limiting procurement to one type of device or to the other. Yet, the successes that have been achieved with both types indicate that neither is inherently superior to the other. This report enumerates seven factors which have been found to affect the relative effectiveness of synthetic and actual equipment trainers in particular situations: they are cost, reliability, maintainability, safety, facility requirements, training features, and modifiability. Examples are provided from the fields of: vehicle operator training (e.g., pilots, helmsmen, astronauts), equipment operator training (e.g., power plant, and sonar operators) and maintenance training. Special chapters are included on pierside trainers and on synthetic maintenance trainers. The purpose of this report is to aid those in a position to select synthetic and actual equipment trainers by making available to them the findings of others in a variety of training situations. (Author)