Assessment of structural knowledge as a training outcome in process control environments.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Engineering Education
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Traditional knowledge assessments, like verbal tests, are limited in evaluating higher-order learning and understanding.
• Process control training requires effective methods to assess complex knowledge acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel structural knowledge assessment method for process control training.
• To determine the potential of the Association Structure Test (AST) as a training outcome measure.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments involving 91 participants trained on a simulated process control task.
• Assessment of declarative, procedural, and structural knowledge post-training.
• Utilized the computer-based Association Structure Test (AST) for structural knowledge measurement.

Main Results:

• Structural knowledge, measured by AST, significantly correlated with diagnostic performance in both studies.
• The AST demonstrated internal consistency, convergent validity, and predictive validity.
• Evidence supports the AST's reliability and its relationship with practical performance.

Conclusions:

• Structural knowledge assessment using the AST is a promising outcome measure for process control training.
• This method offers potential improvements for training design, delivery, and evaluation.
• The AST provides a more comprehensive evaluation of learning in process control compared to traditional methods.