Technical intuition in system diagnosis, or accessing the libraries of the mind

Expert diagnosticians draw upon rich, integrated structures of knowledge and associated action rules to achieve their prodigious performances. Studies in both medical diagnosis and electronic troubleshooting have revealed that it is particularized knowledge that plays a vital role for experts in both domains, not inexplicable powers of intuition. Advanced knowledge engineering methods have been developed and applied in a number of Air Force technical domains so that experts' mental databases and procedural libraries can be made explicit enough to serve as targets of instruction. Instructional principles have been derived from this knowledge engineering work and are guiding the development of a new generation of Air Force technical training systems. The training dictum is to teach from realistic cases so that theory of system operation and specialized solution methods are taught in tandem. The learning environments will further foster the welding of factual knowledge to action rules by providing "assisted laboratory" experiences via intelligent tutoring systems. In these environments, trainees can practice carrying out diagnoses on increasingly complex problems with the help of an articulate expert coach.