HRR - Gap - TRAIN-04: We do not know the types of skills and knowledge that can be retained and generalized across tasks for a given mission to maximize crew performance. (Previous title: SHFE-TRAIN-04)

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TRAIN-04: We do not know the types of skills and knowledge that can be retained and generalized across tasks for a given mission to maximize crew performance. (Previous title: SHFE-TRAIN-04)

Last Published: 07/31/19 10:05:30 AM (Central)

Responsible Element: Human Factors and Behavioral Performance (HFBP)

Status: Open

Description

Initial State of Gap:
New long-duration, long-distance space exploration missions present new challenges, as these missions significantly differ from our past exploration experience. We cannot predict all the tasks crewmembers may be required to perform during such missions, and thus cannot design pre-flight training to address tasks about which we do not yet know. This lack of knowledge requires a shift from task-based training typical of past and current space missions to skill-based training that focuses on the long-term retentions and generalizability or transferability of acquired skills and knowledge. However, we do not know the types of skills and knowledge that can be retained and generalized across tasks for different design reference missions (DRMs). Furthermore, we have not quantified the retention & decay functions of skills, knowledge and materials currently trained. Nevertheless, we do know that Earth-based studies have shown that skills that are retained over long time intervals are highly specific and do not generalize, whereas skills that generalize easily are not always retained well. Thus, determining basic skills that could both be retained and generalized across tasks remain a significant challenge.

Interim Steps:

Document current training assumptions underlying crew performance in terms of a general taxonomy of skills and knowledge.
- Determine a general taxonomy for types of skills and knowledge underlying crew performance.
- Document, using the generalized taxonomy, current ISS training approach for crew performance that maximizes effectiveness and minimizes errors in space operations.
Analyze design reference mission of future space exploration missions to determine expected needs of skills and knowledge training for these missions.
- Identify significant new or different mission drivers that affect training, including, but not limited to, longer mission durations, asynchronous communications (i.e., long-distance operational constraints), self-guided training (i.e., no real-time feedback & correction from instructor) and surface exploration.
- Document taxonomy for types of skills and knowledge for a given mission.
Within the framework of the defined taxonomy for skills and knowledge, determine the retainable and transferable skills and knowledge necessary for future space exploration missions.
- Delineate, if any, current research that maps to NASA’s needs concerning retention and transfer of knowledge and skills, including difference between novice and expert operators.
- Assess and document which of the identified skills or categories of knowledge are retainable, and which are not generalizable, necessitating in-flight training during future long-duration, long-distance missions.
Solicit and conduct research to determine and validate skills and knowledge that are retainable and transferable. Research will focus on skills and knowledge that are necessary and unique to NASA’s long-duration missions and where there is limited data in other analogous domains.
Document recommended types of skills and knowledge that can be retained and generalized for a given mission, reported in appropriate publications, standards, stakeholder panels, and/or risk Evidence Reports.

Approach:

Conduct observations, interviews, workshops and technical interchange meetings (TIMs) as appropriate to gather subject matter expert and stakeholder knowledge, arrive at a consensus on important issues, and vet conclusions concerning skills and knowledge underlying crew performance in space operations.
Use literature reviews to refine critical inputs for skill retention and transfer.
Utilize solicited and directed projects to conduct experimental research to identify and validate basic/underlying skills and knowledge appropriate to the projected needs of long-duration long-distance space missions.
Validate in an operational context and refine results produced through solicited and directed research and use of in-flight or analog data.

Target for Closure

Documentation of recommended types of skills and knowledge that can be retained and generalized for a given mission, reported in appropriate publications, standards, stakeholder panels, and/or risk Evidence Reports.

Mappings

Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies

TRAIN-04: We do not know the types of skills and knowledge that can be retained and generalized across tasks for a given mission to maximize crew performance. (Previous title: SHFE-TRAIN-04)

Active

Training for Generalizable Skills & Knowledge: Integrating Principles and Procedures

Task Book: Entry
Principal Investigator: Billman, Dorrit

Short Title: Generalizable Skills

Responsible HRP Element: Human Factors and Behavioral Performance

Collaborating Org(s):

Funding Status: Active - Currently funded and in progress

Procurement Mechanism(s):

Solicited

Aims:

Long-duration, exploration-class missions (LDEM) present new training challenges, as these missions significantly differ from our past exploration experience. We cannot predict all the tasks crewmembers may be required to perform during such missions, and thus cannot design pre-flight training to address tasks about which we do not yet know. This lack of knowledge requires a shift from task-based training typical of past and current space missions to skill-based training that focuses on the long-term retention and generalization of pre-flight training to transfer to new and unexpected onboard operations. However, we do not know the characteristics of skills and knowledge that lead to better retention, generalization, and transfer nor do we know the best training principles that support retention, generalization, and transfer.

Identify characteristics of skills and knowledge that lead to better retention, generalization, and transfer. (i.e. identify what enables learners to apply trained skills and knowledge to new tasks.)
Identify training practices that support retention, generalization, and transfer, such as integrated training in the operational context.

These results will help close the gap on generalizable skills by identifying characteristics of skills and training practices that support training retention, generalization, and transfer.

Resources (Other)

Deliverables (1)

Effects of Long-Duration Spaceflight on Training Retention

Task Book: Entry
Principal Investigator: Barshi, Immanuel

Short Title: Training Retention

Responsible HRP Element: Human Factors and Behavioral Performance

Collaborating Org(s):

Funding Status: Active - Currently funded and in progress

Procurement Mechanism(s):

Directed

Aims:

Future space missions involve both a long-duration and long communication delays (up to 30 seconds for Near Earth Asteroid / Near Earth Orbit missions and up to 40 minutes for Mars missions). These factors mean that training crewmembers for these missions requires durable training, surviving long delays between training and actual use of the learned knowledge and skills. Yet, the current intervals of on-board-training (OBT) for emergencies and to maintain currency on EVA and the robotic arm are largely based on anecdotal experience. Furthermore, all our theories and knowledge about skill acquisition, retention, and transfer to new situations are based on studies conducted at university laboratories with undergraduate students as research subjects. We do not know how well these studies apply to astronauts in space operations.
We do not know how well crews retain knowledge trained pre-flight, how well the knowledge transfers, how frequently critical skill should be refreshed, or what type of information or guidance need to be available for autonomous crews in terms of Just-in-Time (JIT) training and performance support tools.

Three specific aims are included in this study:

Test the retention and transfer of specific technical content learned pre-launch to assess the need for (and possible schedule of) onboard refresher and JIT training.
Compare the process of skill decay on orbit with that of a closely matched subject on Earth, and with that of university undergraduate students on Earth.
Collect naturalistic data from onboard and previously flown crew on training-related crew performance including: performance errors, requests for ground support, need to review previously learned material, and training success stories.

These results, along with results from the subsequent Training Retention – Flight Validation study, will help close the gap on how to determine retention in operational spaceflight and will identify information and guidance likely to be needed in the form of refresher training, JITT, or performance support tools.

The study addresses interests of three different Elements within the Human Research Program (HRP), and will thus be a close collaboration among these elements: Human Factors and Behavioral Performance (HFBP) and (ExMC) Exploration Medical Capabilities.

Resources (Ground Analog, Other)

Deliverables (1)

Category: Risk Characterization, Quantification
Subcategory: Evidence or Risk Characterization

Description:

The deliverables for Training Retention will be a report on training retention and transfer over a long-duration spaceflight mission, including results from matched and undergraduate university students subjects on ground, and will include recommendations for refresher training, Just-in-Time materials, and performance support tools based on analysis of requests for help and additional information from the ground.

This report, along with the report from the subsequent Training Retention – Flight Validation study, will help close the gap on how to determine retention in operational spaceflight and will identify information and guidance likely to be needed in the form of refresher training, JITT, or performance support tools.

Internal Customers:
Exploration Medical Capability
Human Factors and Behavioral Performance
External Customers:
None Is a Customer-Supplier Agreement (CSA) Required? No

Planned-Funded

Operational Performance Measures: Crew Proficiency and Simulation

Task Book: Entry Unavailable
Principal Investigator: TBD

Short Title: Operational Performance Measures: Crew Proficiency and Simulation

Responsible HRP Element: Human Factors and Behavioral Performance

Collaborating Org(s):

Funding Status: Planned-Funded - Task expected to be within budget

Procurement Mechanism(s):

Directed

Aims:
Develop performance standards for crew performance in spaceflight. 2) Identify corresponding measures for team, medical, and technical tasks, and define HSRB risk metric(s) for team and training.

Resources (None Listed)

Deliverables (2)

Category: Standard
Subcategory:

Description:
Team and training (baseline) human performance Standards/Guidelines for NASA Standards 3001, and identification of gaps that still need to be filled with recommendations for research to fill these gaps. HRP and FOD will complete their collaborative efforts to develop Standards.

Internal Customers:
Human Factors and Behavioral Performance
External Customers:
None Is a Customer-Supplier Agreement (CSA) Required? No

Category:
Subcategory:

Description:

Internal Customers:
None External Customers:
None Is a Customer-Supplier Agreement (CSA) Required? No

Individual and Team Problem-Solving Skills Training for Exploration Missions

Task Book: Entry Unavailable
Principal Investigator: TBD

Short Title: Problem Solving Skills Training

Responsible HRP Element: Human Factors and Behavioral Performance

Collaborating Org(s):

Funding Status: Planned-Funded - Task expected to be within budget

Procurement Mechanism(s):

Solicited

Aims:
NASA’s “mission teams” are composed of astronauts and Earth-based support staff (flight crews, Mission Control Center, flight controllers, flight control teams, etc.) who work closely together to ensure both individual and crew performance. Future Long Duration Spaceflight Exploration (LDSE) missions, potentially including planetary surface missions on Mars, will demand the support and ability of these teams to manage shifting levels of autonomy when crew health, performance and/or mission success are threatened by unanticipated problems.
This task will provide standards and guidelines for training individual and team problem-solving skills across all team, medical, and technical domains for both work and non-work situations throughout a long-duration mission.

1. Determine how problem-solving skills are developed and used in operational settings such that there is generalization across many tasks and situations.
2. Identify which individual and team skills are most important to performing tasks in normal conditions and surviving in emergency conditions for LDEM.
3. Determine the relationship of individual cognitive processes/skills (e.g., attention, reasoning) to team cognitive processes/skills (e.g., collaborative problem solving, decision making).
4. Describe how these skills change over time and what may trigger these shifts.
5. Validate measurement, particularly unobtrusive measurement, of these skills for both individuals and teams.
6. Develop validated training guidelines and recommendations to develop and maintain individual and team cognitive skills throughout an LDSE mission, and allow them to be trained efficiently to maintain performance across tasks and situations in mission.

Resources (Ground Analog, Flight)

Deliverables (3)

Category: Risk Characterization, Quantification
Subcategory: Evidence or Risk Characterization

Description:
Risk characterization describing which individual and team skills related to problem-solving are most important in both nominal and off-nominal tasks/situation, how these skills may generalize across tasks/situations, and how these skills change over time and, if so, what may trigger these shifts.

Internal Customers:
Human Factors and Behavioral Performance
External Customers:
None Is a Customer-Supplier Agreement (CSA) Required? No

Category: Standard
Subcategory: Update

Description:
Standards and Guidelines recommendations related to training and other countermeasures to develop and maintain individual and team problemsolving skills

Internal Customers:
Human Factors and Behavioral Performance
External Customers:
None Is a Customer-Supplier Agreement (CSA) Required? No

Category: Countermeasure
Subcategory: Protocol

Description:
Corresponding countermeasure prototypes and training protocols supporting the recommended Standards and Guidelines.

Internal Customers:
Human Factors and Behavioral Performance
External Customers:
None Is a Customer-Supplier Agreement (CSA) Required? No

Documentation:

No Documentation Available

Related Gaps (9)

TRAIN-01: We do not know which validated objective measures of operator proficiency and of training effectiveness should be used for future long-duration exploration missions. (Previous title: SHFE-TRAIN-01)

Common Item(s)
	Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies
	Individual and Team Problem-Solving Skills Training for Exploration Missions
	Operational Performance Measures: Crew Proficiency and Simulation

TRAIN-02: We need to identify effective methods and tools that can be used to train for long-duration, long-distance space missions. (Previous title: SHFE-TRAIN-02)

Common Item(s)
	Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies

TRAIN-03: We need to develop guidelines for effective onboard training systems that provide training traditionally assumed for pre-flight. (Previous title: SHFE-TRAIN-03)

Common Item(s)
	Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies

MPTASK-01: We need methods and tools to collect measures of missions, process, and task performance. (Previous title: SHFE-TASK-01)

Common Item(s)
	Individual and Team Problem-Solving Skills Training for Exploration Missions

CBS-BMed1: We need to identify and validate countermeasures that promote individual behavioral health and performance during exploration class missions.

Common Item(s)
	Individual and Team Problem-Solving Skills Training for Exploration Missions
	Training for Generalizable Skills & Knowledge: Integrating Principles and Procedures

CBS-BMed3: We need to identify and quantify the key threats to and promoters of mission relevant behavioral health and performance during autonomous, long duration and/or long distance exploration missions.

Common Item(s)
	Effects of Long-Duration Spaceflight on Training Retention
	Individual and Team Problem-Solving Skills Training for Exploration Missions

Team Gap 1: We need to understand the key threats, indicators, and evolution of the team throughout its life cycle for autonomous, long duration and/or distance exploration missions.

Common Item(s)
	Individual and Team Problem-Solving Skills Training for Exploration Missions
	Operational Performance Measures: Crew Proficiency and Simulation

Team Gap 2: We need to identify a set of validated measures, based on the key indicators of team function, to effectively monitor and measure team health and performance fluctuations during autonomous, long duration and/or distance exploration missions.

Common Item(s)
	Individual and Team Problem-Solving Skills Training for Exploration Missions
	Operational Performance Measures: Crew Proficiency and Simulation

Team Gap 5: We need to identify validated ground-based training methods that can be both preparatory and continuing to maintain team function in autonomous, long duration, and/or distance exploration missions.

Common Item(s)
	Effects of Long-Duration Spaceflight on Training Retention
	Individual and Team Problem-Solving Skills Training for Exploration Missions
	Operational Performance Measures: Crew Proficiency and Simulation
	Training for Generalizable Skills & Knowledge: Integrating Principles and Procedures

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PRRs (1)

NASA Developer: Daniel Febus Responsible NASA Official: Dave Hanson Contact HRP for a 508 compliant PDF Budgets, Strategic Plans, and Accountability Reports Equal Employment Opportunity Data Posted Pursuant to the No Fear Act Information-Dissemination Policies and Inventories Freedom of Information Act President's Management Agenda Privacy Policy & Important Notices Inspector General Hotline Contact HRP Human Health and Performance DIR Johnson Space Center USA.gov ExpectMore.gov

Ground-Based Flight Analogs	Controlled Research Analog, Long Duration (4 months or more) – isolated and confined with spaceflight mission scenario [e.g., NEK/Russian Chamber]
Number of Subjects	0