Cleared for take-off: Game-based learning to prepare airline pilots for critical situations

Doctoral Thesis

Over the last decades, aviation safety has improved strongly. As a downside, airline pilots do not have as many opportunities to develop through experience the competencies that they need in critical situations. However, competencies can also be developed through training. In aviation, this is being done through simulator training.
The thesis explores whether competencies can be developed through training with the use of serious games. Assuming that the competencies needed to act adequately in critical situations can be trained in games, the relatively scarce flight simulators can then be fully dedicated to the training of technical skills.
We investigate whether games are a suitable training method to develop competencies, and we examine whether airline pilots will accept to be trained through games. Furthermore, the thesis investigates the effect of voluntary gameplay on the outcomes of a serious game.
The outcomes of our studies show that that mandatorily...Show moreOver the last decades, aviation safety has improved strongly. As a downside, airline pilots do not have as many opportunities to develop through experience the competencies that they need in critical situations. However, competencies can also be developed through training. In aviation, this is being done through simulator training.
The thesis explores whether competencies can be developed through training with the use of serious games. Assuming that the competencies needed to act adequately in critical situations can be trained in games, the relatively scarce flight simulators can then be fully dedicated to the training of technical skills.
We investigate whether games are a suitable training method to develop competencies, and we examine whether airline pilots will accept to be trained through games. Furthermore, the thesis investigates the effect of voluntary gameplay on the outcomes of a serious game.
The outcomes of our studies show that that mandatorily playing a serious game does not ruin the fun, games can be designed in such a way that they support competency development, and that pilots are open to using serious games for training. As part of pilot training, game-based learning has potential, but designing an effective game should not be underestimated.Show less

Game-based learning

Airline pilot training

Voluntary play

Competency development

Serious game design