EVALUATION OF AN UNAIDED NIGHT-VISION INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM FOR GROUND FORCES

As military night operations become increasingly important and night v ision devices proliferate, soldiers must still know how to use their e yes effectively. An instructional program using neutral density filter s on 35-mm slides to demonstrate phenomena typical of night vision was developed and evaluated. The slide version of the program increased t est scores of infantrymen by 40% regardless of time served in the Army . With infantry trainees, the slide version and a text version had pos itive, yet similar, effects on immediate and retention tests. Although the slides benefited trainees with low general ability, the text bene fited trainees with higher general ability. The findings reinforce the need for a more complete understanding of how individuals process per ceptual information critical to night operations and how instructional materials in this area should be developed.