Research on civil aircraft inspection and maintenance has shown the importa
nce of teamwork in the aircraft maintenance environment. In addition, train
ing has been identified as one of the primary intervention strategies in im
proving team performance. With improvements in technology-based training de
vices, it may be possible to provide aircraft maintenance technicians with
training tools to help enhance their team skills and improve performance wi
th the aircraft maintenance environment. This research examines the effecti
veness and applicability of computer-based multimedia team training for air
craft maintenance technicians. Using a computer-based multimedia training t
ool-the Aircraft Maintenance Team Training (AMTT) software--a controlled st
udy was conducted to: (1) evaluate the use of computers in acquiring knowle
dge on team skills, (2) determine the ease of use of a computer-based multi
media tool, and (3) determine if computer-based training was as effective a
s traditional instructor-based training. The results are reported as part o
f this paper. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.