The utility of event-based knowledge elicitation

The purpose of this investigation was to describe and evaluate an event-bas ed knowledge elicitation technique. With this approach experts are provided with deliberate and controlled job situations, allowing investigation of s pecific task aspects and the comparison of expert responses. For this effor t a videotape was developed showing an instructor pilot and student conduct ing a training mission. Various job situations were depicted in the video t o gather information pertinent to understanding team situational awareness. The videotape was shown to 10 instructors and 10 student aviators in the c ommunity, and responses to the videotape were collected using a questionnai re at predetermined stop points. Consistent with expectations, the results showed that more experienced respondents (i.e., instructors) identified a r icher database of cues and were more likely than students to identify strat egies for responding to the situations depicted, providing some empirical e vidence for the validity of the event-based technique. This method may serv e as a useful knowledge elicitation technique, especially in the later stag es of a job analysis when focused information is sought.