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IV
TRAINING EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
(U)
A.
(U)
Overview
J
SRI International has had under development
for
some
time an empirically-derived
training package developed
in conjunc-
tion with
SRI Consultant
.
Its purpose
isj
.
"""^the development
of procedures
that have
*
application potential,
and
that can
be
transmitted
to others.
(
In
the calendar year
1984,
four ^
personnel 'were
selected'
|as
trainees
in
the
S-I
through
S-III portion
of
the
training package described
in
the
above paragraph.
With
I.
Swann
as
the
training monitor,
the
trainees
received
orientation,
then carried
out an average
of
145
practice
RV sessions
each.
Altogether,
a
23-week effort was expended
in
the delivery of
the
S-I
through S-III
training package.
This
is close
to
the original estimate
of approxi-
mately
24 weeks,
even
though
the distribution of weeks among
the various
stages differed
from what we anticipated.
(
Each
of
the
four
trainees responded
to
the
training
in accordance with
their individual differences,
but all exhibited
an
apparently high intelligence,
a quick grasp
of
the
fundamentals
of
the
training,
a
seriousness
of purpose,
and
a diligence
in pursuing
the
repetitive
training
the
tasks
required.
In response
to
the
training,
which
takes
into account
the
individualities
of each
trainee,
each
of
the
four generally performed along
the
lines
of expectation derived
from experience with previous
training development groups,
and all
showed an aptitude
for continued
development.
B.
(U)
Recommendations
for Follow-On Actions
(U)
Given
the quality
of
response
to
the
S-I
through S-III
training,
two recommendations
for
follow-on actions
are
offered:
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J
Table
(U)
TRAINING SITES FOR PROFICIENCY IN
STAKE
TT
PROCEDURES
RVer
Number
of Training Sites
#344
#1.46
#765
#596
Total
UNCLASSIFIED
c.
(U)
Stage
III
j
Stage
III
training has been brought
to
a completion
in
the month of December,
after
five weeks effort.
The
decrease
in
time required
(below
that originally estimated) was due,
in
part,
to
the
introduction of
a new procedure
in
the use
of sketching,
which resulted
in considerable
shortening
of
the overall protocol
(detached analytical sketching
following generation of signal-line
data)
The numbers
of
training sites utilized
by
the
trainees
in S-III
training
are
shown
in Table
4.
4.
(U)
S-III Proficiency Level
j:
'
Some
indication of
the
level
of proficiency
reached
in S-III training can be
seen
in selected
samples
of RVer
response
in
the
training format.
In Figure
3,
the RVer's results are
summarized
in
the
form of
a
sketch, which can be
compared with
the
accompanying photograph of
the
target
site.
Similar
results are shown
in Figures 4
through
6.
Shown
in Figure
are
the responses
of
two
RVers
to
a
surprise
technological
site.
The
final product of
S-III
training
is
the routine generation of results
of
this caliber.
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i
!
\„
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Table
(U)
TRAINING SITES FOR PROFICIENCY
IN
STAGE
I
PROCEDURES
RVer
Number
of Training
Sites
#344
#146
#765
#596
Total
330
UNCLASSIFIED
(U)
With regard
to
the above
statistics,
it would
seem
natural
to interpret
the differences
as
an
indication
of increased
difficulty with
the present
trainee group
as compared with earlier groups,
or with certain individuals
in
the
group relative
to
the
others.
This
interpretation
should
be discouraged.
The difference
in
the amount
of
sites during any
given period
only reflects
that
a
greater "noisy"
period
was encountered
at
this particular point before consolidation of
the
emerging aptitude--a period
that emerges
in every
trainee
at
some
point.
Experience has
shown
that
the number of
sites required during any par-
ticular
training sequence
does not appear
to
be
an important
factor
in
the
long
run.
b.
(U)
Stage
II
\^
All
four trainees completed
Stage
II
in
mid-October,
after
five weeks
of
training, which
is within
the expected
parameters.
The numbers
of
training
sites required
for each
trainee
to
achieve proficiency
on Stage
II
are
shown
in Table
3.
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2.
(U)
Baseline Data
,
I
In accordance with standard practice
in
SRI
training programs:
•
The
four P
\ RV
trainees were assigned random three-digit
code designators
(Numbers
146,
344,
596,
and
765)
by which all
report data would
be
coded.
•
Psychological profile
tests were administered
to provide data
for
a
separate Selection/Screening Task.
.
As
a measure
of baseline response
to coordinate-designated
target sites,
each
trainee
generated, under double-blind
testing
conditions,
a descriptor-list response
to
six
sites,
using
Latitude
and
longitude
in degrees, minutes
and
seconds.
These data were
then archived
to
be available
for
later
comparative
evaluation.
(See Appendix
for Descriptor List
format.)
.
(U)
Stage-bv-Stage Tra ining
Rates
a
.
(U)
Stage
I
|
The
point
of completion of each of
the
training stages
for each of
the
trainees
is determined
by
the
training
monitoxi.
The monitor
tracks
the progress of
the
trainees
in accordance
with certain evaluation procedures
that indicate
to him that
the
trainee
has grasped
the
fundamentals
of
the
stage
in
question.
All
four
!
selected
trainees who embarked on
S-I
training at
the beginning of
the
year completed
S-I around mid-July-after approximately
13 weeks
of
training.
The numbers
of
training sites required
for each
trainee
to
achievtj proficiency
in Stage
I procedures are
shown
in Table
2.
*
-
The
Cota i number of
training
sites used
was
somewhat
In excess of what was anticipated.
The average
of approx-
imately 83 sites per
trainee was compared with
that of
two earlier
trainee
groups:
a prototype development group of
four (average of 54
sites per trainee),
and
a previous, £
Selected
group
of
two (also
average
of 54
sites per
trainee).
We also see
a wide variation in the
number of
sites per
trainee
to complete
Stage
I.
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3.
(U)
Session Protocol
(Training)
(U)
At
the beginning of
the
session,
the monitor and
the RVer
enter
the
RV session chamber.
The monitor has
in his possession
target-
ing information
in
the
form
of
a
folder of feedback materials;
coordi-
nates are notated
on
the outside.
The monitor reads
the coordinates
as
a prompter
(stimulus)
for
the
RVer,
takes notes
for
later discussion,
and
so
forth.
Unlike
the protocols used
in
the documentation studies
(see,
for
example*,
reference
referred
to
in Introduction Section),
the
monitor here
is not blind
as
to
the
target.
Thus,
the
training sessions
are not carried
out
in
a double-blind
protocol.
As part of
the beginning
gradient
of orienting
the
trainee
to
the
RV structure,
the
training
monitor has
the option
of providing intrasession feedback as
the
session
progresses.
The environment
of
the
training sessions,
not being cue-
free,
therefore constitutes
a
separate category of activity as compared
with double-blind
testing conditions
required
for documentation
of proof-
of-principle.
B.
(U)
Trainee Progress
1.
(U)
Task Scheduling
Beginning
in January
1984,
four
'
RV
trainees were assigned
to S-I
through S-III
training.
A training
schedule
for
the
year was
set up
in accordance with
the
following
time
estimates derived
from earlier development work:
Stage
I
to
7 weeks
Stage
II
to
6 weeks
Stage
III
to
16 weeks
Total
Approximately
24 weeks
The
training effort was generally broken up
into 2-week sessions each,
with 2-to-4-week breaks between sessions.
Training was carried out at
both
the
SRI/New York and
the SRI/Menlo Park facilities on
a
site
u PoaJ
.
schedule
that was mutually agreed I
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