Assessing cognitive readiness in a simulation-based training environment

Abstract

This chapter describes progress toward developing and validating an assessment of cognitive readiness for Tactical Action Officer performance in a simulated Combat Information Center. In this chapter we describe the simulation environment and scenarios, the constructs defined to measure cognitive readiness, an approach to measurement, and a computer-based assessment tool that operationalizes the measures and supports data collection and reporting. The preliminary results provide evidence that the measures are meaningful indicators of the constructs, but the confirmatory factor analysis and convergent validity results were mixed, depending on the nature of the scenario. The chapter closes with a discussion of the implications for future research.