Trends in equipment operator training technology

Chuck Frey

Marketing Manager VISTA Training Inc., Waterford, Wisconsin Presenter, 2012 APWA Congress

riven by demographic changes and advances in technology, equipment operator training is in the midst of a revolution. These trends will have a far-reaching impact on how newcomers to the utility and underground construction sectors will be trained to become safe, proficient equipment operators.

As the Baby Boomer generation retires, it is leaving behind a gaping void that many fleet owners are finding hard to fill. In past years, contractors and municipalities could count on a steady stream of new hires who had some heavy equipment experience. Many young people grew up on farms, where they logged many hours behind the controls of a tractor or combine.

Today, that’s the exception rather than the rule. The majority of young people have grown up in urban areas; the closest they have come to operating heavy equipment is in video games. As a result, there are fewer candidates available who have a natural aptitude for equipment operation. As the economy begins to improve and the number of construction projects grows, this will soon become a significant problem for municipalities and underground contractors alike.

At the same time, technology is in the process of revolutionizing how operator training is developed and delivered. Let’s take a look at how the intersection of these two trends will impact your operations in the years ahead.

Web-based training programs:

During the past decade, a growing percentage of training has moved from the classroom to computerbased training (CBT), delivered via CD or DVD. Now, thanks to the proliferation of high-speed Internet service, operator training content is starting to move to web delivery. The first wave of web-enabled training was primarily existing CBT content, converted into a web-deliverable video format. This was adequate, but limited in its instructional value. The latest generation of web-based training uses multimedia technology to deliver more interactive learning, including animations of machine tasks, “check your knowledge” questions to verify that students have understood the training topics, and automatically scored final exams. Perhaps the biggest advantage of these self-paced learning programs is that they can be delivered on demand to any computer with a high-speed Internet connection. In other words, you can conduct training when and where it’s most convenient.

A learning management system

(LMS) stores student, course and exam data, enabling trainers to manage students and courses and to track learning. The data contained in an LMS can serve as proof that your operators have been properly trained in safe work techniques. In the past, most learning management systems were expensive and proprietary. But thanks to the development of opensource applications like Moodle— which is widely used by community colleges—a basic LMS is now more affordable than ever. PC-based simulation: In the past, equipment simulation was limited to large, expensive motion platform units that cost $1 million or more— far out of reach for municipalities and underground contractors. Thanks to recent developments in 3D modeling and affordable, highspeed computers, a new generation of simulators has emerged. Excavators, wheel loaders and other common types of equipment can be controlled in simulated environments, using PC gaming joysticks, steering wheels and pedals.

Simulation helps trainees become familiar with the controls of the machine, and the actions needed to perform common tasks. Through hours of practice, they build “muscle memory” that will become useful when they transition to field training on an actual machine.

Simulation sessions cover common machine tasks, such as digging and dumping. Data on cycle times and other key machine functions is recorded in a database. This gives trainers an objective, quantifiable assessment of each operator’s performance, so they can identify coaching needs for each trainee.

One municipality, Québec City, Québec, even uses a simulator as an assessment tool. Applicants are trained to run a PC-based excavator simulator. After a number of hours of practice, they take an aptitude test to measure what they’ve learned. The City has found that approximately 25 percent of applicants have little or no potential. This test enables the

City to focus its limited resources on candidates who have more natural ability for equipment operation.

Incorporating simulation into your training curriculum reduces the amount of “seat time” required on an actual machine. That results in reduced fuel consumption and less equipment wear and tear. Most importantly, simulators teach good operating habits.

Finally, because PC-based simulators are portable, savvy fleet owners can set them up at local job fairs, where they tend to attract a lot of attention and serve as powerful recruiting tools. They send a compelling message that you’re committed to providing trainees with the best training tools.

Blended learning curricula

combine multiple modes of training— such as CBTs, simulation sessions and on-the-job training activities—to deliver high-performance training to adult learners. Adults learn differently than children—they tend to be more hands-on, and want to know how the knowledge they’re learning will be used on the job.

For best results, knowledge needs to be “chunked” into logical units based on machine tasks, so that one module reinforces another. For example, a CBT session focused on loading a truck is followed by a simulator session where the trainee gets to practice this skill. That, in turn, is followed by a hands-on activity where they practice it with an actual piece of equipment. This type of repetition helps the trainee to retain what he or she has learned.

Mobile training content: Tabletsized mobile devices are opening up new opportunities for in-the-field, just-in-time delivery of training. Consider this scenario: A wheel loader trainee is about to load a truck for the first time. He has learned the proper technique to do so in a CBT, as well as in a simulator. But this is the first time he’s going to do so on an actual loader. He pulls opens his tablet device and reviews the CBT module on the Y-type loading pattern—a last-minute refresher that puts that knowledge “top of mind.” That “mini-lesson” increases the odds that he’ll be able to perform this technique proficiently. Tablet devices can also be used for pre-operation walkaround inspections and other training applications.

Ride-along video: GoPros are small, inexpensive and ruggedized video cameras that are popular for filming extreme sports. Mounted inside the corners of a machine’s cab, these cameras can be used to collect video footage of an experienced operator performing a machine task from multiple angles. You can see his hands move the controls and hear his commentary about what he’s doing— invaluable from a training standpoint!

Taking this concept one step further, you can videotape trainees as they perform the same tasks, and then use the video as an assessment tool, to coach trainees and help them improve their techniques.

No matter what technology you use to deliver training to your equipment operators, one thing remains the same: You must develop clearlydefined learning objectives, such as:

• What do you want your trainees to know?

• What should they be able to do? • At what level of proficiency?

Then let your learning objectives drive the scope of the training content and platform used to deliver it to your trainees.

Technology is in the process of revolutionizing how operator training is developed and delivered.

Chuck Frey will give a presentation on this topic at the 2012 APWA International Public Works Congress & Exposition in Anaheim, California. His session is entitled “Trends in Operator Training Technology” and takes place on Monday, August 27, at 2:00 p.m. He can be reached at (262) 514-2886 or cfrey@ vista-training.com.