Develop Valid Performance Measures for Multi-tasking Environments Navy SBIR FY2010.2 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2010.2 Topic No.: N102-147 Topic Title: Develop Valid Performance Measures for Multi-tasking Environments Proposal No.: N102-147-0281 Firm: Cogniscient Research Solutions 3709 Coral St. Santa Barbara, California 93105-2415 Contact: Susan Fischer Phone: (805) 845-7645 Abstract: The purpose of the Phase I work plan is to conduct the preparatory research necessary to develop a highly practical measurement model of MT and MT environments. The ultimate measurement model will have three integral products: (1) a readily accessible computer-based tool that can analyze the cognitive demands of heretofore unexamined MT jobs, (2) a powerful computer-based system that will create MT synthetic environments that can be used for a variety of practical purposes, and (3) the means to measure MT performance whether it occurs in real world or synthetic environments. The Phase I work plan is designed to address three technical objectives that together will determine the feasibility of developing these products. Benefits: The research will offer the ability to measure MT jobs in terms of their need for amount and type of MT performance. This ability will be used to create abstract synthetic MT environments that will have great utility. The easily accessed and learned synthetic environments produced by this work could be used to economically predict how well individuals would perform in MT jobs. Therefore, they could be used to select individuals for training programs or jobs, or as a preliminary training tool in training programs. Alternatively, the synthetic environments could be used as retraining tools when remediation is necessary or as evaluation tools to mark progress within a training program or on-the-job progression. The re-use potential for the synthetic environments should be very high and quick economy of scale will be realized. Significant theoretical and practical progress will also be made in measuring MT job performance. The knowledge obtained from the project will also have important theoretical relevance because it will further our conceptual understanding of MT as it is utilized in real world settings. Return