ABSTRACT
Aircrew training is a complex process. All learning domains (i.e., intellectual skills, verbal information, cognitive strategies, attitude learning, motor skills; Gagne & Briggs, 1979) are involved in a very integrated fashion. This complexity required instructional developers for aircrew training after World Ware II to develop a systematic process for designing, developing, evaluating, and delivering the requisite training. In their search for better ways to produce aircrew training, these designers and developers were at the forefront of adapting systems engineering principles of problem solving for application to the design and development of training. The resulting process, called Instructional Systems Development (ISD), has now been adopted by the community of instructional design in general and continues to evolve as new learning and instructional principles are produced through research and development. In addition, new training technologies (e.g., computer-based training, virtual reality, aircraft simulation, distance learning) required the ISD process to undergo changes. This chapter provides a brief overview of ISD and discusses its application to aircrew training design and development. Although ISD methods and principles were heavily influenced by the aircrew training development community since the 1940s, the development topics discussed can be, and have been, applied to training of all types.
