ABSTRACT
Interactive graphical simulation provides the basis for an attractive approach to training operation and maintenance of complex systems, but it has demanded considerable specialized skills to produce realistic simulations and rich instructional environments. The Intelligent Maintenance Training System (IMTS) was developed to allow subject matter experts to produce interactive simulations, supported by intelligent and adaptive instructional processes, without involving programming skills. The instructional delivery functions in IMTS take care of interacting with the student, selecting problems, guiding the student when diagnostic progress stalls, and recording performance data. Intelligent instruction can be produced by a nonprogramming subject matter expert, without the labor associated with implementing of an instructional strategy, student-computer interactions, and adaptation to individual student proficiency. This chapter provides a detailed description of these functions and some directions for the future. A rich set of examples are drawn from actual work by novices and experts, constructed by attendees at two four-day seminars for potential IMTS authors.
