Post-Training Feedback: The Relative Effectiveness of Team- versus Instructor-Led Debriefs

• Published in: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting Vol. 47; no. 19; pp. 2033 - 2036
• Main Authors: Beaubien, J. Matthew, Baker, David P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.10.2003
• ISSN: 1541-9312; 1071-1813; 2169-5067
• DOI: 10.1177/154193120304701904

In many high-risk domains, simulators are used for training and evaluating team performance under realistic conditions. Once the simulation is complete, the teams review their performance to identify the lessons that they have learned. These post-training debrief sessions may be either instructor- or team-led. Unfortunately, the relative effectiveness of instructor- versus team-led debriefs remains unclear. To address this question, we surveyed a nationwide, representative sample of over 30,000 pilots from 24 U.S. airlines. Despite having a high degree of statistical power and a reliable scale, we found no statistically or practically significant differences among the four most common approaches to post-training feedback: team debrief with videotape, team debrief without videotape, instructor debrief with videotape, and instructor debrief without videotape. The results suggest that all four approaches may be equally effective.