Development of a Conceptual Model for Predicting Skills Needed in the Operation of New Technologies

The objective of this research is to develop a theoretically driven model of human skill requirements and acquisition associated with the operation of advanced manufacturing technologies. A variety of theoretical approaches are reviewed as a basis for skill and knowledge assessment and the relations between these approaches are explored. Based on these theoretical approaches, a hybrid model is presented that integrates a number of diverse approaches into a unified conceptual framework. It is proposed that the power of the conceptual framework lies in the interactions between the model components. From the model, it can be hypothesized that, in order to move up the learning hierarchy, several requirements should be satisfied: (a) all knowledge learned from previous levels of learning is prerequisite, (b) the training abilities and performance abilities with appropriate ability levels corresponding to the skill to be acquired must exist in the trainee, (c) an adequate amount of cognitive resources for learn...