Technology in the Aviation Meteorology Classroom: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Over the past few years, advanced technology that provides interactive and current weather data has become available in the aviation meteorology classroom. As part of its Airway Science Program, the Federal Aviation Administration has helped finance the installation of this technology at colleges and universities with aviation programs. The new systems were to be used in a dual role, as both an instructional aid and a flight planning tool. This study explores the efficacy of the technology as an aid to instruction by comparing students who had access to the technology to those who did not. The technology was used to provide relevant background material on a topic before the topic was formally presented in the course (a term frequently used to describe such background material is 'advance organizer'). Next, in order to statistically match study subjects, predictor variables for success in a basic aviation meteorology course were determined. Last, a pilot study was conducted with students who had access to the technology, comparing their success to those who did not. The encouraging results of this pilot study were reported to the FAA in an institutional Airway Science grant report.