Usability of the simulation for skill engineering

We start with the assumption that we have a working simulation, and go through the questions we are trying to address with the simulation.

The first approach, a static model of a skill

Innate skills are static. Other skills such as chess are learned, but are static at a moment in time, such as for a game. For either case there are a number of questions that can be asked.

1. Does the model simulate the skill we are working with, say for teaching chess?
2. Can the simulation be customized to different individuals to represent their level and version of the skill?
3. Can an appropriate range of input situations be simulated, so that the model can deal with the context in which the target individual is applying the skill?
4. Is the simulation output in sufficient detail so that it can mimic the skilled behaviour of the individual?
• For chess we need to know which figure was moved and from what position to which other position.
• We need to know whether and when the moved figure was released.
• We don't need to know whether the right or the left hand was used.
5. Individuals have variations and flaws in their skilled behaviours. Can these be simulated in repeated run?
6. Is the skill mechanism and information processing sufficiently transparent so that it can help diagnose and pinpoint why the individual illustrates a given variation in skilled behaviour?
7. Can we use the model when customized to a given individual to indicate the range of behaviours that the individual might exhibit? In other words can we use the model the show whether the individual has the appropriate set of skills for the job to be done?

Availability of static models of skills

There is a variety of such models, but only a limited amount of experience in using them for skill engineering.