Streamlining Instructor Workflow and Improving Trainee Feedback

In high-stakes training environments, instructors often face significant challenges in efficiently observing, assessing, and providing actionable feedback to trainees. Traditional methods, such as manual notetaking and improvised feedback, can lead to missed critical performance details, subjective evaluations, and inefficiencies that hinder trainee development. Instructors need a streamlined solution that allows them to capture real-time performance, deliver objective and personalized feedback, and track progress over time to ensure trainees achieve the required skills for mission success. Addressing these challenges is key to enhancing the overall effectiveness of training and readiness across various domains.

Aptima’s SPOTLITE® is a powerful performance assessment tool designed to streamline the workflow of instructors and expert observers while improving the quality of feedback and debriefs provided to trainees. Originally developed for the U.S. military, SPOTLITE has since been adapted for various other applications, including law enforcement training.

Enhancing Performance Assessment and Training Effectiveness

Real-Time Performance Rating

SPOTLITE runs on tablets, smart devices, and laptops, allowing trainers to rate, tag, and flag trainee performance as events unfold. This capability enables the capture of critical behaviors and events without losing sight of the action or relying on cumbersome notes.

Behaviorally-Anchored Measures

SPOTLITE maps to the skills and standards required for mission-critical tasks, providing objective measures that eliminate the need for tedious manual notetaking. This ensures that all critical details are recorded accurately for later review.

Enhanced Feedback And Debriefs

SPOTLITE allows trainers to provide immediate or deferred feedback using tagged audio, video, and photos. This method delivers more meaningful ‘show and tell’ feedback, enabling repeat and review learning until the trainee masters the required skills.

Trend Analysis

SPOTLITE supports long-term data analytics, allowing instructors to track and trend the skills of trainees over time. This feature provides insights into overall training effectiveness and helps identify areas that need improvement, ensuring continuous development and readiness.

Flexible and Customizable

SPOTLITE is designed to be flexible, supporting measurements of individuals, teams, or units in both ad-hoc and formal training events. The measures can be preconfigured or customized according to specific tasks, individuals, or team activities.

SPOTLITE in Action

• Fighter Pilots, Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines: SPOTLITE has been employed to train warfighters across the DoD, providing instructors with the ability to capture, tag, and rate performance in real-time during high-intensity training exercises. This application ensures that critical skills are assessed accurately and feedback is delivered promptly, enhancing the overall training effectiveness and readiness of military personnel.
• US Air Force eVTOL Pilot Training: Aptima has been contracted by the US Air Force to evaluate pilot proficiencies and training needs for eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft. SPOTLITE is used alongside other technologies to assess how pilots learn and perform on eVTOL platforms with varying levels of automation. This helps in understanding the baseline skills needed for proficient eVTOL flight and the impact of automation on pilot performance.
• General Use in Training Events: SPOTLITE has been used broadly to streamline instructor workflows and improve the quality of debriefs and feedback in various training contexts throughout the DoD and in civilian roles. The tool’s ability to capture and measure critical behaviors and events in real-time helps instructors provide accurate and meaningful feedback, eliminating the need for subjective recall and enhancing the learning experience for trainees.

With SPOTLITE, Aptima continues to lead in the development of innovative solutions that enhance human performance and readiness in mission-critical environments.

For more information, please contact spotlite@aptima.com.