Can anyone be trained to become an Air Traffic Controller?

Air traffic control is a crucial industry regarding people’s safety, which is why it is essential for trainees to reach a certain standard to become qualified Air Traffic Controllers. It is the responsibility of the ATC Training organisations to ensure that the trainees are trained according to the regulations, and to the high standards of the job, as safety requirements cannot be compromised at any stage.

The requirement of high standards for ATCO work means that the training has to prepare the students for a multitude of challenging work situations. However, what if it takes too long for a student and they cannot proceed or finish the course in time? Does this mean that he or she cannot become an Air Traffic Controller at all?

Well, because such high standards are required, it is inevitable that the students find training challenging, especially if time pressure is involved. If it would be too easy, the standards of ATC Training would remain low. Training completion timelines are only determined by the ATC Training organisations themselves. They are based on average times of learning and also on the budget of those who are procuring the training. In other words, how much resources do they want to invest in training their future Air Traffic Controllers. This resource issue creates a limit for the duration of training. 

The timelines don’t consider the individual needs on the learning spectrum. Some students might need extra time or support to complete the course due to a variety of reasons such as learning challenges or other factors in their personal lives, or simply because their learning methods are different from what the training organisation is using. 

Every student is a unique learner and not everyone learns exactly the same way. For some, it actually takes longer for new information to sink in. Everyone takes their own route on their learning journey, but the end goal is still the same for everybody - learning the required skills. Why does it matter how the learning happened, as long as it actually happened?

The same applies the other way around too: some students might find the course easier and would like to finish ahead of others. This can be due to factors such as innate talent, suitable learning methods, earlier experience, or existing skills and interests. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that students who learn faster will perform significantly better at work than the students who took longer to complete the training course. 

If an ATC Training organisation fails someone in the middle of their training due to the pace of their learning, you might not only discourage the individual from their chosen career path, but you might also lose a future star performer. History presents several examples of people who have succeeded in their careers after a number of failures (e.g. Walt Disney, J. K Rowling). Sometimes that extra time and extra practice leads to deeper understanding and better self-confidence with the acquired skills.

As we can see, all ATC Training journeys are not identical. Therefore, the ethos in any academy must be that with ample support and guidance anyone is trainable to become an Air Traffic Control professional. The main objective of training organisations must be to ensure that their students learn effectively. If the goal is only to teach according to regulations and make sure all boxes are ticked, it is easy to blame the student for the inevitable failures in training. 

The academy can say that they do everything by the book, and it is the student who is “not fit for the job”, if they do not adapt to the training requirements. Resource limitations drive ATC Training organisations to give up on students who take longer than average to learn. The student is left without the support they might need to succeed only because the academy can only invest so much in any one trainee. ATC Training organisations should provide all the extra support in their power to students who need it. They should not leave anyone behind, but rather go the extra mile and then some for students to succeed. By doing this, the industry would not lose potential future superstars along the way. They would not need to pay the high price of searching, testing, selecting, and training someone else to replace the ones whose training were terminated early. This way, the training organisations would be forced to look at their own processes and make sure they are not the ones blocking anyone’s success. Training organisations would have to be student-centred and not resource centred.

The purpose of Lektor existing is to ensure students learn appropriately and that they are successful in their training. The way to achieve this is to redesign ATC Training to fit the learning preferences and methods of modern ATC Trainees. Training that resonates with the student is motivating, engaging, and compelling. It propels the trainee into the flow of learning. To get there, the resource restrictions must be lifted. Lektor is developing a scalable training solution, where lack of resources is no longer an issue. Scalable training solutions allow unlimited support for the student and unrestricted opportunities to run learning events, such as simulations. It ensures that no trainee is abandoned, and that anyone is trainable. Because we at Lektor believe that ATC is for everyone!

This is how Lektor method rocks modern ATC Training

Lektor is a new-school Air Traffic Control Training academy which embraces modern times and moves away from dusty books, stuffy classrooms, and boring teacher-focused learning. We design training for modern learners to make sure that they succeed and become the ATC professionals they dream of being.

This is what we do differently.

Air Traffic Control Training without capacity or time restrictions

Traditionally, ATC training is delivered in a classroom where a group of students participate in a course that starts at a fixed date and lasts for a defined time. The associated time and resource constraint is often a pain for Air Navigation Service organisations when air traffic control staff needs training. The required training course may not be available at the time the ANSP would actually need it. It could mean months of waiting for a chance to get the individual on the course to complete the required training. There is a chance that during the waiting period, the endorsement may have expired, and the ANSP cannot use their resources to their full capacity prior to getting the training process completed and the staff re-validated. Or, the individual scheduled for the course may not get the required training due to e.g. sickness. This stretches the process even further.

Because of our online learning platform, and flexible course design which enables completing the courses online, the courses at Lektor are always available. The question of “when does your next course start” is not even on the table at Lektor. As a learner, you can choose to start the training at a time that best suits your personal schedule. It is your training, so you choose when to do it. This provides plenty of flexibility in the ATC Training process. 

The added capacity also extends to how many learners Lektor can allocate to their courses. With scalable learning design, there are virtually no limits to how many students can participate on a course at the same time, or at different times if that suits the purpose better. The familiar questions “how many students can you take on a course” or “do you have room for one more” are obsolete at Lektor. One or one hundred students, it doesn't matter on our courses. We want ATC training to be available for all motivated learners no matter the circumstances.

Modern learning methods support you in becoming an ATC professional

Lektor uses the latest technology and learning methodology to make sure our learners can be efficient in their studies. Our main goal is to create learning and to ensure a successful learning process. Our remote learning platform is available on all usual devices, which makes the courses easily accessible to everyone. The wide accessibility allows learners to be present on the courses from any corner of the world.

We apply different learning methods into our ATC Training, one of which is gamification. Gamification uses game aspects to motivate and activate the learner, and how it increases learning results. Read our earlier blog post to learn more about the topic.

Some of Lektor courses contain blended delivery and they include learning modules, which are run by an instructor. Discussions, presentations, virtual table-top exercises, case-studies, etc. are used to engage and activate the learner. Active learning IS better learning.

Lektor is very proud to use innovative tools in our ATC training. We have developed an interactive software solution for our Practical Instructor Training courses which we call the Instructor Skills Trainer, or IST, and it is used for the delivery of practical exercises on the practical instructor courses, and also for competence assessments. The IST provides an ATC context for the learner so that they can practise their instructional skills in a professionally meaningful environment. The exercises can simulate Aerodrome, Approach or Area Control environments, which always offers a comfortable set up available for the learner to choose from. 

The exercises run with a prescribed script in the guidance of an instructor. In the tool, the interactive traffic situations are integrated with a real-time video and audio connection between the instructor and the learner, making the learning event active, personal and engaging. Feedback from the users has been very positive, which confirms that the design truly works.

Genuinely learner-centred ATC training

Having scalable learning design and no time restrictions on the courses, does not mean that the learners would use more time to train. Because of the modern learning aspects, carefully designed learning content, and limitless capacity, learners actually learn more in less time. 

We have received awesome feedback from our ATC training course participants saying that they felt they learned more than on traditional courses and actually enjoyed doing it. They say that our course content stretches further than just the fundamental parts of training and because of the structure of the material, they completed everything in a much shorter time than they would have in a classroom. 

Lektor offers rich and relevant training material to support you. The end goal is learning and improving your skills in Air Traffic Control, not just ticking a box to satisfy a regulation.

Stress-free ATC training courses

If you start your ATC training course at Lektor, you can trust that we will not limit your progress in any way, even when there may be some difficulties on your learning path. We have the capacity to support each learner in their progress in a way that they individually need. Our goal is to ensure learning and to get everyone through the courses. This does not mean that we lower the standards in doing this. It means that we invest time in each student so that they will reach the goal. 

Lektor does not believe in stressful and pressured learning where you easily doubt your capabilities of passing the next test. In fact, stress is the enemy of efficient learning, because it reduces your capacity to absorb new information. Learning is much easier in a positive state of mind, and by trusting that you are not alone. Lektor has got your back throughout the entire training.

Our course portfolio is always improving

We sincerely believe that the only constant factor is change. That is why we are always updating our ATC training courses to serve the learner better. Our development work includes not only reviewing and updating existing courses, but also developing new ones. We work in cooperation with pedagogy experts from local universities to ensure we employ the appropriate and proven methods of digital pedagogy. Understanding the learner is crucial in designing the material and content so that it fits the mind-set of those who actually attend the course. At the moment, we are working on developing and releasing an ATC BASIC Training course. In our plans, this will be quite a game-changer, so please stay tuned to find out more.

Dunning-Kruger part 2: minimizing the effects

Although anyone can be susceptible to the Dunning-Kruger effect, rest assured that it doesn’t indicate low intelligence, only a lack of reflection on your abilities. Learning about how our brain works and understanding these cognitive biases helps us recognize the tricks our mind can play on us. 

So, here are some advice on how to gather a more realistic assessment of your abilities (without letting the Dunning-Kruger effect ruin your learning):

• Keep learning and practicing, even when you think you are already an expert

  • The more you learn, the more you will find out there is to learn, which will also combat the tendency to assume you’re an expert when you’re not.

• Ask others for feedback

  • Although criticism can sometimes be hard to hear, it can provide valuable insights into your levels of competence, and how others perceive your abilities.

• Question what you already know

  • When learning more about a subject, people tend to pay attention to facts that confirm what they already know (this is also known as confirmation bias, which can reinforce the Dunning-Kruger effect). Keep challenging your beliefs and seek out information that challenges your ideas to widen your knowledge.

• Use second-level thinking to make decisions

  • Instead of jumping to obvious conclusions, test your assumptions by asking yourself questions such as: what are blind spots here? Am I missing information? 

• Take smart notes

  • By visualizing your knowledge it can be easier to identify thought patterns and notice gaps in your knowledge (remember to check out our blog post for tips on note-taking).

• Familiarize yourself with the Dunning-Kruger effect

  • Simply knowing about the effect can help minimize its impact. Remember that thinking you are bad at something is not all bad: at least you have enough insight to recognize your incompetence.

These tips can help overcome the Dunning-Kruger effect and make your learning process more efficient. Additionally, our teachers at Lektor help our students by focusing not only on what students learn but how they learn it. Our experienced and educated teachers know how to recognize the Dunning-Kruger effect not only in themselves but also in students and therefore tailor the teaching accordingly. Through constructive use of reflection and feedback, we believe that low performers can grow into brilliant achievers.

Gamification Boosts Learning on Lektor's Online Courses

Gamification means applying game mechanics into non-game environments such as online learning, communities and websites. Its goal is to engage and motivate the users of the platform. Gamification encourages active learning, which is needed in studying any subject.

Gamification has been used for years. In fact, Dmitri Mendeleev, the scientist seen as the father of the Periodic Table for Elements, used gamification to study the elements. He was known for being an enthusiastic card player, and when he had trouble processing all the data regarding the elements, he turned the classification process into a card game. Mendeleev’s findings were published and later on other scientists were able to fill in his work and further develop the Periodic Table. What makes the story even more remarkable, is that growing up Mendeleev was not a very successful student, but his gamification system turned it around.

Even though gamification has been used for years, the revolutionary improvement in learning through gamification has only been recognized in the last decade. According to a study done by a cyber security company, students’ activation increased by 43% when using gamification in comparison to traditional learning.

Gamification works just as well on adult learners than children, even if it is too easily associated with kids’ play. The activating tasks make the learner more motivated, and learning happens imperceptibly. 

Gamification uses game design elements such as collecting points and badges, using avatars and teammates, as well as storytelling. These elements are proven methods for elevating our natural desire for learning, competing, and socializing. In learning environments, gamification’s purpose is to boost the user’s motivation to learn. Winners,  losers and ranking orders are secondary aspects. Gamification also provides the user with instant feedback and rewards. 

Gamification in ATC

In air traffic control, gamification is often used in simulations where ATC students can train for real-life situations such as operating the radar. In some places the simulations are even called ‘games’ but they do still have a real purpose, so we prefer to call them “exercises”.

Lektor’s Instructor Skills Trainer (IST) is built like a simulator. Students are able to practice operating air traffic control through an interactive training platform. The IST shows the operational context (TWR, or radar) where learners can “play with” the traffic to practice every-day operations. These exercises are comparable to the more traditional simulations used in ATC training all around the world.

Lektor’s Learning Management System

The IST is an individual learning tool but also Lektor’s Learning Management System, called  TalentLMS includes gamified functions. TalentLMS’ gamification features are points, badges, levels, leaderboards, and rewards. 

Points are used for keeping score and improving the competitive spirit among users of the platform. Badges highlight the milestones and boost the learners’ sense of achievement. Levels keep the learners confident that they are moving forward. They also make sure that the learner is learning in a logical order where difficulty increases over time. Leaderboards help learners compare themselves to other players, and can motivate certain learners to practice more effectively. Rewards provide a motivational boost.

The Future of Gamification

We at Lektor believe that gamification is here to stay and will be used in modern learning environments. Lektor is a pioneer in ATC training and we want to make learning active, fun, and efficient in a way that suits your needs. “Your Training. Your Way.” as we like to say. Get to know our course portfolio.

Do we need psychological safety in ATC training?

“Any questions?” 

You have most likely asked this question at some point during your career as an ATC instructor to be met only with a bunch of blank faces and silence. You were maybe left wondering whether trainees were at all engaged with the lesson.    

Especially for trainees, asking may sometimes mean admitting not having understood and they are just trying to avoid been seen as stupid. This fear is something instructors need to help their trainees overcome if they want to create a  great learning experience. 

What is psychological safety?

Psychological safety refers to the environment in which everybody feels accepted, respected, and safe to take risks and speak their minds without fear of negative consequences or retribution.  

In a training context, it means that trainees don’t worry about looking stupid, or being humiliated or judged for saying something wrong, asking questions, or making mistakes. In fact, in a psychologically safe environment, all understand that asking questions and making mistakes are crucial to learning.

With low levels of psychological safety, people feel stressed and are not motivated. No one can do their best if they are mentally and emotionally exhausted. On the other hand, an environment that reduces stress, in which people feel valued, have open and honest discussions, people can learn.  

What can we do to develop psychological safety?

Pay attention and listen actively. 

Show your trainees that you’re engaged and interested. They will shut down if they feel you don’t pay attention when they speak, or that you don’t value their participation and opinions. Ask questions to confirm you understand what they are saying. Also, use your body language to show engagement and be aware of it. Trainees will notice if you look tired or bored. 

Build trust by focusing on solutions.

If they make a mistake try not to focus too much on the what and why. Go over what happened and why if needed but focus on “How can we make this better next time? Using we turns the responsibility to both of you rather than to the trainee and his/her mistake.

Include trainees decision making

Especially when concerning their learning path, consult with your trainees when making decisions. Ask for their input, thoughts, and feedback. If there is something in which you couldn’t include them for decision-making, explain the reasoning behind the decision once a decision is made. Even if they disagree, they’ll appreciate the transparency. 

Lead by example

Don’t be afraid of taking interpersonal risks and sharing failures. Encourage your trainees to challenge your perspective and to give you feedback too. 

Final Thought

Making mistakes, asking questions, and discussing is crucial for learning. If trainees fear being humiliated they won’t participate and therefore their learning won’t be at its best. This can be worked out by ensuring trainees feel valued, respected, listened to, and part of the organisation.

This is How You are F**king up as an ATC Instructor

Our first ever Live Webinar.

Aristotle and Swiss cheese - Part IV

There is an anecdote from 2007, when the famous first iPhone was launched by Apple. By that time Nokia had held the number one position in mobile telephone sales for years and had introduced the first phone cameras some years earlier. This had made them, for a while, the world’s biggest seller of digital cameras too. They were on the peak of their game and nothing seemed to go wrong for them.

But then, someone brought the new iPhone to a Nokia board meeting and expressed concern that here could be a serious rival for Nokia.

-       They call it ‘smartphone’.

The guys in grey suits in the board looked at the iPhone and asked,

-       So if that phone is so smart, what can it do?

They were given a list of things the iPhone was able to do. Take pictures, play games, surf the internet, make phone calls (duh!), send text messages, send photo messages and so on.

The board was not at all concerned.  Nokia phones could do every single thing that the iPhone could do. And this had just one button – what was that about? And they had only that one model! Nokia had dozens. No contest, right? Wrong!

Nokia’s flagship models for 2008-2010.

Nokia board had not considered a very powerful thing that Apple had realized when developing their new gadget. How does it make you feel when you use it. The user experience. The UX.

Nokia had concentrated on technical excellence and being good at what they do. They were producing good quality phones that worked really well. In rhetorics, this is logos – delivering something that is correct and accurate. Nokia also relied on their worldwide brand as the world’s number one manufacturer of handsets. This was the ethos part. They were very credible and believable in the marketplace. Everyone just knew that Nokia’s phones were great.

But what they were missing on the emotional side of the product. What feelings does it generate, is it nice or fun or easy to use? Nokia’s phones did their job, but did you enjoy using them?

The rhetoric appeal Nokia skipped and what we are talking about is called Pathos. It is the passion, the enthusiasm, the soul that the speaker has in their performance. It is the feelings and the emotions it generates in the audience. Pathos is the fire that lights up the message.

Now, emotions are important in learning context, because they are hugely efficient in creating associations. In most basic terms this means that you remember things from the way those things made you feel. Think about your first kiss, or when your child was born or where you were when 9/11 happened. I bet you can remember those things very vividly, because they were emotional moments.

Pathos is the thing that makes a difference in an instructor performance. It is the little something that can make someone a great instructor. You can be the most knowledgeable person of the topic, and the most credible expert there is, but if your presentation lacks pathos, it is just plain dull and forgettable. Your students could just as well read the manual.

The best instructors can convey their passion so that it engages the audience. The listeners can get sucked in the lesson because it is so exciting. It can make you laugh, it might make you wonder, it can make you a bit scared. In fact it can be so enjoyable, that you are disappointed when it is over.

But who can perform like this? Doesn’t it require acting skills? Not really. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you love your subject – the love shows in your work. The audience gets to feel what you feel. In better and for worse I might add. The lack of interest also spreads. How can a student ever get excited about a subject if its teacher does not give a rats ass about it?

Apple had understood the power of user experience (UX) in its products. Great instructors understand the power of learner experience (LX) in their performance. Again, it is obvious, that as instructors we need to do everything with the learner and their benefit in mind. Learner centered trainer has pathos and concentrates on the LX.

The premise of this series of articles about rhetorics was that this ancient art is a safety tool in air traffic management context. Our job as educators is to convey to our students the needed knowledge and skills and attitudes so that they can perform adequately in the future job. The better the student learns, the better (and safer) they will perform in their work. Better learning, safer air traffic.

Understanding the rhetoric appeals can help you realise what you can do as an instructor, to help your student become a black belt professional. You need, logos, ethos and pathos to do this. You need to know what you are talking about, you need to be a credible person to talk about it and as a cherry on top, you also need to be able to appeal to the students emotions to really make the learning stick.

Samuli Suokas

Lektor May 2021 Newsletter

It is soon summer and schools close their doors so the hardworking students get a little break. Lektor however keeps the wheels of learning rolling 24/7. Our online courses have entered the next level.

We have made the Practical Instructor Training Course even more user friendly by making it self-paced. The course content is all included in our Learning Management System, which is the main platform where the learning happens.

All you need to do is get the course from our website, click start and enjoy the ride. You’ll go through a variety of material of different, engaging formats, keeping you active and focussed throughout the training.

All this is done at your own pace, and at your own schedule - making the course as learner centered as possible. How cool is that?

The practical exercises and competence assessment are still completed with an instructor. The scheduling for the hands on bits happens during the course, as soon as you are ready for them. You’ll get to experience our new Instructor Skills Trainer on these modules.

You can buy the Practical Instructor Training Course through our website. You’ll be forwarded to the Learning Management System, where you can start the course straight away after payment. The same process applies to our Virtual Instructor Course too.

You can also find our other courses from our website as well. For the instructor led online courses, we want to discuss and agree on a schedule you are happy with, before you commit to payment. This can be done easily through our website as well.

Please check out the course selection and prices here. All prices include the VAT.

We also want to remind that we have a mentoring programme, available, which is aimed at ATC instructors and other staff for organisational development. We feel that anyone in any organisation, that has some sort of coaching role, is a crucial person in creating and maintaining the working culture and atmosphere.

Lektor provides valuable support for your key personnel, so that your organisation remains healthy and productive.

Your Training. Your Way.

Follow us on our social media platforms.

We appreciate all likes and shares and nudges and comments and pokes and retweets you can give us.

Linkedin, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

Lektor Instructor Skills

Hi there.

Here at Lektor, we appreciate that having clearly set objectives is a good way of facilitating learning. With good objectives, we can first of all communicate to our students, what exactly they are supposed to learn. Objectives are also a tool to help measure learning - every once in a while we can take out the objectives and see what the student already knows and where there is still work.

Below are the assessment guidelines for Lektor’s Practical Instructor Course. They represent the objectives that aspiring instructors are expected to be able to demonstrate in the competence assessment at the end of the course. They also give you an idea of what Lektor considers to be important skills for an instructors.

Please have a look and give comments below about what you think.

Don’t forget to be awesome. Stay well!